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 […]
Building Our Future Heritage
August 5, 2014 Last week, my wife and I attended a talk by Alison Brooks at the Perimeter Institute on the connections between architecture, heritage, and our cultural history. A graduate of the Architecture program at the University of Waterloo, Alison founded her own firm in London, England and has racked up the awards. The […]
Growing our Economy Together
April 21, 2014 Every few months, councillors across the three cities, four townships, and the Region get together to focus on issues of common concern. Last Wednesday, we talked about a new focus on attracting more sports tourism, successes in attracting foreign investment, and how the region is meeting or exceeding its growth targets. The […]
Costco and the West Side
April 10, 2014 The formal public meeting for the Costco application came to Council on Monday. Council agreed with the staff recommendation to approve the Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments, and we expanded the holding provision to include all development on the site. The holding provision means nothing will be built until the following […]
International Women's Day
March 9, 2014 Yesterday was International Women’s Day. First celebrated in 1911, it has become an opportunity to reflect on the progress towards gender equality and highlight the significant work left to do. I had the opportunity to attend two local International Women’s Day events, each featuring compelling personal stories of prominent women. At the […]
Embracing Winter
February 22, 2014 It has been a long and snowy winter. With far fewer festivals and events taking place this time of year, it makes it that much easier to stay home. That’s why I’m so pleased at the support our community provided to install the ice rink in the public square, and more recently […]
The Campaign Begins
January 27, 2014 This morning, I filed for re-election as City of Waterloo Ward 6 Councillor. I have been honoured to serve the people of Ward 6 these last few years, listening carefully and bringing people together to solve the challenges we face head-on. I look forward to the campaign ahead, listening to what you […]
Reflections on 2013
January 5, 2013 I’ve previously written about my thoughts one year and two years into this Council term. Here are some of the highlights from year three: The Northdale Land Use and Community Improvement Plan study was put into force by the Ontario Municipal Board with only two site-specific appeals remaining to be decided. Two mixed-use […]
Nelson Mandela
December 16, 2013 Yesterday, our community celebrated the life of Nelson Mandela. Organized by Chloe Callender and Lauris DaCosta, with the assistance of Councillor Berry Vrbanovic, the afternoon was moving. The Hon. Rev. Walter McLean related his own stories from the front lines of our country’s fight against apartheid in South Africa, Peter Braid discussed […]
Electronic Voting update
November 24, 2013 Earlier this year, the majority of Council approved exploring adding electronic voting to next year’s municipal elections. The report is now out, and Council will make a final decision on Monday evening at a meeting that starts at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. I wrote about my concerns and my electronic voting […]