Several organizations have sent questions to candidates, and here are my answers. If you have a question, reach out and I’ll answer you, too.
Questions and Answers
From Theatre Collingwood: What role do you believe arts & culture play in the economic, social & overall well-being of Collingwood?
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Many, many studies (Canadian Chamber of Commerce, 2025; World Health Organization, 2019; CanadaCouncil.ca, 2025) show how arts and culture positively impact the livability and economy of a place, which might be connected to the research showing Collingwood as one of the happiest places in Canada (Statistics Canada, 2025)! We are SO lucky to have such a diverse and energetic arts community. Is there a week without a cultural event of some sort? Not many. Music on the streets and trails, story telling events, the Arts Crawl, amazing shows and concerts both indoors and outdoors, even the wonderful writers’ groups at the library; it’s so tremendous here, many people lose sight of how far above average we are and how all our lives are improved by the rich culture that surrounds us.
From Theatre Collingwood: Is there anything else you would like Collingwood residents to know about your vision for arts and culture in our community?
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Thank you so much for the opportunity to discuss this, because it’s so much more than a ‘yea or nay’ question. OF COURSE we need a dedicated space for arts and cultural events to be hosted. The mashup of locations for performance events can be frustrating and confusing (although certainly beneficial for some of the sites when it comes to revenue and exposure, which we also need to keep in mind).
I remember when the Collingwood fair, the GNE, had to leave Central Park. At that time, many people doubted the fair could survive at a location so far out of town, but a dedicated group of volunteers kept that cultural event alive and it’s thriving. It works because the Fair Board has a singular vision and one big event a year, with smaller events to support it. I think what has complicated Collingwood’s progress on the arts file is the very thing that makes our community so terrific: so many diverse and dedicated groups of wonderful people doing the heavy lifting. The people who put together the Art Crawl, Gaslight, the Music Festival, Theatre Collingwood and all the shows at the two terrific theatres we currently have, plus the Blues at the Park; the concerts on Hurontario Street, the waterfront and on the trails; the galleries, the writers’ groups, story-telling and too many more to list: all of them have been doing such great work and should continue to be commended and supported.
If you love performance spaces, you’ll know about the Elbphilharmonie, a repurposed building in an industrial city that began an arts revolution in Hamburg. When I went there this summer, I was stunned by how amazing and tremendous it is. But the final price tag was ten times the original projections. We need to be prepared and practical, plus responsible and team-oriented when we eventually build our centre.
In the meantime, we as a town and we as citizens should continue to support the many existing cultural groups that provide such joy and wonder while we work through the process to get our future arts centre.
From Collingwood Today about infrastructure: What will be your approach to prioritizing infrastructure projects and choosing which ones to support?
In your opinion, how is the town’s road maintenance process working? If elected, what would you do to improve it?
What is your position on Collingwood exploring a Simcoe County Public Water Corporation?
What do you think of the town’s recently released stormwater management master plan?
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Thanks so much for the opportunity to clarify my thinking on these issues. The council I served on from 2018-22 did a lot of work on infrastructure plans, and we’re seeing the fruits of it now. Although, wow, all the construction makes it hard to get across town! We currently plan road work using a system which ranks roads and bridges based on age and condition; that ranking is cross-referenced with underground work needed in the area and also considers any proposals for development nearby. The goal is to avoid repeatedly digging up the same road. The new council will need to review how (and whether) it’s working, and be sure what’s supposed to take place, is actually happening.
It was a good call for the current council to opt to explore the possibilities of a water and wastewater corporation, but there are still a lot of questions about how such an arrangement might work and who will administer it. We here in Collingwood have some experience with the perils of such entities, though. The County’s staff report was certainly thorough, and I’ve spoken about the possibilities with our MPP, but there are many necessary conversations and consultations to have before we make any final call. There are likely concerns about employment at some of our engineering firms if such a corporation is created, and there might need to be staffing changes at the town, too, so there are a lot of things to balance when making a huge decision like this. As for stormwater, flooding in some parts of town is finally being addressed; friends of mine who live just off Peel have been waiting for answers and relief for years, and it looks like the remediation work is about to be done.
From Collingwood Today about Budgets: With strong mayor powers in Collingwood, how would you handle the budget process?
What are your thoughts on the way the budget is prioritized today? Are there any items you think should be of a higher priority than they currently are, or any items you think should be lower? Please be specific.
Would you lower taxes, and if so, how? Please be specific. Would you advocate for higher taxes, and if so, why?
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With so much tariffing and turmoil, no sensible person would commit in advance one way or another when it comes to taxes; what will fuel prices be for our snow plows? How will our remaining industries fare? There’s no way to know for sure. We’ve all heard about the report saying we’re going to need an extra 4.8 percent for each of the next few years. I would advocate for thoughtful and thorough discussions about what we can afford while hopefully adding to everyone’s quality of life. Here’s what I definitely commit to: strong advocacy for the town’s procurement to be Canadian-focused. I will request a report on country-of-origin for all purchases by the town, including a plan to move sourcing as much as possible to Canadian companies, just like most of us are now doing in our homes.
Since we moved to a programs-based budgeting system, spending is a lot easier to understand, both for the staff members who work their budgets, and the council that sets them. All that said, with Strong Mayor powers in place, the councillors can be cut right out of the budget discussion. There are procedural ways around some of the Strong Mayor powers, but it takes councillors who learn the rules and are willing to use them. The councillors that our citizens choose must be independent, pay attention and do their homework.
From Collingwood Today about the Future Arts Centre/Multi-Use Recreation Facility: What’s your position on these projects? What would you do to move either or both of these projects along, if you were elected?
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From Collingwood Today about housing: How do you feel about Collingwood’s approach to housing issues?
What do you feel are the next priorities for addressing this issue?
If elected, what would you do to bring more housing to Collingwood?
While homelessness, mental health support and addictions are issues addressed by the provincial government, all three hit at home in Collingwood. If elected, what steps would you like to see the municipality take in responding to these issues?
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From Collingwood Today about the Official Plan: Have you read through the town’s 2024 Official Plan? What did you like, and what didn’t you like? What is your position on development in Collingwood?
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As Chair of the Library Board, I was happy to send one of our members to the Steering Committee that has been exploring the Multi Use Recreation Facility (MURF), since there is a possibility of library services being offered at a new facility. The member has young kids and therefore brought a particular and important perspective to the group. I personally think the site the committee landed on, off Tenth Line, could be great, and I also think it was a good call not to lock ourselves in for a MURF at that site if things like funding availability change. As I told Theatre Collingwood when they asked, we should of course have an arts centre to host the events and performances that bring such wonder and joy to so many of us, but we do already have a wonderful arts ecosystem in Collingwood, and we need to incorporate and protect the best things about it while moving forward. I was in Hamburg this summer to see the performing arts centre there, the Elbphilharmonie, which was built into and on top of a derelict warehouse and is the envy of the world for acoustics, but which cost ten times the amount that was originally proposed. Smart and careful and thoughtful will have to be our mantra as we work through both of these vital projects.
We thrive on tourism and entrepreneurship, but we also need spaces where workers and families can afford to live, so we have to balance these interests. The rules about Short Term Accommodations (STAs) were being worked on at the end of the term I served on, and while 200 licences are available, it seems only about 30 have been requested and issued. One of the apps shows at least 90 places that could be rented most nights, so there’s clearly a gap to be addressed. It doesn’t appear that there’s been a big uptake on the Additional Residential Unit program, either. The goal for these two programs was to nudge income property owners to switch from short to long-term rentals, and to encourage people with larger lots to create new rental units on their property. We should review whether these programs are working as intended, and what’s preventing their success. The housing report from 2023 pegs affordable rent at between 1100 and 1900 dollars a month and said there were almost no units in that price range available. With the slowdown in housing starts in the last three years, numbers in that report may already be out of date.
About our most vulnerable people, the County currently pays for the library’s Social Services Navigator, whose job is to direct people in need to a safe indoor place to stay. They also help with job searches and medical care. The library is a natural fit for resources to be offered when people come in to get away from the weather, so let’s continue to support that position. Let’s also continue to support the groups offering hands-on, immediate help in the community like the Busby Centre, the Mobile Soup Kitchen, and the community dinners operated by tremendous community-minded volunteers.
The council I served on spent quite a bit of time on the Official Plan, with several rounds of consultations and revisions, so it has been interesting to look it over again. The 2018-22 council helped get the zoning sorted out for the area off Poplar Sideroad so the new hospital can eventually be built there. The 2024 version of the Official Plan allows for 12-storey buildings in certain areas of town; it will be very interesting to see public reaction to any plan brought forward for a skyscraper on First Street! Official Plans, in my opinion, are living documents, because so many zoning changes are requested and granted during the years the plans are ‘officially’ in place. We here in Collingwood are in the enviable position of being one of the most attractive places in the province and country in which to live; beautiful and historic with vibrant cultural and sports opportunities. But to build on our success, if we want to grow the services and facilities we all wish to enjoy, we need to acknowledge that more neighbours are necessary in the form of additional, denser and less expensive development, possibly near your backyard. Again, Collingwood Today, thanks for the opportunity to clarify my thinking on some of these issues.