Waterloo will be having municipal elections on Oct. 24, where eligible voters will be able to vote for the regional chair, their regional council representative, city council representative, school board trustee and the city mayor. Canadian citizens enrolled in post-secondary institutions are eligible to vote in their home municipalities and the city they reside in when they are studying.
Imprint sent out questions to the four City of Waterloo mayoral candidates to get to know them. Here are their responses.
Kypp Saunders
Saunders graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and government in 1996. He is the owner of the Sugar Run bar in Kitchener.
- What are your plans and goals, if any, with regard to housing and transit in the City of Waterloo?
I will be working with local developers to build more accessible, affordable units by removing cumbersome zoning restrictions. In addition, I will be activating city-owned land to [build] more accessible and affordable units, and extending the hours of public transportation in the region and making it free on the weekends. - How do you plan to help foster diversity and inclusion in the city?
On day one, I will be working with a resident-operated diversity council.
- Waterloo has a student population of over 50,000 people. Why should they vote for you based on your campaign priorities and track record?
My commitment to building affordable housing in the region and to free public transportation with extended hours. I am a former student at U of W, and I understand that students need a vibrant community that supports their need to socialize safely. - If elected, what do you think will be your biggest challenge over the next four years?
Building the affordable housing necessary to fulfill the needs of a rapidly growing community.
Dorothy McCabe
McCabe graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a Bachelor of Arts in communications & history. In 2015, she got her masters in public administration from Western University, where she specialized in local government. She was the Chief of Staff of the mayor of Kitchener in 2010 and was the Government Relations Manager for the Town of Milton until earlier this year.
- What are your plans and goals, if any, with regard to housing and transit in the City of Waterloo?
We must continue to work with our institutions and city staff to ensure that students have a variety of options with respect to accommodations and that bylaws covering overcrowded student housing are enforced. I also understand that the availability of safe and affordable accommodations is a top issue for students. I will work with the existing landlords and developers to try to build out a supportive community that provides students with dependable places to live.
We must also continue to view the university district as an evolving way to build a stronger sense of community and shared responsibility with respect to the integration of students within the city.
We will also advocate to the province on issues that are within their jurisdiction.
With respect to transit and active transportation, I have a long track record of advocating for new transportation options.
Many of the transportation needs of students are similar to those of other residents in Waterloo.
I will continue to advocate for two-way all-day GO Rail service to and from our region, including for public transit between Guelph and Stratford and other municipalities.
I will continue to expand the equitable, protected, active transportation network and connect it with the regional network. Specifically, as mayor, I will work with the region to ensure bus routes and schedules better meet the needs of everyone in Waterloo.
- How do you plan to help foster diversity and inclusion in the city?
As mayor, I commit to creating a team Waterloo mayor’s advisory table to facilitate discussions and uncover Waterloo’s next big ideas. With over 65,000 postsecondary students in the city throughout the year, the student stakeholder voice is an important and unique one, and I look forward to working with your organization and others like yours, as well as individual students, to ensure that they feel respected and heard and that we continue to build Waterloo as a place where students can not only come to study but to work, live and play.
I would like to engage youth to build a strategy to harness their passions and potential to build a stronger and more vibrant Waterloo.
- Waterloo has a student population of over 50,000 people. Why should they vote for you based on your campaign priorities and track record?
I will include post-secondary representation on team Waterloo mayor’s advisory table.
I have made housing availability and affordability for all residents of Waterloo a priority.
I am committed to improving train, bus and active transportation to and from Waterloo with interregional transit connections with neighbouring municipalities.
- If elected, what do you think will be your biggest challenge over the next four years?
Working with the community to address both the housing and climate change challenges with combined and integrated policies and action.
Shannon Weber
Weber graduated from the University of Waterloo with BA in economics and has an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University. She is currently a faculty member in the Strategic Global Business Management Graduate Program at Conestoga College.
- What are your plans and goals, if any, with regard to housing and transit in the City of Waterloo?
Housing: I have spent months listening to residents of Waterloo and have clearly heard that affordable housing is a top issue for our community. I know this is particularly true for students and youth.
Waterloo has the knowledge and innovation needed to address this challenge. As mayor, I will unlock this potential. One of my first actions will be to create a mayor’s task force on affordable housing and smart growth. The task force will address the following:
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- Leverage the tools and levers currently available to address affordability and growth
- Streamline the development approval process
- Modernize zoning bylaws to speed up building a range of housing options while protecting green space
- Developing a Community Improvement Plan to encourage affordable housing and sustainable infrastructure
- Remove barriers to affordable rental housing, including student housing, while maintaining safety standards
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I am also interested in reviewing the Rental Housing Bylaw to understand if it’s effectively addressing safety concerns as well as any barriers it may be creating in terms of affordable housing. I have been consulting with student leaders at our post-secondary institutions, and there seems to be support for this.
Although Waterloo must take steps to address affordable housing and smart growth, we cannot do it alone. As Mayor, I will be a strong voice that works collaboratively with all levels of government to ensure Waterloo’s needs are prioritized.
Transit: Increased transit is integral to building a vibrant city, supporting growth and movement of residents and meeting our climate goals.
As Mayor, I will continue my earlier work as a member of the business-led coalition advocating to the provincial government for increased GO train service between Toronto and Waterloo region and ensure Waterloo’s needs are met through expanded regional and inter-regional transit.
Expanded inter-regional transit will benefit our future generation, including students, as they will have more opportunities to live in one city and work or go to school in another. Expanded service will save residents time and money and allow students the ability to live in one community and study in another. According to the Canadian Urban Transit Association, every $1 invested in local transit has an economic spin-off of between $3-5, supporting economic growth in our community.
- How do you plan to help foster diversity and inclusion in the city?
As the lead for community investments at the KW Community Foundation and a founder of Wellbeing Waterloo, I have dedicated a significant portion of my professional career to supporting diversity and inclusion in our community.
Residents have told me that they want more ways to connect and foster a sense of belonging in our community. As Mayor, I will build a connected community by fostering strong and vibrant neighbourhoods through the implementation of programs and supports that allow residents to better utilize public spaces, promote informal gatherings, and unlock opportunities for connection.
- Waterloo has a student population of over 50,000 people. Why should they vote for you based on your campaign priorities and track record?
Having worked at all three local public post-secondary institutions, including in student government at the University of Waterloo, I have a deep understanding of the value that our more than 50,000 students bring to the Waterloo Region.
Not only do students contribute to the economic success of communities by supporting small businesses and fueling the economy, but they also represent our future talent, driving innovation and providing solutions to local and global challenges. Waterloo’s student population is an important part of our city, adding diversity, new ideas and vibrancy to our neighbourhoods and communities and we must find ways to welcome them, engage them in our city and encourage them to stay in our community for years to come.
I am the only candidate with the experience and skills necessary to bring people together and work with all levels of government to achieve success. I will ensure I use my voice as Mayor to advocate for the needs of all Waterloo residents — including students — and build a welcoming community that our local students can feel proud to call home.
- If elected, what do you think will be your biggest challenge over the next four years?
I believe that the biggest challenge facing the next council will be balancing the needs of residents with fiscal responsibility. With growing inflation and the increasing costs of goods, I have heard that many Waterloo residents are becoming increasingly challenged to afford everyday essentials.
As Mayor, I commit to holding city staff and members of council responsible for the prudent use of tax dollars. I will ensure that future municipal investments balance the needs of our community, leverage provincial and federal funding, and respect the hard-earned dollars that our residents entrust to municipal governments.
Rob Evans
Evans graduated with a BA in political science from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2001. He is currently the President and CEO of Backpacker College.
Evans did not respond to Imprint’s questions.
