London and DistrictLabour Council Questionnaire

1.    Do you pledge to run an ethical and principled campaign? Is there anyone that you would not accept campaign contributions from? 

Yes, I pledge to run an ethical and principled campaign. I am not accepting donations from anyone. I am self-funding my campaign. I do not want to feel that I owe anyone more than anyone else when it comes to making a decision. I feel that this allows me full impartiality.  

2.    What do you consider to be the most important priorities for the City of London? There are numerous priorities that deserve weight. 

We have over 2000 unhoused individuals living on the streets of London. We have open drug use, making residents feel unsafe, we have large vacancy rates downtown. We also struggle to have enough affordable, attainable, and subsidized housing. We have a high unemployment rate, and have had a large population boom leading to infrastructure issues though-out the city from insufficient capacity at water waste management facilities, to roads and public transportation. The goal is to find long-term effective solutions to yield the best financial outcomes. The city is, at it's core, a company. Your have to lead with fiscal responsibility and vision for the future. 

3.    Provide your views on the status of public services and unionized workers for our city.  What are your plans for a just economy that supports working people? 

I feel we could have improvement in our public services and by working with our unionized workers and setting those goals together we can achieve them. Many believe that the private sector is more efficient and more cost advantageous, but I believe that is not true and the unionized workers can be just as hard working and deliver on time and within budget. As for the economy,  if elected, is to hop on a plane and bring new businesses and good paying jobs to London. To find those emerging companies and ones ready to expand and show them that we have the workforce ready and waiting. I want companies worldwide to know that London is where they need to be! 

4.    Do you agree with a raise to the minimum wage and ten paid sick days for all workers? Should the City be a living wage employer?

Yes I agree that minimum wage should be equal to a living wage. The city of London should lead by example and offer a living wage to full-time employees.  I agree with sick days for medical appointments and illness. 

5.    What would you do to promote local public services and good union jobs in our community? Do you support door-to-door mail delivery? Explain your view.

I would continue to support local public services, and see where programs can be expanded. I would work with companies to ensure employee retention,  new jobs and help with mediation should there be an issue that I can help with. For door-to-door delivery, if this is in reference to Canada Post delivery,  I have no authority on Federal matters and this has already been resolved. Personally, I feel that door-to-door delivery has a place, but in our changing society it's role is changing. Providing door to door service may not be economically feasible especially with reduced letter mail, however,  a service for seniors or the disabled that is subscription based may provide a good middle ground. 

6.    What are your ideas about addressing the affordability and housing crisis in London? What is your position on a renoviction bylaw? 

I believe that council should be working with developers to create smart communities that make best use of the land without continuous urban sprawl. My vision would include all the large major shopping supercenters being converted to have underground parking with stretches of green space, parks, multi use water features, and patio areas between the building with stores in the bottom, and stacked townhouses or apartments above with 20% being affordable, rent controlled, subsidized. I believe that all housing projects should be approved with socioeconomic considerations and balance. I believe that council needs to put a renoviction by-law in place to prevent landlords from evicting tenants to modernize and then charge inflated rent prices. The by-law should look similar to the one put in place by the city of Hamilton, ON. 

7.    What will you do to further embed equity and social justice in London?  How will you commit to the Indigenous Truth and Reconciliation process with concrete actions?

I will continue to provide opportunities for all people to be heard, seen and represented on important matters. I will continue to promote equality, understanding, tolerance and respect for all.  I will continue to help those less fortunate through social programs and opportunities, including expanded funding for youth in recreational programming, and free London City Transit passes for those under 19. I would like to create high school programs to teach students about social justice and other issues such as Islamophobia,  Antisemitism, black lives matter, the indigenous, etc. To further truth and reconciliation, I would like to establish an honorary role on the planning and development council, where an indigenous representative can weigh-in on matters concerning the development of land and environmental issues.  I want to bring the indigenous community to the table with a voice. 

8.    Explain your plan for addressing the climate crisis and comment on specific details to date on how London City Council has worked on environmental issues.

The city has it's Climate Emergency Action Plan that it has recently implemented. I personally don't find the city has done very much to address the climate crisis in any real and progressive way. Below are ways in which I will support the implementation of  each area of the Climate Emergency Action Plan and  how I will ensure that it is measured and that accountability exists as well as expansions/modifications I would make on the preexisting ideas/plan.

Engaging, Inspiring and Learning from People - Ensure there is continued public education at events, schools and public libraries. Run workshops throughout the city on specific topics with resources to help implement initiatives. Run incentive programs (rain barrels, rain garden plants, keeping enviro depot fees low) .

Taking Action Now (Household Actions) - I will continue encouraging energy reduction, and make it easier for the homeowner to recycle items like batteries and lights by increasing drop off locations to include local schools, libraries, and grocery stores. Work with auto shops to allow for drop off of hazardous liquids (oil, coolant, etc.) work with hardware and paint centers to have paint recycling drop off. Keep enviro depot fees low and have free days for materials not picked up by city waste management to help eliminate illegal dumping. 

Transforming Buildings and Development - I will work with city planning and the engineering department to allow for easy modification to smart roof solutions (capturing rain water to use for non-drinking uses such as toilets, and watering gardens, as well as capturing water to let out during non peak times to help prevent flooding and overwhelming the sewage system). Encourage developers to implement green construction (include rain barrels, or other water recycling, use materials that are recyclable, made of recycled material and have long life (metal roofs, smart decking and fencing solutions, solar panel installation as an option on new builds, (new solar glass windows) light fixtures with replaceable LEDs, permeable driveway options, tree planting/landscaping) . Planting smart around buildings with deciduous trees to reduce heat entering into buildings in the summer (lower AC use) and increase heat in the winter. Utilize better rain water management through environmentally conscious water gardens. 

Transforming Transportation and Mobility-Make a better public transit system with central pickup areas that go to popular public events/destinations to reduce the number of drivers and parking required, free public transit for children under 19. Pullout for the bus to leave the main road for loading and unloading of passengers (reduce traffic congestion) larger bus shelters.Add electric bicycle rentals throughout the city, downtown, public libraries, shopping malls/plazas to help people get around town without the need of a car/bus.Increase the number of bike lanes and make safer bike lanes on all major roads in the city.

Transforming Consumption and Waste as Part of the Circular Economy - I will continue the compost program and expand it (perhaps a separate container for pet waste and explore option to create bio-fuel (similar to how farmers use cow manure to make energy)) encourage more buy nothing facebook groups, or charitable donation groups for reusable items, offer repair workshops at libraries and community centers and take items like bikes, scooters, and other sporting goods at more locations like libraries, fire stations, and community centers for repair and redistribution. 

Implementing Natural and Engineered Climate Solutions and Carbon Capture -Continue planting more trees - ensuring the right kind of tree is planted in the right space so it doesn't need to be cut down or die. Allow residents to remove trees from private property provided they replace the tree either in their yard or on public property (city planted tree in designated green space (fee will apply)), Encourage cover crops for farming through education and incentives. Capturing rain water (farms for irrigation, residential for watering plants) Implement a by-law - No more watering the grass. We have cool season lawns, they go dormant in the heat of summer, that is ok, save the water for trees and plants. Implement filters on street gutters to capture waste so it doesn't enter into our waterways. I will implement street vacuums to collect fallen leaves to prevent them from ending up in our waterways, and have the leaves dropped off to be composed.

Adapting and Making London More Resilient/ Advancing Knowledge, Research and Innovation - attend energy conferences and bring back new initiatives to the city. Be progressive by working with the university and college to create leading initiatives as well as other innovative thinkers. 

 
Measuring, Monitoring and Providing Feedback- This is a wonderful opportunity for summer students jobs for students 18-26 to promote/research/and record information on environmental initiatives to ensure compliance. Students will attend public events and run workshops to educate the public, they will research new initiatives under academic supervision with support from city staff, they will attend properties in an inspection capacity to ensure compliance on programs, permits to cut trees and other initiatives (implemented by builders or residents)

Sustainable GrowthI believe that forests and water ways including large ponds should be protected from development.  Development projects need to work around these features and add public pathways and access trails where possible without destroying ESA for public enjoyment. I believe that we should not be developing any new housing along the river where the land is untouched and should restore natural land embankments where possible.I believe in smart developments. My vision is to eliminate sprawling super shopping centers (Wonderland and Southdale) and invision better land use by: creating underground parking, with parks, multi-use water features (fountain, splash pad and skating rink), nice outdoor patios, storefronts that line the park area and apartments or multi story townhouses above (which include 20% affordable/subsidized housing). I believe that we need to stop giving more agricultural land to developers until what is currently available is filled in with housing (and if possible the shopping centers are converted into the housing vision mentioned above)We also need to promote developers to fill in the brownfields, abandoned factories, and vacant buildings throughout our city before any new rezoning of agricultural land is permitted. 

Open-Air BurnningI would suggest more severe restrictions than a full ban, so that families and friends can enjoy outdoor time together.  - only permitted on long weekends from May-Oct between 4pm -10pm (provided that we don't have extreme drought conditions, or poor air index). - A ban on burning of leaves, treated lumber, or other materials - No use of accelerants- I would encourage people to move to propane or natural gas fire tables/pits. 

OTHER I would like to implement a by-law mandating that all rental units must have air-conditioning, or heat-pumps installed and in working order to help residents with poor air quality and extreme heat. I also want to make mandatory cool down centers for those that need to take refuge from the extreme heat or air quality issues. As well, I want to set hard limits on air quality,  heat and cold extremes that outdoor workers, schools/ factories that don't have AC and the unhoused are subjected to. 

9.    How would you approach applications to build data centres for use with A.I. in London? 

Based on the negative enviromental impacts and human impacts that we are seeing I would be opposed to having or permitting an AI Data Center in London. Thus I would deny any land rezoning for that purpose. I recognize the changing times and the possibilites that AI can have in our world, I am also concerned on it's impact on our children and jobs. I would like for our Federal government to put a law in place that protects peoples jobs from AI, and would like the province to set down some regulations surrounding AI Data centers and it's impact on the environment.

10.   Do you support a change in provincial law that would allow London to charge a vacancy tax for commercial buildings? How will you approach downtown landlords to revitalize economic activity and build a livable city? 

While I have no input on provincial matters, I would welcome any tools in the tool box to help with dealing with the vacant commercial buildings in our city. 

I have heard a lot about landbanking practices, but I would also like to know if there are other issues that are impacting landowners from renting the buildings (are there issues with obtaining permits, financing, asbestos abatement issues,  lack of businesses, parking, security, unhoused) Once I have those answers I would look to see how council can work to resolve the matters, ( waiving fees, permits, investment, acting as a guarantor on loans, incentives, relocating the unhoused). I would also look to see if a deal can be made, $1 per month rent for new businesses for the first year in downtown instead of vacancy taxes. Or revoking zoning to end landbanking. 

11.   Would you support the City of London divesting from municipal water / hydro resources by way of a Municipal Services Corporation?

I have reservations about creating a Municipal Service Corporation. I feel there are a lot of specifics I would want to make a proper decision,  but at it's core, unless there is a very good reason, I feel that public assets should remain public assets. These services are about needs of life, not profiting, this was the founding principal of Ontario Hydro when it was founded by former London Mayor, and MPP Sir Adam Beck. 

12.   If elected, what steps will you take to stay in communication with the London and District Labour Council? 

I would attend meetings that I am invited to, be open to email, or calls and copy them on my community emails and bulletin. I would also reach out to the council if I have any questions or opportunities that I feel would be of interest for the council to weigh in on. (For example: allowing the unhoused to bring illegal substances or enter shelter while under the influence) I would encourage them to be added as a lobbyist group on the registry (should this be created) at no charge to help them have a seat and be heard on matters.