CTV Questionnaire

1. Why have you decided to run in the municipal election?

I decided to run because I became increasingly concerned about the direction Wilmot was heading and how some of our biggest decisions were being made.

Over the last four years, council has made decisions that will greatly impact what the future of Wilmot will look like. I have spoken with residents who tell me they are worried about what Wilmot is becoming; some have questioned if they will stay, and some have already put their homes up for sale. I have two children, and I hope Wilmot will be a place they will want to live.

Change is going to happen; our current Council has set the ball rolling. Now we need to react and plan for what this means, what we want to protect, what kind of growth makes sense, what infrastructure and services we will need, and how we are going to afford it.

We are dealing with issues around water, growth, taxes, infrastructure and farmland. Residents, businesses and community groups have spoken up, but many have told me they don't feel their concerns have been heard or that what they have said has made any difference.

I know firsthand what this feels like. I have spent months, and in some cases years, working with others to bring urgent issues to Council. We have dedicated hundreds of hours, spent our own money, hired experts, researched the issues and delegated to Council. Most times when we delegated, no questions were asked by Council, and no questions were directed to staff about what was presented. We came hopeful, but left feeling defeated.

For the past 12 years, I have been running businesses, managing budgets and operations, developing partnerships and bringing large groups of people together to solve problems. A big part of that work has been capacity building — helping people and organizations recognize their strengths, connect with the right partners and turn ideas into action. That experience has shown me how much knowledge, experience and ability already exists in our community.

A mayor's role should provide leadership across the whole township. A mayor should help Councillors work as a team, support them on community issues, build relationships with all levels of government, and bring people together.

That is the kind of work I know, and it is why I decided to run for Mayor.

2. In your opinion, what is the most pressing issue Wilmot’s community is currently facing?

The most pressing issue, in my opinion, is that Wilmot needs a clearer long-term plan, built with the voice of the community. 

Growth is coming quickly. Decisions have been made by our current Council that are directing us down this path — from approving large new subdivisions that could quickly increase our population by 6,500 people over the next 6–9 years, to rezoning large areas of agricultural land for residential or industrial development, opening additional land for developers, deciding not to take a stronger position on the Mega Site, and submitting a new Official Plan that, in my opinion, does not do enough to protect our farmland, water and rural character.  

There is more to long-term planning than deciding where we build houses or designate employment land. We need to decide what we want our Township to look like, but also what we need to protect along the way. Then we need policies, budgets and infrastructure plans that actually support that vision. 

New Hamburg, Baden, New Dundee, St. Agatha, Mannheim, Petersburg, Haysville and our other rural communities are unique. Residents, businesses, farmers and community organizations need to be part of creating a vision for each of them. What do we want to protect? What is missing? Where should businesses grow? What kind of housing do we need? What will make people feel connected to their community? 

This is also where rural economic development comes in. We should be supporting existing businesses, filling vacant properties, creating opportunities for small, medium and larger employers, and strengthening our agricultural economy 

Long-term planning also has to be financially realistic. Roads, water, emergency services, recreation facilities, parks and other infrastructure all require significant investment. If we know where growth is going and what our communities will need, we can plan and budget earlier instead of reacting when we are already behind.

And when the community is involved in creating that plan, we can use the expertise that already exists here. We can build partnerships, look at different ways of delivering projects, find grants and other funding, and come up with solutions Council or staff may not have considered on their own.

To me, we need to change how long-term planning is done in Wilmot. 

What is your view on the Wilmot Land Assembly project?

I do not support the Wilmot Land Assembly, and I believe this land should remain agricultural.

My position comes from years of involvement in our local food system, including being chair of the Food System Roundtable of Waterloo Region for 2 years. Farmland is not simply vacant land waiting for another use. It is part of our food system, our rural economy and our long-term food security. Once it is paved, we do not get it back.

I have also not seen evidence that Wilmot is a suitable location for a 770-acre industrial site, or that a site of this size is needed. The Region has confirmed there is still no specific company or end user identified.

Water and wastewater are major concerns for me. The Region's 2025 Water and Wastewater Monitoring Report identifies remaining wastewater capacity in the Baden-New Hamburg system for approximately 9,100 additional people. Based on the maximum units in developments already approved or moving forward that I have reviewed, along with new long-term-care capacity, we could already be approaching 8,000 additional residents. That is before all future residential and employment lands identified through our new Official Plan are developed. Wilmot will also need wastewater capacity for our existing employment lands, future schools, and sport complexes.

We also cannot ignore the health of our Nith River. Regional studies state that any expansion of the New Hamburg wastewater plant is limited by the river's capacity. The WilmotCAN report raises concern about current phosphorus levels and the impact on fish and aquatic life. 

Water is another major concern. Baden's B1/B2 wells were taken out of service because of high nitrate levels, residents around the Wilmot Centre well field have raised concerns about the reliability of their private wells, and we are already dealing with questions about where future water capacity will come from. Before removing hundreds of acres of farmland and adding a potentially significant industrial water user, I believe we need to understand the full impact on our groundwater, recharge areas and the water supply our residents, farms and businesses depend on.

Saying no to this site does not mean saying no to economic development in Wilmot Township. I would work with the Region and Waterloo EDC to dedicate time to developing the employment lands we already have that have remained undeveloped across from the Recreation Centre.

We can grow our economy without sacrificing farmland.

What is your plan to address the water capacity shortage in Wilmot?

In 2019, the Region increased pumping from the Wilmot Centre wells by approximately 30 litres per second. Wilmot Council and residents were not told about that increase at the time, even though the 1980 Wilmot water-taking policy was still in place. Then, this summer, the Region voted to temporarily take another 15 litres per second.

What makes this especially concerning is that residents around the Wilmot Centre wells have reported problems for years, including wells running low, difficulty getting enough clean water for everyday use, and changes to ponds and wetlands.

As Mayor, I would formally request the complete studies, groundwater monitoring data and pumping records — information that, to my knowledge, our current Council has not requested in full. I want to understand what changed over those six years and what impact the additional pumping has had on groundwater, private wells, ponds and wetlands. Residents who believe their wells have been affected should not have to fight alone for answers. 

I would also focus on keeping more water in the ground and wasting less of what we already have. Wilmot's own reports say our sanitary sewer system has high levels of groundwater and rainwater leaking into it. That clean water takes up wastewater-treatment capacity. We need to prioritize finding, measuring and repairing those leaks, including using newer technologies that can help us identify problem areas faster.

I would also review our smaller water systems. Petersburg is getting a new municipal water system, and we need to understand how that system will operate and what it means for future Regional water use. Residents in St. Agatha and New Dundee have also told me about recurring brown water. Those concerns need to be investigated rather than accepted as normal.

Finally, new growth has to be tied to confirmed water capacity. We need to know how much water we have, where it is going, where we are losing it and how much growth it can actually support before approving more demand.

On my website, I outline the specific policies I would advocate for, including looking at the combined impact of development and water takings, requiring simple water-impact reports for major projects, baseline testing of nearby private wells, regular public reporting on groundwater levels and water use, and asking the Province to pause new or expanded water-taking approvals when there is evidence that a groundwater system is under serious pressure.