As we approach the 2022 municipal election, Global Kingston caught up with each of the 39 candidates seeking a seat on Kingston city council. Here we asked them about why they’re running and what issues matter most to them. Below is the question and answer for the candidates in Williamsville.
Annette Burfoot
Why are you running?
I am running because as a 30-year resident of Williamsville I both treasure it as a varied and progressive place and I am worried about pressures on it in particular and with problems that the City faces as a whole; chiefly affordable housing and climate change.
What needs improvement in your district?
Affordable housing from service-embedded housing for those forced to live rough to increasing middle housing stock for first-time buyers and for reasonably-priced, decent rentals (including for students).
Williamsville is an ideal place to increase public transit routes (smaller electric buses on more routes?) to make it a normal part of getting people around.
Engage Queen’s in creating affordable, decent student housing surrounding campus and creating outdoor public amenities in a district where greenspace is seriously restricted and parkland per capita is the lowest in the City.
Safer neighbourhoods with traffic control especially around schools and parks.
Why do you feel you should represent that district?
I am well-versed in Council proceedings, especially with development and planning. I have been active and effective in the district in traffic calming and safety improvements on Sir John A MacDonald, Regent, Brock and Johnson streets. I worked with a citizen, city and developer group to transition the St Joseph St Mary school into mixed-unit housing. I also have worked for Queen’s for over 30 years, as a professor, head of the department and president of the faculty association. I am experienced and comfortable negotiating with Queen’s administration. I am a long-time resident and care profoundly for the entire district and all of its residents. I believe strongly in development that respects the Official Plan and neighbourhoods.
What is the most pressing issue in all of Kingston?
Affordable housing and climate action. We actually have good policies in place on both but need to administer them and far more often.
What do you hope to accomplish as a city councillor?
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I hope to encourage and support community voices at a time when the District is under a lot of pressure. I would advance respectful development that genuinely engages with community voices to address key issues: affordable housing and climate action.
Vincent Cinanni
Why are you running?
I am running for city council as it has always been a passion of mine to help people in the community. A sense of community is important to me; from volunteering in the community garden and on the committee of adjustment to the Memorial Centre farmers’ market, I have had the opportunity to stay connected with residents and their concerns. I want to see our community safe, where I can feel good about our son walking to school, or going out with friends in the neighbourhood.
What needs improvement in your district?
Roads, sidewalks, and bike lanes need to be improved, traffic needs to be slowed down, and we need to find a way to make sure our street signs stop disappearing.
Why do you feel you should represent that district?
I am a hard worker and I am highly involved in the community that I care very much about. I have taken the time to listen to the residents of our wonderful Williamsville and my family and I share many of the concerns that have been brought up by members of our community. I have the experience and will to be the responsive voice Williamsville needs and deserves.
What is the most pressing issue in all of Kingston?
In my opinion, the most pressing issue is housing, things are just no longer affordable. We need housing that meets the vast variety of needs and varying periods of life. There is currently a missing element in what we are building; we need affordable homes that people can start out in or downsize to. This starts with having proper zoning in our district to allow for more townhomes, triplexes and duplexes.
What do you hope to accomplish as a city councillor?
To make things more affordable and ensure a wide range of housing options.
To make our neighbourhoods safer, slow down traffic, especially near parks, schools and daycares.
Increase our tree canopy and move towards being more sustainable.
Improve transit and bike lanes
Help local businesses thrive
To make sure our city is clean and vibrant where tourists will want to come back
Ian Clark
Why are you running?
I was definitely that weird kid who wanted to run for City Council when I was 10, and to some degree I’m probably running because that urge never went away. But more than that, I’m running because, in my 12 years as a housing, homelessness, and anti-poverty activist, I’ve seen how bad things can get, and how much closer the average person has moved to being in that position. I want to help people. I know that people out there are suffering.
What needs improvement in your district?
I think that, possibly more than any other district, Williamsville is being hit hard by issues of housing. We’ve seen the impacts of Kingston’s uneven development strategy, where some neighbourhoods become super dense, and others experience barely any densification at all, while none of it is particularly affordable for the average renter. Meanwhile, half of the part of Kingston where homelessness is most visible runs through Williamsville, so we not only see a lot of human suffering, we deal with the negative social impacts that those situations produce.
Why do you feel you should represent that district?
I believe that I bring the most passion and dedication to fixing the problems I’ve outlined, because I’ve seen their effects up close. That also means my perspective is well-informed. I also have a robust platform on environmental issues, traffic, and animal control.
What is the most pressing issue in all of Kingston?
I believe that the housing affordability crisis is the most pressing issue. Most other issues either come down to it or intersect with it, whether we’re talking about the more straightforward ones like tenant rights, rental unit conditions, homelessness, food insecurity, etc., or more complex intersections like how housing availability and densification can have positive environmental benefits.
What do you hope to accomplish as a city councillor?
I hope to bring us all together. The specific policy goals I’ve laid out are one thing, but I think equally important to the picture is being able to communicate my ideas effectively to the public and fellow councillors, engage in good-faith conversations, and practice working together toward the shared goal of making Kingston better. Building community makes everything else easier, and improves our quality of life dramatically. We’ve become too isolated in our day-to-day lives, often through no fault of our own, and I think that finding ways to break that paradigm is really vital.
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