Vox Populi

Well, that was some election! Fred is our new Mayor in something of a landslide and I have to say I was surprised - the polls were actually right for a change!

Arlene Vanderbeek is our new Councillor, again, in something of a landslide. She picked up around 44% of the vote for which 44% of Dundas turned out. That works out to roughly 19% of all eligible voters.

Greg Van Geffen is our new public trustee and I am very glad. He seems like a great guy. At least one of my votes stuck!

Me? I came in fifth with almost 400 votes or 5% of votes cast which means the City will refund my nomination money. Sweet!

It was a tremendous amount of work and I don't have a single regret. I got to see Dundas from a completely new perspective and I made a ton of friends that I wouldn't have otherwise. I made a plan and stuck to it. I raised a lot of important issues along the way and I know people were listening.

It takes a lot of guts to put yourself out there and people really do recognize the effort. Just today I walked down to the Metro and had people congratulate me in the street for running. That sort of thing really puts a spring in your step.

Would I do anything differently next time? Absolutely! Clearly signs are now a thing in Dundas so that needs budgeting. I would also need to budget for a mail drop or two. Delivering my cards by hand was a lot of fun but it does limit coverage.

Would either of those things have made a difference this time around? Nope! I'm pretty pleased with what an unknown guy was able to achieve with unpopular ideas and a relatively tiny budget!

My campaign has lit a fire in me that won't soon be extinguished. I'm really excited to get involved at Central once the boy starts there next year and I am really looking forward to working with (and hopefully on) the new Community Council.

Remember those new shoes from my first post? They're absolutely done.

Poor things

Thanks for reading everyone and an extra special thank you to everyone that voted for me. Please say hi if you see me around town!

Live on Air!

Despite the sombre air of remembrance yesterday, all of the candidates for Dundas were scheduled to appear on the Scott Thompson Show on AM900CHML. Five of us made it out on what turned out to be a gorgeous afternoon.

Rick was running a little late.

I hadn't been on the radio since back in my university days when a friend hosted a late night music show. The host was really great to work with and he did a great job of putting us all at ease. People that listened tell me that the difference between all the candidates was quite evident from the discussion and I see that as a positive thing. We may all have different ways of getting there but we all want what's best for Dundas.

If you missed it, here's a link to the entire show: https://soundcloud.com/.../why-should-we-vote-for-you...

Finally, I made one last campaign video this week to share on the Dundas FB page. It's not quite as slick as Brian McHattie's new video but it still gets the point across.

A Day Unlike Any Other

I had planned to write something today about how I want to rebuild Governor's Road. Then, things changed.

I want to draw your attention to two remarkable Canadians.

The first is Sargeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers. He is a hero. Thank you for protecting our Government.

Hero

The second is Cpl. Nathan Cirillo. He is a hero. Thank you for safeguarding our Country.

Hero

There will be a book of condolences set up for Cpl. Cirillo on the first floor of City Hall starting today through next week. There is also a memorial Facebook page you can visit here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rest-In-Peace-Cpl-Nathan-Cirillo/374096932740216

A Better Way to DVSS

One question that's been on my mind since I started my campaign is "Is there a better way to connect Dundas Valley Secondary to Downtown?"

On a purely personal level, I'm looking ahead to a time when my own son needs to find a way to get himself to DVSS for school (I have time yet, he just turned 3...).

I keep thinking to myself that there must be a way to implement a cross-town greenway from DVSS to the soon-to-be Rotary Creekside Parkette.

Let's take a look at what Google tells us today.

24 minutes

This route is currently the most direct for a pedestrian. It takes 24 minutes and it's almost entirely along Governor's.

28 minutes

This route is slightly longer at 28 minutes but it does take advantage of the Spencer Creek trail, the Chegwin Park path and Central Park Avenue. There's a stretch along Creighton and the last leg along Governor's.

32 minutes

This route is longer still at 32 minutes but it's far more pleasant (and quieter), making use of Ann, Sullivan and Huntingwood with a greatly reduced amount along Governor's.

That's pretty good and clearly a lot nicer. If I allow myself to daydream for a bit, I think we could cut that route back down to something a lot closer to the original 24 minutes.

How about a bridge over Spencer Creek connecting the condos to the Spencer Creek trail?

How about including a section through the Montessori School property?

How about building a trail along the creek off Ann or down the hill at the end of Begue?

Why not install a pedestrian activated crosswalk across Governor's at Huntingwood?

Maybe a protected multi-use path along the south side of Governor's from Huntingwood to Castlewood?

Maybe we could pave and light the entire thing and put SoBi bikeshare stations at either end...

Hey, that might be pretty nice! Imagine that.

Culvert at the bottom of the Begue Street trail.

Intersection of Huntingwood and Governor's

Entrance of the Sullivan Street trail.

Exit of the Sullivan Street trail on Huntingwood

Debate Night in Dundas

To call last night's debate well-attended would be a massive understatement. The room was jammed! It was to be expected - this is a big election for Dundas and we are nothing if not engaged.

I'm very pleased with how it went and I think each of the candidates did a great job of giving the room an impression of who they are. It was a great night and the feedback I received was very positive, which is always a good thing.

But don't take my word for it! If you weren't able to attend last night, here's a link to the Spec and CBC summaries and the live-stream. Enjoy!

Spectator summary: http://www.thespec.com/news-story/4924756-ward-13-candidates-divided-on-lrt-question/

CBC summary: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/people-of-dundas-to-candidates-we-re-different-keep-it-that-way-1.2806917

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_MacB6K5R0

All Candidates Debate Tonight!

For my 100th blog post, I'm going to keep things very short and sweet. Please join me and my fellow candidates tonight at the Town Hall for the Chamber of Commerce All-Candidates Debate. The doors open at 6:30 and the event itself begins at 7:00.

I've spent some time today getting ready and I'm really looking forward to it. I've been to almost all of these debates but this will be my first time sitting in front of the audience instead of being part of it!

Oh ya, this is the Memorial Square sign for this week:

Bid!

99 Posts and Counting

It seems like forever ago that I started this blog. Today is going to be post number 99 and there are just 8 days yet to go to election night. Over the course of the last hundred days or so, I've done my best to give you an idea of the kind of person I am and the sort of decisions I'd make as a Councillor.

I've also tried to provide you with some insight into what it's like to run for public office. Maybe, just maybe, I've encouraged you to give it a shot yourself in the future. It really is very exciting!

Today started like any Sunday for us in mid-October - we opened a new trail at Christie Lake!

The woods are lovely, dark and deep - Robert Frost

This little bit of trail actually connects the double-track network to the the Runway/Ebb & Flow network and it really is a nice way to wrap up the season. Next week, we start planning and mapping the next section of trail that will take us closer to the lake in a new and breathtaking way. Stay tuned!

This being fall, the trees are in rare form. Check it out!

Pow!

Bam!

I spent the rest of the day canvassing on what turned out to be a glorious day for a walk! Tomorrow, I'll be getting ready for the debate at Town Hall. I can hardly wait!