Campaign
Priorities

Diversify our homes for differing needs while protecting our farmland and ecosystems.

As Ward 3 continues to grow, we need to find ways to keep its beauty and productivity. I believe we need to be careful in balancing the need for density while still building homes for people wherever they are in life. We need to diversify our housing to be appropriate for the recent graduates, young families, people downsizing, and everyone inbetween. I believe that to accomplish this, Clarington needs to reduce development of tall tower buildings and large houses in favour of a wider variety of homes to ensure affordability for our diverse needs.

Having a strong history in agriculture, I also understand the need to protect farmland as our neighbourhoods grow. At times, agricultural land will need to be sacrificed. While this at times is necessary, I will fight to keep as much agricultural land as possible. I believe farmland should not be rezoned from Agricultural to Environmentally Protected land if it can remain in production. Developers should be required to include room for naturalization and native species within their designs, not in the surrounding farm land. If elected, I promise to advocate for development that supports the needs of now and for generations to come.

My plan is to leverage my extensive network in agriculture to bring new jobs to Ward 3.

Primary agriculture is a major part of our rural economy, but we lack the infrastructure to process our raw products. Our agricultural productivity and proximity to Toronto make Clarington an ideal location for processing beef, dairy, and grains. Bringing processors to our area creates more entry, mid, and senior-level jobs for our residents. These jobs keep our workers close to home, so they can spend more time with their families.

I am committed to keeping tax increases to a minimum and finding ways to save the municipality money.

Every reserve fund Clarington has is projected to decrease by the end of 2026. Pulling from the reserves to balance the budget is not honest or sustainable. Updating and building infrastructure is important, but we must do so responsibly and without depleting our reserves. My experience managing farm finances and serving as the treasurer on the local Christian school board has helped hone my skills in keeping budgets in the green. My plan to keep a balanced budget is to attract a larger commercial tax base while keeping unnecessary costs down.

My approach to taking on homelessness is through promoting community and increasing access to addiction and mental health organizations.

Many governments and leaders talk about homelessness, but rarely have an effective plan. As of 2025, 109 people in Clarington are considered actively homeless. We need to decide how to care for these people while keeping others from becoming homeless. The key to combating homelessness is understanding the root causes. The top factors leading to homelessness are financial issues, relationship issues, substance abuse, and mental health. These factors can each be separate, but can also be intertwined in causing homelessness.

The municipal government must know its place in the struggle with homelessness. If the Municipality takes on the challenge of housing and feeding the homeless, it will be a never-ending use of tax dollars. Clarington is a Go Bus ticket away from over 1,000 homeless people in our region, and 12,000 in Toronto. If we simply band-aid our problems, we will attract more people away from other areas. I believe that we simply cannot afford to take this approach. I am proposing a two-pronged approach to homelessness.

First, we need to help those who want help. Half of respondents in Durham’s 2024 point-in-time count reported substance use challenges. We can only help them if they have the desire to turn their life around. Clarington should encourage detox and addiction recovery organizations to be a part of our strategic plan. We also need to encourage Christian and non-Christian organizations to keep doing the great work they are doing in caring for the homeless in our community. These organizations are much better equipped than the government to be helpful to this demographic. I encourage people to donate to these types of organizations instead of paying higher taxes to ineffectively help those in need.

The second path we need to take is preventative measures. We need to build communities with strong families. When people have community, they have someone who has their back. The leading causes of homelessness mentioned earlier do not lead to homelessness when you have community and family to surround you. Local churches, along with strong families, are vital to a thriving community. My goal for Ward 3 is for it to be a place where tight-knit families live and thrive.