December 7, 2016 Ever since we approved the Northdale Plan back in 2012, I’ve been working hard with staff, students, developers, educational institutions, and neighbours to implement the vision the community wrote: “By 2029, Northdale is revitalized and reurbanized into a diverse, vibrant and sustainable neighbourhood, integrated with educational, residential, commercial, cultural, heritage, and recreational […]

November 18, 2016 Waterloo’s infrastructure gap has been in the news this week, but some reports have been full of misinformation about next year’s taxes and that needs to be corrected. First, we’re being very deliberate. The earliest Waterloo would change its approach is the 2020 budget after some robust public engagement. So, the 2017 […]

September 23, 2015 Astronomically speaking, it’s the first day of fall, or the Autumnal Equinox. For students, it means classes have started, including for more than ten thousand new undergraduate students. For many residents, it also means watching leafs change colour and inevitably fall to the ground. And for Council, it means starting to talk about […]

February 8, 2015 Tomorrow is Budget Day at the City of Waterloo. As the Finance and Strategic Planning Chair, and starting from 1 p.m., I’ll be leading Council through its department-by-department consideration of the budget. You can find the details of the proposed budget online. We spent considerable effort over the last year to make […]

October 28, 2014 Thank you, Ward 6, for your vote of confidence. I’m looking forward to continuing to serve you as your ward councillor. I want to thank my dedicated volunteer team for their efforts. Together, we knocked on 4,730 doors and had 2,121 conversations with my neighbours in Ward 6. I also want to […]

October 27, 2014 In Waterloo and the hundreds of other municipalities in Ontario, today is election day. While the federal and provincial governments get the most attention, local governments have a significant effect on our daily lives: keeping the lights on and delivering clean water; building and maintaining roads, sidewalks, trails, and transit; providing recreation, […]

October 19, 2014 Election Day is now only eight days away. Over the last few months, I’ve talked to hundreds of people across this diverse ward, asking each one about their concerns and answering their questions. While more than 1,500 people across the city cast ballots in advanced polls, I’ve heard that many are still […]

September 21, 2014 I was pleased to announce earlier this week that the last of the appeals of the Northdale plan have now been settled and contains a key victory for the community. The property owner at 275 Lester St. has agreed to convey land to the city within three years, allowing for the future […]

September 1, 2014 Every year in Waterloo, Labour Day weekend is a time of firsts, particularly for parents and for students of all ages. The first day of kindergarten, of senior public school, and of high school are emotional experiences for all involved, consuming the thoughts of parents and students through all of this last […]

August 17, 2014 On a day-to-day basis, change can be hard to see. It’s only when we compare how things are today with how they were years ago that change becomes visible. Perhaps because I’m a local elected official, a four year council term is just about long enough to start to see change and […]