This past week was a great reminder of some of the things that make ward 2 a special place for residents - community spaces, local recreation, volunteers and neighbours coming together.

As the current President of the St. Andrews Community Club, I was proud to recently celebrate the Grand Re-opening following a major arena renovation. It was a significant project, and took collaboration between our Board and volunteers, the RM, contractors, funders, sponsors and community members to move from an idea to a finished project we could celebrate together.

That experience reflects the kind of leadership I believe in: Listen to what’s needed. Bring people together. Do the work. Follow through.

Good intentions matter, but community leadership also requires the ability to turn ideas into action. This is the approach I have brought into my professional and community work, and it is the approach I will bring to representing ward 2.

Listen. Lead. Deliver.

Congratulations to St. Andrews Elementary School Parent Council (PAC) and the school community on a successful “Meet Your Teacher” and back-to-school BBQ!

Ward 2 is home to our elementary school, community and recreation spaces, and landmarks that carry our history, culture and heritage forward.

Schools, recreation facilities, community spaces and heritage sites are critical community infrastructure. They contribute to quality of life, attract families to our community, support local economic development and investment, and help make St. Andrews a place where people want to put down roots.

But strong communities are built through relationships and by finding ways for our existing services, organizations and community assets to work together.

St. Andrews Historic Church is a simple but meaningful example. Beyond being an important historical landmark and an active place of faith and community, the church supports our neighbouring school community every day by sharing its parking lot with school families. It demonstrates what can happen when community organizations recognize shared needs and use their capacity to support one another.

In a municipality like ours, I believe there is tremendous opportunity to strengthen these connections - between the RM, schools, recreation organizations, community groups, local businesses and other partners. Relationship building and capacity building are central to my professional work, and they are skills I would bring to Council: connecting people and organizations, identifying shared opportunities, and helping turn community strengths into action.

This Saturday, St. Andrews Historic Church is hosting a fundraiser - a great opportunity to support an organization that continues to give back to our community.

As a parent raising my own family here, I know how much these places and connections matter. Families deserve a strong voice at the Council table - and strong municipal leadership means not only investing in our community, but helping build the relationships that allow it to thrive.

This week, I attended the public open house for the St. Andrews Airport Strategic Master Plan. The RM is currently developing a 20-year plan for the airport, looking at infrastructure, land use, economic opportunities, future demand and, importantly, how future investments could be funded.

I support exploring the airport's potential as a pathway for economic development. The airport is municipally owned, has significant land available for development and already provides aviation, training and other services. Reportedly, there are opportunities to build on that foundation, attract private investment and strengthen the airport's contribution to our local economy.

But a strong vision also needs a strong implementation plan.

Throughout the meeting, I was particularly interested in questions about demand, infrastructure, investment and financial sustainability.

If we want businesses to invest here, what infrastructure needs to be in place first? What investments are necessary in existing airport facilities? Where does the demonstrated market demand exist, and how do we actively attract businesses and investment to St. Andrews rather than simply waiting for growth to occur?

I was encouraged to hear discussion about a modular approach to growth - allowing development to occur in stages as demand and investment emerge - as well as efforts to pursue funding from other levels of government rather than placing the cost of an ambitious airport vision on municipal residents. The new Board Chair, reported they have already begin conversations and strategy around securing grant funding from various levels of government.

There are also important practical questions to work through: the condition and potential repurposing of existing infrastructure, security requirements as airport activity changes, integration with fire and emergency services, fuel and operating costs, and the feasibility and return associated with proposed investments.

These aren't reasons not to pursue growth. They are the questions we should be asking if we want growth to succeed.

The RM's own planning process recognizes that the airport could play a larger role in economic development and regional connectivity. The final Strategic Master Plan is expected to be completed sometime this fall. 

For me, the opportunity is bigger than the airport itself.

St. Andrews needs a deliberate approach to economic development: identifying the assets we already have, determining what is needed to make them investment-ready, building relationships with provincial and federal partners, and actively attracting businesses that make sense for our community.

The airport can be one part of that strategy.

I support ambitious ideas for St. Andrews - but ambition needs to be paired with due diligence, realistic financial planning and measurable benefit to the community.

Economic development isn't simply about having land available. It's about creating the conditions that make people want to invest here.

As the Airport Strategic Master Plan moves toward completion, I'll be interested in seeing how the final recommendations address infrastructure, investment attraction, funding, implementation and return to the community.

This is exactly the kind of long-term conversation we need to be having about the future of St. Andrews. I look forward to hearing from residents and representing your voices in these conversations. 

My campaign so far has been about connection, listening and learning. I’ve continued leading and volunteering in the community, met one-on-one with Ward 2 residents, attended community engagements, and learned more about the issues that matter to them.

And then there’s door-to-door campaigning. 😅

I’ll admit - it doesn’t come naturally to me. I was taught to go where you’re invited and respect people’s property and time, so knocking on a stranger’s door is outside my comfort zone.

My first attempt ended up being… a nice walk around the block 😂 The next time, I gave myself one goal: knock on one door and go from there. And I did.

Put me in a boardroom, courtroom, classroom, community space or conference stage with 10 people or hundreds, and I’m comfortable. Doorsteps, apparently, are my growth opportunity this campaign!

If you see me around Ward 2, please say hello. I’m working my way to as many homes as I can, but if I haven’t reached your door - or missed you - you don’t have to wait for me.

Reach out. Invite me for a conversation. Tell me what matters to you and your family.

I don’t have a campaign manager or a team directing every step. It’s just me - showing up, learning as I go, and having honest conversations with the people I hope to serve.

I’m grateful for the humility this process has brought me and committed to keeping this campaign genuine, grounded and connected to our community.

You may have heard a lot of recent conversation about “high-density housing” in St. Andrews. Some of that conversation is connected to proposed Zoning By-law 4438, which would replace our current zoning by-law - now more than 20 years old.

The public hearing concluded September 22, and Council decided to table the by-law, allowing the incoming Council more opportunity to engage with it and the consultants. (I’m relieved about this!)

But the conversation about growth is worth continuing.

As I've talked with residents, I've noticed we have very different ideas about what “high density” means and how we feel about it. So rather than asking whether we are simply for or against density, I wanted to understand: What would actually change for Ward 2?

What I found…

Based on the proposed zoning map, Ward 2 appears to remain predominantly Rural Residential (RR) - maintaining the large-lot residential character that defines much of our area.

Interestingly, two-unit homes aren't new to RR zoning. Our existing by-law already allows them to be considered as a conditional use, meaning they require an application and approval rather than being automatically permitted. The First Reading version of 4438 continues that approach and does not permit multi-unit or row housing in RR.

The potentially more significant change is lot size. Today, the minimum RR lot is generally about 1.4 acres with 198 feet of width. The proposed by-law includes circumstances where a lot with approved central sewer or an approved pump-out holding tank could be approximately 0.8 acres and 125 feet wide.

That leads to the questions I think we should be asking: How many Ward 2 properties could realistically be subdivided? Where would additional development make sense? And can our roads, drainage, wastewater systems and other infrastructure support it?

Growth is bigger than one ward…

I've heard people say they support densification “as long as it's in Lockport.” I suspect some of our neighbours to the north may have different thoughts and we need to be aware of them.

The reality is that development doesn't stop at ward boundaries. Traffic, drainage, schools, recreation, infrastructure and municipal services affect all of us.

Every part of St. Andrews will grow and evolve in some way. For Ward 2, I see an opportunity to build on what already makes our area special - our Rural Residential character, heritage sites, school, recreation spaces and community connections - while thinking carefully about what residents will need in the future.

That could include different housing options for young people who want to establish themselves here, families looking for a place to start, or older residents who want to downsize without leaving their community.

Finding the balance…

I don't think our choice is between “no development” and “anything goes.”

A zoning by-law should be our North Star - providing a strong, predictable framework for how and where we grow. But I also believe there is an important role for tools like conditional uses, variances and developer agreements.

Used thoughtfully, they aren't a developer free-for-all. They allow us to consider individual circumstances and creative solutions while still protecting the broader vision and character of our community.

If elected, that's how I would approach these decisions: communicate clearly, engage residents meaningfully, bring perspectives that aren't always represented at the Council table, and make decisions based on community needs, infrastructure capacity and our long-term vision (as an RM we need to clarify this).

I think we should be asking:

What do we want Ward 2 to look like in 10 or 20 years? What should we protect? Where and what kind of growth make sense? What housing will our residents need? And what infrastructure needs to be in place to support it?

I'd love to hear what you envision for the future of Ward 2.

My Commitment to St. Andrews: Total Transparency and Clear Communication

Our community should never have to guess where their elected officials stand on important local issues, or why decisions are being made at the council table. Recent online discussions have made it clear to me that residents are looking for more accountability - and I hear you.

If elected, I will maintain an independent, self-funded webpage. On this platform, I will openly share:

• My specific stances on upcoming issues impacting our municipality.

• My individual voting record on all public council resolutions and bylaws.

• Plain-language summaries of complex municipal information so that everyone can stay easily informed.

Upholding the Rules: I believe in true transparency, which means playing strictly by the book. This webpage will be run completely independently at my own personal expense, ensuring no taxpayer resources or municipal staff time are ever misused. Furthermore, while I will always advocate openly for our ward, I will strictly uphold the RM of St. Andrews Code of Conduct By-Law. This means I will respect the collective decisions of council, maintain absolute confidentiality on in-camera legal or personnel matters, and always communicate with the professionalism that St. Andrews residents deserve.

You are trusting me with your vote; I will honour that trust by ensuring you always know exactly how I am representing you.