Issues

The only promises I will make to you as a candidate are promises that I know I can keep – and I can promise these things:

1.     I will bring everything I have to this position, and do my very best to answer each and every call or email and address every issue in a timely fashion. I will treat you with respect, and take your issues seriously. I will follow up with you.

I will continue to be present in our community at events to support local organizations. It’s important to me to have a consistent presence in the North End: I will not be an absentee councillor.  My goal is that instead of people saying, “I need to call my councillor,” they can say,  “I’ll give Jon a call”. To me that comfort level is important.

 

2.     Give regular and consistent updates to my constituents about what is happening at city hall. There is often confusion as to why some things are done, and a lack of appropriate notice of something. I believe it is a councillor’s duty to communicate what is going on in City Hall, and it serves both me and my constituents, as I can more easily serve you, the more educated you are on the happenings of the city. I will implement a bi-weekly newsletter that reports on council meetings and HRM operations, and how they impact our community specifically.

 

3.     I will look at each and every thing that comes across my desk with an open mind and will educate myself on that issue or proposal. I will lean on staff, experts, community groups & the incredibly smart community of Halifax-North. I will always be able to explain my vote. An open mind and thoughtful nature are what we want representing us downtown.

When I get asked on the doorsteps what my issue is or why I’m running, I say: The North End. That is who and what I aim to serve. That’s also what I’m hearing from the community – you want an engaged, present, and dedicated councillor. And that is what I promise to be.

  • I prefer the term unhoused to homeless, as these people have a home, Halifax. We need to do better taking care of our own – I sometimes reflect on our past treatment of the unhoused and am deeply ashamed of our city’s actions. That is not who Haligonians, and especially North Enders, are. We need to work with the Provincial Government to identify what has led them to sleeping rough and find ways to house them and get the help they need. Whether the cause was affordability, mental illness, or addiction. We need to work with city navigators & advocacy groups, to identify and find solutions. It is time to move forward with empathy and resect for our fellow Haligonians and human beings.

  • HRM is in a housing crisis. Rent and Sale prices are out of reach for many residents and exacerbating the affordability crisis for many. We need to develop. Increasing the housing stock is the primary way we can get to affordability & start to help the unhoused. However, we are a city of great character, for which we derive our identifies as Haligonians and North Enders. We must strive to build within that character and build with foresight. Anxiety for development is understandable. We have something precious. However, density brings opportunity and stability. The more people in an area, the more people will frequent our businesses, rec centres, schools, events, churches, sports, etc. In 2016 our population was declining quickly. The 5-year projection of students in the area schools was dismal. Historic schools were on the brink of closure. Now they are bursting at the seams. This increased population was not well timed, as we were not ready, and there has not been enough emphasis on planning for growth and the influx of population. But this growth does bring opportunity – if we are smart about how we plan for it. This means considering the impacts of increased cars, increased water and sewer usage, transit use, and all public services the city provides.

  • Our transit system is in disarray and needs to become a priority. An effective mass transit system helps us reach many of our goals.

    ·       Traffic: the majority of traffic on the peninsula is from off the peninsula. Effective and affordable mass transit will reduce the need to bring a car to work or to come into the city for recreation.

    ·       Safety: Bike Lanes, and pedestrian measures and needed, and a good thing, but they are not the problem, cars are. Reduce the cars, increase safety.

    ·       Housing Density: A reliable mass transit system will allow the city to create density in areas beyond the core, so the core is not carrying the majority of the load. It will also allow people in the core to use their cars sparingly or live without one.

    ·       Affordability: Haligonians will have an increased ability to live where they can afford, or live without a car, allowing them to afford the world more easily.

    ·       Climate Change: the obvious one, fewer vehicles equals lower emissions.

    I have spoken with transit drivers and advocacy groups on the issue and there’s no shortage of great ideas on how to increase efficiency and start to deliver the Integrated Mobile Initiative passed by Council in 2017. Creating Mobility Hubs throughout HRM will help people access mass transit, and to use alternate modes of transportation. These hubs would be meeting places, that can include small parks and shops and would be a step in creating walkable communities. As I mentioned when discussing development, we could then target our density to the area around the hubs, decreasing the need for cars.

  • As an old city, we have significant challenges to those with mobility challenges. As someone with family members with mobility challenges, a member of Hearing & Speech Nova Scotia and as Chair of the 2016 North End School Options Committee, I have seen firsthand the challenges people have and how far we have to go. Again, we need to lead with empathy and bring access to those who don’t have it.

  • Through my volunteering, over the past 20 years, I have had my eyes opened to the challenges of marginalized communities. Particularly in my work within the schools and church, I have listened to the stories and experiences of the disenfranchised. Stories, old and recent, of racism towards our African Nova Scotian community and hatred towards our LBGQT+ community. These are things I would not have learned, had it not been for my volunteering and the kindness of people in these communities. I would not be so bold as to say I have an answer, but I can say I will be a friend of the marginalized, and I will always lead with empathy and compassion.

  • It is a governments duty to facilitate business, not get in the way. For example, a plan was accepted to start to renovate Agricola St 3 years ago and has now been put off indefinitely. We need to increase 2-way communication with businesses, and business organizations like the North End Business Association & Downtown Business Commission and their counterparts across HRM. These organizations have great ideas and have a communication pipeline to local businesses. The main complaints from the HRM business community are about communication and timelines. How to get information on an application, (where to get it, how to do it) along with the time it takes for a response, are great obstacles to business operators. We need to find efficiencies, listen to our business leaders, and create an environment to succeed. A strong business community is key to the health of HRM with more opportunity and a larger tax base. It is a councillor’s duty to facilitate said communication. It is a duty I look forward to fulfilling.