Hayden King, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Aylmer Express

Candidates for St. Thomas city councillor seats and the mayor’s office alike pitched their platforms to the public at an all-candidates meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 16.

The meeting, hosted by the St. Thomas Kinsmen, was moderated by Matt Sharpe and was livestreamed. 

Council candidates had two minutes each to speak from a podium and share their goals with the audience, while mayoral candidates had five minutes. There was no formal question-and-answer portion.

After the formal presentations, candidates met individually with members of the public to answer their questions.

Sixteen of the 19 certified council candidates attended, along with all three mayoral candidates.

Council candidates in attendance were Joan Rymal, Kyle Yates, Mike Brisson, Geoff Mountenay, Steve Ogden, Christopher Staddon, Earl Taylor, Lori Baldwin-Sands, Gary Clarke, Chris Deslandes, Joe Docherty Jr., Rose Gibson, Jim Herbert, Heather Jackson, Kay Vaughan and Steve Wookey. Absent council candidates were Gibbs Diobe, Sandra Hamill and Malichi Male.

The mayoral candidates were Aidan Frederick, Corey Janzen and Jeff Kohler.

 St. Thomas candidate profiles will be published in a future edition of The Express.

Councillor highlights

Of 19 councillor candidates, seven of them are considered incumbents. Eight candidates will be elected.

Several candidates, including Mr. Staddon, Mr. Yates and Mr. Mountenay, described themselves as offering a “younger voice” on council.

Most, if not all candidates said they would work on responsible financial management.

Ms. Rymal said she hoped, if re-elected, to continue her work related to the Valleyview long-term-care home and the expansion of the city’s transit system.

Mr. Yates said that, if elected, he would work to preserve the city’s history, make housing more attainable, create new park spaces and improve city transit.

Safety was a priority for Mr. Brisson, along with ensuring that the city spent its funds responsibly and maintained its services.

In addition to offering a “younger voice” on council, Mr. Mountenay said he wanted to expand housing, add highrises along Talbot Street and bring more amenities within walking distance.

Putting people first was at the forefront of Mr. Ogden’s pitch. If elected, he said he would support people experiencing homelessness and encourage companies to become good “corporate citizens.”

Mr. Staddon said that, if elected, he would work to add sidewalks on every street in St. Thomas, improve transit to provide bus service every 15 minutes and address mobility and housing issues.

If re-elected, Mr. Taylor said he would continue to “move the city forward,” improve transit and housing, and preserve the city’s heritage.

Ms. Baldwin-Sands said that, if re-elected, she wanted to ensure a new community aquatics centre was built, continue efforts to recruit and retain doctors, and support responsible development.

Mr. Clarke said that, if re-elected, he would continue to focus on fiscal responsibility, expanded programs at Valleyview, reasonable tax rates and affordable housing.

Mr. Deslandes pitched a vision of “bold growth” for St. Thomas. If elected, he said he wanted the downtown to feel alive and local businesses to succeed.

Mr. Docherty said his familiarity with council proceedings would allow him to “hit the ground running” if elected. He also planned to focus on supporting the arts.

If re-elected, Ms. Gibson said she would continue developing the city’s trail network and supporting its economic success.

Mr. Herbert said that, if re-elected, he would create an economic growth task force, improve transit, keep taxes at a reasonable rate and support the Elgin County Railway Museum.

Ms. Jackson said that, if elected, she would strengthen partnerships with the county and nearby municipalities, while focusing on infrastructure, housing and long-term planning.

Ms. Vaughan emphasized a practical, community-focused approach. If elected, she said she would improve communication between the city and the community, expand park space and advocate for self-sustainability programs.

Mr. Wookey said that, if re-elected, he wanted to remain approachable and plan for the city’s future.

Mayoral highlights

A new mayor will be elected this term, as Mayor Joe Preston is not seeking re-election.

Mr. Frederick campaigned on responsible money management, managing growth, expanding housing through a variety of housing types, and reviewing the city’s railway network.

“We call ourselves ‘The Railway City’, and yet, there is a surprising lack of passenger rail traffic,” he said.

Mr. Janzen campaigned on accountability and greater public access to information about city spending. He devoted much of his speaking time to criticizing Mr. Kohler’s use of a corporate credit card during his previous term as mayor, from 2003 to 2006.

Mr. Kohler presented himself as a capable, proven leader with “skin in the game.” If elected, he said he would honour the city’s heritage, protect affordability, improve service delivery, manage growth responsibly and promote public safety.

During his speech, Mr. Kohler did not directly address the criticism raised by Mr. Janzen.

Municipal election day in Ontario is Monday, Oct. 26. St. Thomas voters can cast their ballots online or by telephone from Tuesday, Oct. 13 to Monday, Oct. 26. Several voter assistance centres will be available during that period.

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