As part of Doppler’s ongoing coverage of the upcoming municipal elections we reached out to all of the candidates running for election in Gravenhurst, Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes.
Today we look at the candidates for Councillor Ward 5. Two candidates have come forward and one will be elected.
We posed the following three questions to each of the candidates:
1. Can you tell us about yourself and why you’ve decided to run for office?
2. What are the biggest challenges in our municipality, and what do you envision as the best way(s) to address them?
3. What do you cherish most about this community?
All candidates were given the same amount of time and the same word count for answers. Answers over the word count have been shortened by Doppler.
The municipal election takes place on October 24, 2022. You can find more information on voter eligibility, how to vote and candidate information here.
Christina Hunter
1. Having grown up in Gravenhurst, and now raising our children here, I feel a strong connection to our town and the people of the community. I’ve spent many years volunteering in different aspects to try to bring the vision I have for Gravenhurst to reality. Now it’s time for the next step, which is a seat at the table where the decisions are made, in order to shape the future of Gravenhurst with sustainability in mind.
2. The housing crisis is an issue that all levels of Government need to work together to fix. We need to look for opportunities to partner with other levels of Government to create high density affordable housing as well as incentivizing use of vacant or underutilized buildings.
Emergency Preparedness – Damaging storms, flooding, heat waves and power outages are all on the rise and disproportionately affect the economically vulnerable. We need a mitigation strategy including a plan to open our public buildings as warming / cooling centres when these occur.
Sustainable / Responsible Development – Gravenhurst is on the cusp of significant growth with many new projects already started or preparing to begin. Now is the time to ensure that we move forward using the 5 P’s of sustainable development – People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnerships. Let’s ensure we include green space and trails in development plans, minimize the amount of tree clearing, and keep the integrity of our land a priority for future generations.
3. What do you cherish most about this community? What I love most about Gravenhurst is the comraderie we see within the community. Neighbours have your back when emergency strikes, community members step up to help when someone is in need; whether it’s a mealtrain, or GoFundMe campaign or donating items to those in need. Many of our town’s projects are run entirely on volunteers.There’s a lot of heart in Gravenhurst. We may all have different visions and goals for the community, but there’s a strength worth celebrating in how we come together in times of need and celebration.
Leslie McCann
1. I have been a business owner in Muskoka and a resident of Ward 5 in Gravenhurst for 18 years. I see the impact covid has had on our town and I also see the challenges we may face ahead. This is the right time for me to bring my Real Estate and financial background to council.
2. It is important to have cautious responsible development. Our environment must be at the forefront of our minds and it must be protected. People move to Muskoka for its beauty. Attainable housing is a must and should be considered when planning new developments.
3. Gravenhurst is centrally located in Muskoka and has two lakes at its doors. We have to the opportunity to grow and prosper if we could attract more full time employers.
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