On Oct. 24, voters in Barrie, Ont., will head to the polls to elect councillors in 10 wards as well as a mayor to form city council.
To help voters ahead of this election, Global News has reached out to all of those running for city council and mayor in Barrie 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.
Five candidates have put their hats in the ring for Ward 6.
Wards 5 and 7 were acclaimed, so Global News will not have profiles on their wards.
Global News has not received responses from any of the candidates from wards 3, 8, or 9 yet. If we do, profiles will be created for those areas.
What follows are the responses received from those running for Ward 6 councillor, with the candidates being listed in alphabetical order. (This page will be updated if more candidates choose to respond.):
Allan Bray
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 professional engineer with 30 years of management and engineering experience from Honda of Canada Mfg. I retired in 2021. My wife and I have lived in Ward 6 since 1990. I have been a Scout leader and group commissioner for a group in my ward since 2007. In my Scouting career, I have also been the area commissioner, in which role I was responsible for supporting 20 groups within and outside of Simcoe County.
Q.2 Why do you believe you are the right person for the job?
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My experience and expertise in managing production, managing multi-million dollar projects, and managing large teams of people are strengths that make me the most effective candidate for councillor. In addition, my long experience with scouting has taught me how to engage teams of volunteers to create and sustain an effective organization. Scouting also speaks to my values: integrity, honesty, and a duty to serve others. This sense of duty is what has driven me to run for councillor. I have the ability and the time to serve the residents of my ward, and so I feel I have a civic duty to do so.
Q.3 What do you think is the most important issue facing your ward and the city as a whole?
This is tough to answer because many of the issues are interrelated. I will say that our taxes are the most important issue because they support what we do in the city, and are a regular complaint among our residents. I believe that controlling taxes by cutting programs or budgets off the top is the most ineffective method, but it seems to be the default approach. The trouble with this is that all of the small losses and inefficiencies that are contained within every single line item of the budget will remain, while services are lost. Instead, we need to engage everyone at every level of the municipal government, and all of the government partners to identify and eliminate these losses. This way, we get value for money, meaning we can do more with the money we have (including reducing debt and taxes). This is the best practice in industry, and I see no reason why it cannot be implemented in the public sector, but it is a systemic change that requires a permanent commitment to be effective. I will champion the introduction of this system as councillor.
Q.4 Looking down the road, what are your long-term goals for the city?
I want Barrie to become self-contained, with high-quality local careers available for residents. I expect Barrie to grow and welcome new residents with affordable and higher-density housing well integrated into existing neighbourhoods. Barrie must become more walkable and needs to facilitate a shift away from dependence on cars. This means our roads must be safe for everyone, which includes pedestrians and cyclists, year-round. Walking or cycling to run an errand needs to be a viable option for everyone. It means that our transit system must evolve so that it is practical and usable for everyone as a means to get to work and run errands. We must maintain ample green spaces such as Ardagh Bluffs and the Bear creek eco-park in Ward 6 that are accessible to all residents to enjoy and reconnect with nature.
Q.5 What are the pillars of your campaign?
- Taxes, as I describe above.
- Speeding and safety in Ward 6. We have three arterial roads and two feeder roads where vehicles travelling 30km/h over the posted limit are the norm, even through residential areas. We have a problem now, and given the lack of crosswalks and dedicated bicycle lanes on arterial and feeder roads, there is a real risk of pedestrians and cyclists being struck by vehicles. Associated with speeding are loud, unmuffled vehicles. I live close to Ferndale drive, and being awakened at one or two in the morning by unmuffled vehicles racing up the hill on Ferndale, when I had to get up at four o’clock to go to work, was not one of my favourite experiences. As councillor, I will work with the city and police services to find a permanent, sustainable solution. These problems aren’t unique to Ward 6; they are worldwide, so there is a body of data that we can refer to. This will be one of the first things I will start working on in office. I claim no expertise here, but photo radar within the community is something I would seriously consider – if it is a necessary part of our overall strategy, I would fully support it.
- Employment and Industry. My goal is to attract industry, particularly in the tech sector, grow local businesses and create local careers. This will reduce the commute for residents, improve quality of life, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help diversify the tax base in our city.
- Communication – I intend to hold quarterly ward 6 community meetings to share information affecting Ward 6 residents and gather input. I will also run a ward 6 website sharing this information. I want to make our local politics as accessible as possible to all and encourage participation by everyone. If there are additional steps I can take to make this happen, I will do so.
Q.6 What do you like to do in your spare time?
In terms of hours spent, much of my spare time is taken up by scouting. Without exaggeration, I am committing between ten and twenty hours a week, between youth meetings, volunteer meetings and administrative work – I am the group commissioner for two groups as well. Then there also the camps themselves, which will be 1-2 nights over weekends, or longer camps and trips in the summer. Outside of scouting, I enjoy sailing on Lake Simcoe; I love getting out on my motorcycle when time permits; and going for walks through the Ardagh Bluffs.
Q.7 What is your favourite thing about living in your city/ward?
My favourite thing about living in Ward 6 are the friendships my wife and I have made with our neighbours, and with other residents through scouting. Many of our youth and their families live within Ward 6, and I have been happy to serve them as a Scouter for these past fifteen years. I have to admit, having the Ardagh Bluffs as a local park is also great – and we often take our youth hiking through them.
Sharon Doran
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.)
My husband Rick and I have lived in Ward 6 since 1996. We raised our two daughters here and plan to stay for decades to come. I retired recently from a 30-year career with Honda of Canada’s management team, where I progressed from Receptionist in 1991 to Administration Group Leader for the Engine Plant, responsible for employee relations and engagement, training and development, supply procurement, and a production budget in excess of $100 million annually. I am a Board Member with the Business and Professional Women (BPW) of Barrie, a volunteer with Feline Fix and Ryan’s Hope, and a supporter of Ripple of Kindness and many other local charities and non-profit groups.
Q.2 Why do you believe you are the right person for the job?
I am passionate about Barrie and its future. My unique combination of corporate management, Board, volunteer, and life experience bring a balanced, collaborative viewpoint to council. As a retiree, I can dedicate myself fully to public service. I don’t have all the answers, but I promise to serve with integrity and to respond quickly to all inquiries.
Q.3 What do you think is the most important issue facing your ward and the city as a whole?
Barrie’s current population of 150,000 is expected to double to 300,000 by 2051. That explosive growth must be managed sustainably to ensure the long-term health of our city for generations to come. Barrie adopted a new Official Plan in 2022 that lays out a blueprint for growth, targeting housing intensification downtown and along major corridors like Bayfield Street and Essa Road. Council’s job will be to view each decision through that plan’s lens to ensure rapid but controlled growth, affordable housing, sound infrastructure, and employment opportunities to sustain an increased population.
Q.4 Looking down the road, what are your long-term goals for the city?
My goals are to ensure that my daughter and her husband can afford their rent and eventually buy their own home in Barrie. To offer a wide array of post-secondary education and career options for my 2-year-old granddaughter. For my 87-year-old mother to remain in her apartment as long as possible, supported by in-home care, seniors’ programming at her local Community Centre, and Barrie Accessible Community Transportation Service. For all residents to have a family physician. I want Barrie to be a vibrant, welcoming, affordable, inclusive, and culturally diverse community that attracts employers, workers, and visitors.
Q.5 What are the pillars of your campaign?
I pledge to support sustainable development and provide fiscal responsibility with compassion for people of all ages, stages, backgrounds, and abilities. This will be accomplished by following Barrie’s Official Plan and collaborating with members of council, city staff, and community partners to arrive at the best decisions for today and the future.
Q.6 What do you like to do in your spare time?
For the past several months, campaigning and visiting every door in Ward 6 has kept me busy. When not campaigning, I am volunteering, reading, cooking, gardening, exercising, hiking, golfing, snowshoeing, playing my cajon (drum), and caring for family members at both ends of the age spectrum. My husband and I also love to travel, visiting new restaurants, wineries, and craft breweries along the way.
Q.7 What is your favourite thing about living in your city/ward?
In Ward 6, I have many activities available close to home. I can go for a hilly walk around my neighbourhood or a hike in the Ardagh Bluffs. I can strap on my snowshoes in the winter and traipse around one of many local parks. I can walk to a wing pub, pizza restaurant, butcher, pharmacy, coffee shop, grocery store, and more. Beyond Ward 6, I regularly visit Barrie’s downtown for its waterfront, festivals, Farmers’ Market, shops, restaurants, and art gallery. While downtown Barrie has much to offer today, I look forward to future amenities such as a large performance arts centre, conference centre with hotel, and full-sized grocery store to service the influx of new residents and visitors.
Darryl Duff
Did not Respond to Global News’ request for comment.
Kevin LePage
Did not Respond to Global News’ request for comment.
Nigussie Nigussie
Did not Respond to Global News’ request for comment.
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