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 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.
Three candidates have put their hats in the ring for Ward 3.
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 Ward 8 yet. If we do, profiles will be created for those areas.
What follows are the responses received from those running for Ward 3 councillor, with the candidates being listed in alphabetical order. (This page will be updated if more candidates choose to respond.)
Ann-Marie Kungl
Global News has not received a response to the questions.
Ryan Rijo
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 grew up in Barrie and I attended St Margueritte d’Youville and I graduated from St Joseph’s Highschool in 2016. I attended New Mexico Junior College and Lubbock Christian University in Texas where I played baseball and studied. I received an Associate Degree in the USA and finished my Bachelor of Arts at Lakehead University in Orillia. I have been playing for the Barrie Baycats in the IBL for the past 6 years and I look forward to playing for many more years to come. I currently work at My Insurance Broker as a TSR and I am in the process of getting my RIBO license as I aspire in becoming a commercial insurance broker.
Q.2 Why do you believe you are the right person for the job?
I believe that I am the right person for this job because I am not one to make empty promises.
There have been many promises in the past that have not been delivered on but the one thing I can promise and I will deliver on is community engagement and the people of ward three being my boss. I would like to host a meeting prior to our city council meetings and invite everyone from ward 3 out. Whoever comes out can voice their opinion and we can prioritize together an agenda to bring forth to councill. That way I am not the one dictating what is a priority, rather the people within ward 3 will actually have a voice on what needs to get done and thus giving me a roadmap prior to our city council meetings.
Q.3 What do you think is the most important issue facing your ward and the city as a whole?
Community engagement is the most important issue facing ward 3 and affordable housing for the city as a whole. The issue of affordable housing has been on the forefront of many people’s minds for quite some time now, and it is something that needs to be addressed. Too many people are struggling to pay their rent, afford a mortgage or get into the housing market. We need to be working together to find new and innovative ways to tackle this issue, while keeping value in current properties for homeowners.
Q.4 Looking down the road, what are your long-term goals for the city?
My long-term goals for the city would be to see a more engaged community that feels like they have a voice and that their opinion matters. I would also like to see us tackle the issue of affordable housing, so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of living in such a great city. Lastly, I would like to see us continue to grow and prosper as a city, while still maintaining our small-town feel.
Q.5 What are the pillars of your campaign?
Did not answer.
Q.6 What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love sports. I enjoy playing for the Baycats and golfing is my favorite thing to do in my down time. I also am passionate about music and love playing guitar and drums to my favorite genre country music. But my favorite passion is teaching hitting to the local Barrie Minor Baseball kids.
It is nice seeing them grow and develop their skills both on and off the field.
Q.7 What is your favourite thing about living in your city/ward?
There are so many great things Barrie has to offer. Kempenfelt Bay and the lakeshore has to be one of my favourite things about Barrie. I love the beach, boating, and spending time with my family and friends on the water.
Zohib Tahir
Did not respond to Global News’ request for comment.
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