Big city issues resonate in small towns

Wendy Landry is worried about affordable housing, accessible public transit and infrastructure.

Her checklist of issues, which reads like a snapshot of big-city newspaper headlines, encapsulates some of the challenges facing the small northern Ontario community of Shuniah, east of Thunder Bay, where she’s been acclaimed to a second term as mayor.

Like most of the 417 municipalities where local elections are taking place on Monday, Shuniah’s campaign unfolded quietly in the shadow of Toronto’s more high-profile race.

Most of the airtime was consumed by the city’s bruising battle with the provincial government over the size of city council, but the list of issues dominating Toronto’s campaign trails is known well beyond its borders.

Its contents resonate with voters across the province, Landry said, adding many of the concerns typically framed as unique to big cities transcend town lines and are relevant in communities of all sizes.

Landry cites mass transit as one of the top issues facing much of northern Ontario, including her community of about 2,700 people.

Residents, she said, have few if any options for traversing the hundreds of kilometres between communities and require a broader bus network.

Other municipalities have tried to take action on transit over the past four years, with some turning to the private sector for either inspiration or direct help.

Innisfil, Ont., struck a partnership with Uber that sees the ride-hailing company provide service to designated areas for a flat fee subsidized by the town.