My history in Kincardine is a bit circular. I was born and raised in Montreal but my mother's family extends from Kincardine to Clifford and London through the Walsh and Bieman clans. All my childhood summer vacations were spent cottaging with extended family in Point Clark. Fate then brought me back to Kincardine in 1990 as an Electrical Engineer with Ontario Hydro. My professional career brought me into the rapidly advancing fields of security engineering and then telecommunications. Together, Manon and I have raised four wonderful and responsible kids in this beautiful area. Since 2006 Air Cadets of Canada has provided me with the rewarding opportunity to volunteer as a civilian instructor. My experience has also allowed me to be involved on various boards and committees, helping with a variety of local groups. Beyond community involvement, I enjoy photography, hiking, camping, geocaching, biking and swimming. As an avid reader and lifelong learner, I pursue my passion for expanding my understanding of this incredible world. Our family has great compassion for animals and so both our dogs are rescue pets. My family deeply values civic duty, and all of us have given time to groups like the Optimists, the Lions, Girl Guides and the Legion. In this spirit, my son has chosen service to Canada through a career in the Canadian Forces. Together as a family we have a passion for history and heritage, both preserving and passing them along. Kincardine and Tiverton have a vibrant past that needs to be preserved and handed down to coming generations. It is therefore my hope that we can work together to ensure an equally bright future for those who follow us.
Why are you running?
I firmly believe in the value of being of service to others. At the same time, it is my feeling that we each need to take responsibility for our own lives before we seek to involve ourselves in the affairs of others. To this end, I have never had any designs to enter the political arena. However, many of my friends and family have been discussing the need for positive change within our governments. They feel that I possess the necessary characteristics to help usher in such changes locally. To convince me of their claim they offered three points. I work hard to listen to all sides of an issue. I seek to understand the point of view of those affected. I act objectively and rationally to the best of my abilities. So I am running because I trust the belief that my friends have placed in me, namely that I can be an influence for positive change in the Municipality of Kincardine. Consequently, these will be my principles as a councillor: Listen carefully. Seek to understand. Act rationally and wisely for the benefit of the whole community.
What do you feel are the biggest challenges facing the municipality? How would you address them?
We are in turbulent times. The same matters that affect us as individuals and families likewise affect our local communities and governments. We are experiencing the highest inflation in over 40 years. Consequently, the effect of inflation will certainly be the biggest challenge facing the municipality of Kincardine. The costs of goods and services have risen significantly both in Canada and globally. As a councillor, I believe it will be my duty to mitigate the effects of this staggering inflation for the community of Kincardine and Tiverton, and especially for those with low and fixed incomes. Addressing this will mean operating the municipality more productively. Our municipal staff will be one of our best resources for developing such improvements. We will need to listen to municipal employees to understand their challenges and to help them find and implement efficiencies for the delivery of Kincardine's essential services. I would further address the challenge of inflation by evaluating municipal spending and how our tax dollars will be spent to ensure the greatest value and benefit for all. I also propose that Kincardine should investigate the sharing of resources and services between our neighbouring towns to help each other in better providing necessary services. Kincardine is also challenged to become more family-friendly. We can address this need by reaching out to various organizations to encourage the establishment of businesses and groups that will cater to families and youth. These partners can help the town to provide more daycares, sports clubs, youth groups, music and creative arts societies, and volunteer service organizations. As a councillor, I will seek to earnestly listen to constituents, understand what matters most to them and then put into action the necessary proposals for council to act upon. In brief: Listen, Understand and Act.
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