October 24, 2010

After more than six months and six thousand doors, tomorrow is Election Day.

This campaign has been a great experience, and it is better because I have met and talked to so many of you. While we have often talked about the referenda on the ballot and the light rail transit plan of the regional government, I have also heard about a number of other issues that are important to you:

• increasing traffic and the difficulty pedestrians face crossing it;
• sharply increasing taxes and the challenges that those on fixed incomes face paying them;
• public transit and the need to expand its reach, and;
• student housing and how the lack of safe, affordable student housing near the universities is putting more and more pressure on neighbourhoods across the City.

After many hours of debates, forums, and public events, and many more hours of canvassing, the outcome of this election rests where it always has: with you, the voter.

I have believed from the start that if you treat people with the respect of a full answer to the difficult challenges of the day, they will respond. Whether or not you agree with me on every issue, I hope that you feel you can put your trust in me to thoughtfully approach the issues we know about today and the issues we’ll face over the next four years. I promise to continue giving you the respect of full and timely answers, and to work hard every day on your behalf.

With your support tomorrow, I know that we can work together to make Waterloo an even better place for all of us to live.