On Oct. 24, voters across Waterloo Region will head to the polls to elect city and regional councillors, mayors and a regional chair.
Residents of Waterloo, the region’s smallest city, will elect councillors in seven wards as well as a mayor to form city council.
There will be at least three new faces in place, as Ward 3 Coun. Angela Vieth, Ward 6 Coun. Jeff Henry and Ward 7 Coun. Tenille Bonoguore have chosen not to seek re-election.
In Ward 5, Coun. Jen Vasic is seeking a second term in office but she will have to fend off challenges from Blayr Hogg, Bob (Obie) Oberholtzer and Joe Brenner.
To help voters ahead of this election, Global News has reached out to all of those running for regional or city council, mayor or regional chair in Kitchener, Cambridge and Waterloo with available online contact info. Those running for office were emailed a list of seven questions and in the coming days, the responses for every candidate who replies will be shared.
What follows are the responses received from those running for councillor in Waterloo , with the candidates being listed in alphabetical order.
Joe Brenner
Q.1 Please give a brief background of yourself including what you do for a living and how long you have lived in the area? (If you are an incumbent, please state how long you have held the position.)
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My name is Joe Brenner. I am running for city council in Ward 5. I have lived in Waterloo for 35 years. I am a homeowner and the sole proprietor of the business Windowclean. I have previous experience as president of a condominium corporation as well as a local Theatre company.
Q.2 Why do you believe you are the right person for the job?
As a long-time resident and business owner in Waterloo, I have a unique perspective as a small business owner, a homeowner and a previous landlord. I have seen tremendous growth in Waterloo in the past 35 years and believe I can use my experience in these areas to see Waterloo continue to grow with a strong physical and social infrastructure.
Q.3 What do you think is the most important issue facing your ward and the city as a whole?
Councillors are the voice of the people. They are elected to vote, not for their own agendas but the wishes of the residents. The present council has been making decisions, like the lowering of city speed limits down to 30 km, that surveys showed the residents did not want and the city staff recommended against. The most important issue for the city as a whole, is knowing councillors are supporting their wards.
Q.4 Looking down the road, what are your long-term goals for the city?
Affordable housing is a must. I would support measures to see all new builds have a percentage of affordable housing included. This could be done by easing the regulations for subdivision of properties, waiving the development fees for any affordable projects and easing of red tape for tiny homes or in-law builds in backyards. Also, temper the ever growing high density in neighbourhoods that are destroyed of their charm by the 20 story towers allowed to be built. I would also like to hold town hall meetings once a month for residents in my ward to voice their concerns. I would hope this would spread to other wards and that citizens would feel heard.
Q.5 What is your platform?
I support affordable housing, more greenspace, continued support of libraries, trails, parklands and sport fields. I would like to see speed limits not be lowered with the exception of school zones and areas of concern that could be lowered for safety reasons. I support backyard fires like Kitchener has with permits and regulations. The City of Waterloo is expecting exponential growth over the next 20 to 30 years, we cannot remove vehicular lanes for cycling lanes particularly on east/ west corridors like Erb street. Lastly, I want to hear the resident’s wishes as to how our city will grow, not just the voices of a select few.
Q.6 What do you like to do in your spare time?
I like to spend time with my family and granddaughter, spend time at the cottage, play guitar, community theatre and share laughs with my neighbours.
Q.7 What is your favourite thing about living in your city/ward?
My neighbourhood! My neighbours are more like family than friends. It reminds me of the neighbourhood I grew up in. Everybody keeps an eye out for each other and everyone respects differing opinions and ethnicities. I believe a great city is built with strong neighbourhoods. I hope to support neighbourhood needs throughout my ward and the city with whatever they need, be it a stop sign, a speed bump or an ear to listen.
Blayr Hogg
Q.1 Please give a brief background of yourself including what you do for a living and how long you have lived in the area? (If you are an incumbent, please state how long you have held the position.)
I was born and raised in Ward 5, Waterloo. The Hogg family came to the region in the 1820s and have been an integral part of forming what we now know as the City of Waterloo. Our entrepreneurial spirit has been passed down through the generations to my family who operate a family business in Kitchener today. My background is in communications and finance giving me a unique perspective on city spending and how to most effectively use tax funds.
After leaving the family financial business I have found success as a freelance communications consultant.
Q.2 Why do you believe you are the right person for the job?
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I am the right person for the job because of my deep respect for democracy and integrity. I was disappointed to see the incumbent disregard public opinion regarding speed limits in the ward and it spurred me into action. When elected, I plan to respect the wishes of my community, listen carefully, and provide meaningful answers and solutions to issues facing the city today. I believe I am a breath of fresh air and a new voice for those in Waterloo.
Q.3 What do you think is the most important issue facing your ward and the city as a whole?
The city is facing a homelessness and affordable housing crisis. There are a lot of individuals within my ward that have children or relatives that can no longer afford to live in the city they grew up in. Allowing for more options like low/mid-rise apartment buildings with 2 or 3 bedroom units is a great way to infuse our neighbourhoods with younger families and those seeking an alternative to home ownership. Part of eliminating single family zoning is to also allow for up to 3 dwellings on a property (Kitchener already does this) like a carriage house, granny flat, or even a tiny home. Certainly, there are those within our community who would embrace the opportunity to have an extra income while providing safe and stable housing. Additionally, I would encourage the city to continue to invest in transitional housing, cooperative housing associations, and affordable options (like a tiny home community) that allow for those experiencing homelessness to have a safe and stable place to call home. Housing is a human right and should be treated as such.
All of the above options would of course be subject to bylaws and held to high standards.
Q.4 Looking down the road, what are your long-term goals for the city?
Some of my long-term goals for the city are to exceed current climate change standards, push for green building techniques (timber-frame buildings instead of concrete, eco-friendly alternative building materials, etc.), mandate heat pumps for apartment/condo buildings as an alternative to heat/cold air circulation (heat pumps also act as air conditioning in the summer. There are no regulations around how hot a dwelling can get and as we experience climate change our summers are getting hotter), and continue to service critical social and traditional infrastructure. I would also insist that all bike lanes include a curb or significant barrier between vehicle traffic and cyclists; a painted line is insufficient at keeping cyclists safe.
Q.5 What is your platform?
My platform is a return to common-sense governing with special attention paid to where and how taxpayer funds are spent.
I am a passionate supporter of reviewing and reallocating the police budget to support local nonprofits already undertaking critical work at a grassroots level. I believe in collaboration with professionals in all social infrastructure positions as they are the most informed and have the most tangible impact on the issues at hand. This would lighten the load of our police services allowing them to focus solely on crime and would provide a sense of security for those who understandably are weary of police involvement and potential criminalization. The solution to many social issues is often to address the root cause; not to punish people for where they are in life. The most important issue facing my ward is likely the speed limits proposed by Vision Zero. While the science behind Vision Zero is sound, the community survey results for Waterloo clearly stated that constituents (59.47 per cent) wanted Option A (40km/h speed on most streets, 30km/h in school zones) and not Option B (blanket 30km/h speed reduction). The council chose to push through their agenda for Vision Zero and disregarded the community survey entirely by passing Option B. I believe this was the wrong decision and against the tenets of democracy and therefore I cannot support it. I do however, support the Vision Zero goal of zero deaths on our local roads. Unfortunately, the roads with the highest collision rates within my ward are Regional, not city roads (like University Ave.). I have heard from so many disappointed constituents that their voices were not heard during the community survey and that they have lost faith in our democratic system as a result. This is deeply troubling to me and, again, while I support the philosophy behind Vision Zero; I cannot support the previous council’s decision to ignore their community and choose for them.
Q.6 What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, painting, whittling, woodturning, woodworking, swimming and gardening.
Q.7 What is your favourite thing about living in your city/ward?
My favourite thing about living in Waterloo is that its still a friendly place to live where neighbours come together in support of one another and smile when they pass each other on the street. I also love our greenspaces!
Bob (Obie) Oberholtzer
Q.2 Why do you believe you are the right person for the job?
At age 87, I have a lifetime of personal and 40+ years of business experience under my belt. I have a love for people, our environment, for family and friends. I can’t think of a better way to give what I can to the community of ward 5 Waterloo and beyond.
Q.3 What do you think is the most important issue facing your ward and the city as a whole?
Valuing each person enough to take actions to ensure basic needs are met, quality of life improvements for people with low incomes.
Q.4 Looking down the road, what are your long-term goals for the city?
Some of my long term goals include securing adequate permanent housing and basic services for people who are homeless and/or dealing with disabilities of varying degrees and find ways to lower the deaths due to drug overdose.
Q.5 What is your platform?
My platform is how people in leadership positions actually care for others as they spend taxpayers dollars. Many people in the next generations copy their leaders’ behaviors of lip service. I hope to be an example of actions that do not squander tax dollars.
Q.6 What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time, some of my favorite things are playing a game of cards or crokinole or table tennis. I also enjoy walking and chatting with people along the way. And I am a long-time Blue Jays fan.
Q.7 What is your favourite thing about living in your city/ward?
Some of my favorite things about living in Ward 5 are you can always find someone who helps in times of need, the beautiful trees and all the conveniences we enjoy.
Jen Vasic
Q.1 Please give a brief background of yourself including what you do for a living and how long you have lived in the area? (If you are an incumbent, please state how long you have held the position.)
For the last four years, I’ve been the ward 5 city councillor in Waterloo. I’m a mom to two young kids, a partner to Matt, and until recently, a dog-owner. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to our 11-year old goldendoodle recently.
After growing up in the GTA, I, like many people who now call Waterloo home, moved here to attend the University of Waterloo. While there, I studied Political Science and History, minoring in the German language. After a brief move to Toronto to get a Social Work degree, I returned and settled in ward 5 where I continue to live with my family. I’m currently a graduate student at Wilfrid Laurier University.
Q.2 Why do you believe you are the right person for the job?
For nearly 15 years, I’ve been working in the not-for-profit sector and academic sectors helping individuals, communities and systems meet their ever-changing needs.
Bringing people together to solve complex social and community issues is the work I do both inside and outside of council, and I love it.
As one example, during the last election, I heard loud and clear that neighbours around Roselea Park had been wanting a playground there for years. I brought together a group of residents (including kids) and city staff to brainstorm what they wanted to see in that park. From there, residents took the lead and through donations, time, and the city’s neighbourhood matching fund, they raised an additional $15,000 to enhance the playground and add a community board.
It’s with this same enthusiasm that I approach my community work and that I’ve brought to council over the last four years, and that I’ll be bringing to the next term of council in order to work together to address the big issues facing us as a society and find solutions to every-day problems.
Q.3 What do you think is the most important issue facing your ward and the city as a whole?
The last two-and-a-half years have been tremendously socially isolating, and we know that social isolation can lead to negative health and mental health impacts. One of my biggest priorities over the next four years is to help people to get out and connected by investing in arts and culture, by enhancing our outdoor spaces, and by investing in safe and accessible transportation. Doing so will help us rebuild the energy we need to collectively tackle the big and urgent social economic, political and environmental challenges facing us today.
Q.4 Looking down the road, what are your long-term goals for the city?
Increase access and engagement: It’s a goal of mine to stay connected with residents, be open and transparent about my decision making and help residents navigate the complexity of a big institution. I believe an engaged city councillor will help to increase residents’ interest and ability to engage with the city over the long-term.
A more fair city: Many diverse communities tell us the city is still not a welcoming or safe place. I want to create a city where everyone feels safe, welcome and included in ways that are meaningful to them, and where everyone can not only survive, but thrive.
Strong, fun, and connected neighbourhoods: I love seeing neighbours connect and bring projects to life. Strong, fun, and connected neighbourhoods are central to individual and community well-being. This work is just at its beginning and I’m excited to help it continue to grow.
Q.5 What is your platform?
I have three broad areas of focus:
Sustainability, equity, and safety: These three big – and urgent – goals are connected. Working on any one directly helps the others and I will continue to prioritize them by supporting the implementation of the transportation master plan, encouraging public input into the urban forest strategy, and advocating for policies and practices that promote housing as a human right, among other initiatives.
Getting out and connected: The pandemic has shown us how important it is to get outside, the value of arts and culture to our well-being and economy, and how good it feels to connect with friends, family, and neighbours in-person. Getting out and connected is an essential part of pandemic recovery and I will support this by championing community engagement in the development of the city’s next Culture Plan, pushing for ongoing improvements to Bechtel Park’s amenities, and supporting local businesses, to name a few.
Advocacy and communication: This past council term it has been a goal of mine to stay connected with residents, work together with them for improvements to the city’s delivery of services, be open and transparent about my decision making, and help residents navigate the complexity of a big institution. I’ll continue to share my decision-making processes through an e-newsletter I send out regularly, keep up with responsive communication and problem-solving through the many different channels including phone, email, social media, and in-person, and gather resident perspectives on the city’s emergency preparedness, in order to be prepared for future emergencies, should they occur.
Q.6 What do you like to do in your spare time?
I’m a reader, lover of independent bookstores, and over the pandemic became a vegetable gardener, following in the footsteps of one of my grandparents who always kept a big urban vegetable garden. I also grew up playing tennis and was a varsity tennis player at University of Waterloo during my undergrad. After a four-year hiatus, I’m looking forward to getting back to the game soon.
Q.7 What is your favourite thing about living in your city/ward?
It is vibrant! Between city-wide events like LUMEN, a light, art, and tech festival, as well as other events such as Games in the Park hosted by the Lincoln Heights Neighbourhood Group or the longstanding Croyden-Southwick BBQ, residents make this community fun and lively. I am so grateful to live in a city/ward where people have great ideas and have the skills and enthusiasm to make these ideas come to life.
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