ABOUT ME

Although I am originally from Hamilton, Ontario, I moved to Halifax in 1996 to go to university, where I met my husband, Scott. From the start, we knew Halifax was where we wanted to plant our roots and pursue our careers. I am a software developer and development team lead, and Halifax has given me world-class career opportunities to pursue my career. I have had the pleasure and privilege of working for several local, award winning companies, delivering enterprise technical solutions to a global audience. I am exceedingly proud of my career accomplishments, where I have, and continue, to solve big problems for an impressive client list. I am grateful for the career I have, and I would like to take a moment to thank my employers, past and present, for the unparalleled opportunities for growth.

In 2005, Scott and I purchased our home on Porcupine Hill, right on the cusp of Whites Lake and Terence Bay. It was an easy place to fall in love with; being from Hamilton, it was almost unimaginable to me that I could live in a neighborhood with a lake at one end, and an ocean at the other. I’d walk the boardwalk in Terence Bay, and pinch myself wondering how I could be so lucky to live here. In 2008 we welcomed our first son, John, who was followed by our second son, Benny, in 2011. 

All of my community engagements have started by answering a call, filling a gap, or responding to a need. Whether it’s in sports as a Prospect Bulls basketball coach, in academics as a member of the Halifax West SAC,  member of the SS Atlantic Society, and most recently as a board member of the ROC, I have played my part. In this district, our newly formed District 13, the need is so great, and I am overwhelmingly compelled to respond.  

BUILDING THE COMMUNITY WE DESERVE

If you've sat beside me in the bleachers at a game, or around a table in committee, you'll likely know that being political is who I am.  It is my very nature to solicit your opinion, and understand your experience. I want to know you, I want to know how you feel, and I want to know what matters to you. I believe that politics should be the ultimate driving force for good, positive change, and to the benefit of all. To be political is the highest form of patriotism, and to work in service of community is the highest calling.  In a time when we are told that politics is highly divisive, let me be the first to assure you, we are thinking the same thing, and we all want the same things for our community.  Let me break it down.

SAFE:

You cannot live here and not feel the effects of climate change. Fires, hurricanes, and floods are our new normal. If, by some small chance, you were not affected in some way by the 2023 HRM Wildfires,  the effect was catastrophic, displacing 16 000 residents at it's peak, burning 151 homes,  and more than 200 structures.  The findings of the motion put forward by Pam Lovelace, and unanimously approved by council, need to be followed through - an egress route for Westwood Hills is paramount, and it needs to be timely. Moreover, the Lessons Learned from the 2023 Wildfires, although insufficient, make clear the gaps in HRM's response. Highlights include only partial adherence to the ICS system, a breakdown of communications internally and externally, little assurance of the quality of data, lacking IT support, and the overall failure of Interagency Operations communications, resulting in widespread confusion and frustration. We can never lose track of the recommendations, and follow through on the need for a comprehensive HRM Emergency Management Plan. We need a plan that details mitigation, egress, emergency procurement practices,  coordination with outside partners, appropriate technology supports, and established lines of communication. These tools can shape our response to the next catastrophe, wherever it may be, and however it presents. Due to the nature of our costal and forested region, every single person in District 13 needs to know their part, that their own specific location is being considered, and that a plan exists to support them.

CLEAN:

The mounting litter problem on our roads, beaches, trails and other shared spaces needs to be addressed, and it needs to be tackled from many angles. The construction debris that litters Prospect Rd from the Goodwood C&D is absolutely unmanaged, and it is common to see industrial plastic, fiberglass, gyprock, and other industrial waste in the ditches and full garbage bags blowing on the road. It is unsafe for drivers, and it is shockingly filthy. Moreover, our parks, trails and beaches need adequate garbage receptacles - people cannot use facilities that do not exist, or are not managed.  We need to foster an attitude of pride for this community with its incredible beauty, with a shared understanding that mindless littering is just not acceptable. 

HEALTHY:

Fundamentally, a healthy community requires clean water, clean air, access to green spaces, and places to come together for recreation, sport, and play. We need to pursue all avenues to ensure our success.  Programs such as the Rural Transit Funding Program affect us directly, but there are many initiatives, recommendations and opportunities in HaliFACT that we can engage, notably plan for the deployment of carbon-neutral district energy and microgrid systems, increasing land protection and conservation on private lands through partnerships, collaboration and municipal planning requirements, and acquire more land to preserve natural areas and ecosystem health in alignment with the Green Network Plan.  These initiatives not only positively affect our health, but potentially our pocketbooks, by providing economic opportunities and reduced energy costs.

Additionally, we need to align our recreation needs with the growth that our community is experiencing. The Halifax Rural Recreation Strategy details many of the challenges facing rural and suburban communities access to recreation, and we need to ensure we are doing all we can to provide equitable access, and address the unique features and challenges into rural recreation service delivery.  Our goals align with the rural recreation service delivery model, and we need to support our community through all avenues of recreation, whether it be individual, community or municipally driven.

THRIVING:

Halifax's population hit a new growth record between 2022 and 2023, at 4.1%, and accounts for 58% of Nova Scotia's overall growth.  We are all aware of the housing challenges facing Halifax, and it was both shocking and disturbing to see the use of our treasured parks for homeless encampments. Even as our neighborhoods are expanding and homelessness is becoming more chronic, everyone in District 13 needs their voice heard in the Halifax Regional Plan. Identified specifically in this plan is Hubbards Rural Growth Centre, Upper Tantallon and Tantallon Crossroads Rural Growth Centres, and the proposal for new housing at the Halifax Exhibition Centre Opportunity Site (further details here).  It is top of mind for everyone, and it is critical that the roads, services and other infrastructure either exist, or is planned, for such massive development.  We need to be confident that development is right-sized for the land it is on, that development falls in line with HRM's environmental objectives, and that affordable housing options, from young adults to retirees, are considered. 

HOW WE BUILD IT

Through my many community engagements, it's clear that community actors, advocates, and everyday residents are fully aware of our problems, and they come with ideas in hand on how to fix them. Ask people what they need, and they will gladly tell you. There is no appetite for costly studies without action; instead, there is an extreme desire to act upon what we already know, and to pursue actions that affect us directly. The right thing to do isn't hard, and if you're listening, the path forward isn't hard to follow.

COMMUNITY FIRST:

The most simple of principles, and easily the most profound, Community First means that we need to make ourselves our first priority, and we need to be made a priority for City Council.  Like many suburban districts, we feel our voices have been drowned out by the problems of the city centre, and we need to put ourselves literally back on the map. We are preprared to take responsibility for our community, and we need City Council to support our success. There are many programs with many objectives outlined by HRM, and we need them to be implemented, right here.

LOCALLY DRIVEN:

It simply does not matter how big the problem is, the solution needs to be local. From climate change, to food security, to the economy, the greatest impact we can make, and the most benefit we can achieve, is when we act closest to home.  We all benefit when when we listen to local voices, support local businesses, eat food from local farmers, and preserve our local history, culture and environment.

FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE:

In April of 2024, Regional Council approved the 2024/2025 Budget, which represents an average 6.3% increase in municipal taxes for a single family household. In District 13, we need accountability, transparency, and we need to know that a significant portion of our taxes are being spent here, on services we use. We simply just want what we are paying for.

FORGED IN RELATIONSHIPS:

It is common for delivery of services to happen with several actors playing a part. Community groups, private, municipal, provincial, and even federal actors shape the way our services function, and we need to build relationships to ensure we succeed in their delivery. Land leased parks, access to private lands, coordination with provinical and federal stakeholders in times of emergency - these are just some of the most obvious examples.  Shared services require a commitment to relationship building, where we come together with a common mission, committed to solving problems, and with ideas to share.