Ahead of the federal election on Sept. 20, Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie has released five priorities that need support from Ottawa.
Guthrie said he’s calling on the local candidates to support the priorities, and, if elected, to advance them in the House of Commons.
“These five priorities are vital to ensure Guelph is future ready, and they all require federal partnership and leadership to make them happen,” Guthrie said in a statement.
The priorities are:
- Invest in municipal infrastructure to stimulate economic recovery focusing on climate change adaptation and natural disaster mitigation-related infrastructure, Guelph’s Active Transportation network, and the City’s fibre-optic network
- Advance the electrification of the transportation sector by funding electrical infrastructure upgrades, growing the local EV charging network, and continuing the electrification of Guelph Transit
- Empower municipal climate-change leadership by funding net-zero carbon initiatives for new and renovated municipal facilities, helping Guelph reach its 40-per cent tree canopy goal, and investing in the circular economy
- Support housing attainability through policy change and funding for greater affordability across the housing spectrum, including home ownership, rental housing, and supportive housing
- Implement the next Safe Restart Agreement to cover the projected 2021 Guelph Transit deficit and to support hard-hit City services until revenues stabilize post-pandemic
Guthrie said he hopes to meet with the local candidates to talk about these priorities.
Liberal candidate Lloyd Longfield is seeking re-election against six other candidates, including Conservative Ashish Sachan, the NDP’s Aisha Jahangir and Green Party candidate Michelle Bowman.