On Oct. 24, voters across Waterloo Region in Ontario will head to the polls to elect city and regional councillors, mayors and a regional chair.
Residents of Cambridge, the region’s second-largest city, will elect councillors in eight wards as well as a mayor to form city council.
There will be at least three new faces in place, as Ward 4 Coun. Jan Liggett is running for mayor and Ward 5 Coun. Pam Wolf is seeking one of two seats on regional council. Ward 3 Coun. Mike Mann has chosen not to seek re-election.
In Ward 4, four candidates have entered the race to replace Liggett including Ross Earnshaw, Barbara Harrington, Usman Lalva, and Clifford Vanclief.
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 Cambridge, with the candidates being listed in alphabetical order.
Ross Earnshaw
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 am a retired lawyer. I have lived in Cambridge (Galt) for most of my adult life, having arrived in the city in 1977 to start my career. For the past 12 years I have lived in Ward 4 just a couple of blocks from the heritage downtown core of Galt.
Q.2 Why do you believe you are the right person for the job?
I love Cambridge, I’m passionate about our community and the people living in it. I started my career here, forged friendships and relationships with its citizens, and have served the community in many ways. I put my roots down here, witnessed the triumphs and challenges of our community. I understand the issues that are unique to the area, making me an ideal representative.
Q.3 What do you think is the most important issue facing your ward and the city as a whole?
Affordable housing. We need a full range of housing options in our community – from emergency shelters and supportive housing all the way to home ownership. All these types of housing are important in providing housing security across the entire spectrum of society. As a priority I believe we must increase the number of affordable options and encourage organizations that are devoted to addressing the need for housing in our city.
Q.4 Looking down the road, what are your long-term goals for the city?
Invest in the aspects of our city that make it such a wonderful place. Protect our beautiful, growing neighbourhoods as a stable environment for the families living there. Encourage thoughtful, responsible development while preserving our heritage buildings. Provide support for our businesses and those working in them. Improve the public transportation network. Recognize the tremendous asset we have in the Grand River and invest in its maintenance and improvement, beautify and cleanse it, increase the access points, riverside greenspaces and facilities, create walking and biking tours. Establish “15-minute neighbourhoods” where services are accessible on foot or by bicycle.
Q.5 What is your platform?
Reduce traffic and congestion on our busy roads and neighbourhoods and cut out the truck traffic coming through our downtown.
Provide more support and resources for people experiencing homelessness here in Cambridge and diminish crime associated with this issue.
Provide more affordable housing in our area, more opportunities for ownership for new home buyers, like young families, and more affordable rental units.
Q.6 What do you like to do in your spare time?
My greatest satisfaction has come from the work I do and have done in the community right here at home. I’ve worked closely with various community organizations, for example as a part of the board of Theatre Cambridge and Chair of the Cambridge Public Library Board.
Q.7 What is your favourite thing about living in your city/ward?
Galt has a beautiful, charming downtown defined by its unique, stunning historical architecture. The Grand River cuts right through; the beautiful river frontage and excellent hiking trails that surround it are places where I spend most of my free time. Residents are friendly and the small town feel attracts many families to the area. There is so much to discover and explore with our incredible shops, restaurants, local activities, antique stores, and our farmers market. I am proud of Cambridge and love where I live in Ward 4.
Barbara Harrington
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 am employed at Unique Global Products and Distribution for the last 18 years. I am a warehouse/production lead hand and quality assurance (but wear many other hats too)
I am born and raised in Cambridge. I have lived 14 years in Ward 2, 8 years in Ward 6, 10 years in Ward 5 and 20 years in Ward 4. The majority of my family is here. I have two Adult children who live in Cambridge as well.
Q.2 Why do you believe you are the right person for the job?
I have lived in Cambridge all my life. My grandmother (my inspiration) was a writer for the Cambridge Reporter and taught me how to be a supportive community member. I attended the University of Guelph for Biological Science and Psychology however life took me in a different direction for career options. I am a lead hand, quality assurance, health and safety, shipper/receiver and office assistant all at one place of employment. I am very experienced at multitasking, and I have gained strong negotiation abilities and mediation skills from wearing many hats. I cannot stand dishonesty, fakes, collusion, or misleading information, you will never get that from me. I follow and attend many if not all of the council meetings. I am aware of many current affairs. I am not afraid to speak up and stand up. I understand all four levels of government and would never promise something that is beyond a councilor’s level knowing that I am just one vote. I will engage with my colleagues to explain how their votes would benefit the city, or I will engage with the appropriate level of government. I will speak up and stand up.
Q.3 What do you think is the most important issue facing your ward and the city as a whole?
We have an affordable housing issue and so does the rest of the province. We have beautiful buildings that are being planned but we need to encourage developers to go beyond just one and two bedrooms. We need units for families and make more rental units. We need to gain more support from the provincial government for supportive and transitional housing for our high acuity citizens.
Q.4 Looking down the road, what are your long-term goals for the city?
I would like to see positive change within the council and a council that will work together for the decisions of today and future generations. Cambridge is growing rapidly, and we need to uphold the infrastructure, social dynamics, and financial responsibility to the community.
Q.5 What is your platform?
We need a positive change within our council to work together in a more cohesive manner. We need to improve and utilize our parks more as an inclusive community. We need to promote growth and development in ways that will be a benefit for all people within Cambridge.
Q.6 What do you like to do in your spare time?
What spare time, hahaha. Explore our community with outdoor photography, tube or kayak the rivers, garden (lots of gardens), home preserves/canning, be a positive and active community member and the obvious spending time with my family
Q.7 What is your favourite thing about living in your city/ward?
The best thing is that it is home and not just in the physical sense. Being a life long resident I know how we have grown. I love the historical style and the nostalgia that people hold but are embracing the growth. We have a beautiful river system and a beautiful ecosystem around it. We have kind helping people how are just as much in love with our city as the rest. We have togetherness. Cambridge is growing but still remains one of the most beautiful cities.
Clifford Vanclief
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.)
Hello, I am Clifford Vanclief and I have lived in Cambridge, Ont. since 1986. I spent my youth growing up here, Cambridge was a great city to grow up in, small enough not to worry but big enough for a lot of things to do. Out of High School, I became a licensed General Machinist graduating from Conestoga College in 1996. I worked at Bearing Bronze for almost 8 years and then changed to Skyjack in Guelph. It was there I met my wife and we moved in together in 2004 in Hespeler. We opened our business The Hub Bicycle Shop Ltd in 2004 on Queen St W in Hespeler and still operate there to date. We have lived in Ward 4 with our family since 2006.
Q.2 Why do you believe you are the right person for the job?
Over the years I have been known for my ability to listen, to hear both sides of a story, to go out of my way to make things right and to understand complex societal issues such as homeless and drug addiction. Right now, Cambridge needs leaders who will unite the community and move us forward together. I am one of those leaders.
Q.3 What do you think is the most important issue facing your ward and the city as a whole?
I kind of answered that above, the homelessness/addictions and the safety of our near neighbours to locations where this is happening. For years the residents of Galt have had to deal with theft, aggression, and fear of what could happen. We need to ensure that the citizens’ concerns are heard and to make sure we are looking after our most vulnerable. At the door, NOT one person has said DO NOT HELP, they all have said we must do something. So let’s create a community where we all do something collectively.
Q.4 Looking down the road, what are your long-term goals for the city?
As Cambridge grows, I want to see more people coming to our Downtown Core Areas, continue to bring back amazing events, a focus on youth-oriented events and venues, offset our environmental impact in future builds and developments, ensure our small town feel remains while we enjoy the benefits that larger cities offer.
Q.5 What is your platform?
I want to be open and transparent, I am willing to be available at all times for discussions with constituents. As for a platform, I believe in investing in our youth, helping our seniors, ensuring we have stable and managed economic growth, utilizing our rivers and parks and continuing to focus on support for small/medium sized businesses. I would also like to see a return of manufacturing jobs that provided employees the opportunity to make a decent wage. As a machinist in the ‘90s, I remember all the manufacturing jobs needed to support manufacturing, we have lost quite a few of those jobs. Let’s look at ways to bring them back.
Q.6 What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time outside of community volunteering I enjoy being outdoors, on bicycle, hiking, kayaking and camping. As a family we spend a lot of time out enjoying nature, either in the city or outside of town.
Q.7 What is your favourite thing about living in your city/ward?
Our community spirit, everyone single person in Cambridge will do anything to help their neighbours. We show this all the time whenever tragedy strikes and the community opens its heart to give. I see it daily as I walk downtown or at our business, people are so willing to help.
Global News has also reached out to Usman Lalva but has not received a response as of publication. This copy will be updated as further answers arrive.
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