Photo by Neufast

As a Stouffville resident, which issues matter most to you?

Bullet Point News attended the 2022 Mayoral Candidates Meeting at the Spring Lakes Golf Club on October 5th, and summarized each candidate’s thoughts on the hottest issues facing our community today.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Q: As the dream of purchasing a home moves further and further out of reach, for many, the availability of purpose-built affordable housing has drastically diminished. If elected, what will you do to build purpose-built affordable housing in Stouffville?

SHER AHMAD

  • I would make affordable housing a condition of the developer’s projects

JUSTIN ALTMAN

  • Our planning department has experienced a higher-than-average turnover this term
  • Staff will require the proper resources and the bodies to move residence applications for renovations
  • Projects must be a benefit for our residents from day one of the construction and continue to benefit the future generations 

MARK CARROLL

  • We have to change the mindset of developers
  • We take five percent of all developments for parkland and should be able to do the same for affordable housing
  • We don’t want to segregate people by income
  • I’ve made a commitment not to solicit funds from developers

ANAND DATE

  • I am already doing some of this work in your community
  • We need more targeted development, not just what developers want to build for us. 
  • Right now, we’re getting run over by the developers
  • I feel I could be that stronger voice

IAIN LOVATT

  • I’m thrilled that the town’s new official plan will include a housing strategy that will be the most comprehensive plan we have ever had to address the lack of affordable and attainable housing
  • Every time a developer comes into town hall, they are asked what they will do to make housing more attainable
  • Will be looking at adjusting zoning to allow second suites, garden suites, granny flats, as well as pre-approved basement suites of new homes

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Q: Stouffville has long been known as a country close to the city. With a growing population and a high level of new construction, the balance between the natural environment and urban sprawl is in danger. If elected, how would you prioritize Stouffville’s natural environment and natural resources against growth and development? 

SHER AHMAD

  • I would intensify the requirement for parkland and natural features for the builders to get approval to build
  • I would also ensure that Stouffville has a strong and dependent policy with respect to heritage-designated sites and buildings  
  • Designate certain environmental areas as environmentally heritage

JUSTIN ALTMAN

  • Our mayor has spent the last four years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to Lobby York Regional Council and the province to remove 300 acres of Greenbelt Land from the 404/Gormley area and the whole south side of Bethesda between 9th Line and 10th Line to become development land
  • He illegally contravened the municipal act and legislation. 
  • His experiences cost everyone four years and hundreds of thousands, if not millions

MARK CARROLL

  • If we can have our communities built in our designated areas and stay off the Oak Ridges Moraine and out of the Greenbelt, compact, sustainable communities will sustain transit, small to medium-sized businesses, and our lives as we want us as we want to live in our communities

ANAND DATE

  • We have appropriate amounts of land to strike a reasonable balance 
  • A flood of MZOs leads to quick solutions, but it’ll cost the environment
  • Mayor LOVATT voted against seven programs that would tend to help the environment
  • His stance is clear – mine would be a little bit more favorable to the environment

IAIN LOVATT

  • 90 percent of Stouffville is already protected by the Greenbelt and Oak Ridge Moraine conservation acts 
  • Our council never has nor will ever approve an MZO on the Greenbelt ever
  • I’ll ensure every decision on future development is continually looked at through the lens of protection

OFFSETTING THE TAX BURDEN

Q: With most of the tax burden falling on residents, many homeowners in Stouffville find their property taxes significant and challenging. The only way to offset this is to attract new business to the municipality. If elected, what is your plan to attract more businesses to Stouffville to offset this tax burden on residents? 

SHER AHMAD

  • The only way to reduce such a massive tax burden that the current residential taxpayers are enduring is to attract many more businesses and commercial land users to the area
  • Initially provide a tax-free grace period to the businesses

JUSTIN ALTMAN

  • While mayor previously,  I created residents’ vision of the longest Plaza with additional retail outlets, opened new long-term care and retirement facilities, built new industrial condominium units, and rezoned the white belt lands located on Highway 48, all of which increased the residential tax base
  • I wonder if the $500,000 donation from developers to the current mayor’s legacy fund affects the decision-making process approving 3,000 homes which will cost more in the end
  • The mayor spent four years and hundreds of thousands of dollars going after Greenbelt lands with no plan or guarantee from any commercial stakeholders

MARK CARROLL

  • We need to find new ways of bringing taxes into this municipality
  • I believe there are new ways of doing that so that the 94 or 96 percent residential and four percent industrial-commercial taxes will hit 70 and 30 
  • If we can’t attract businesses, we’re just building residential taxes 

ANAND DATE

  • Proposes a governing strategy to help assign proper levels of attention to this issue

IAIN LOVATT

  • I will continue to be laser-focused on growing our commercial-industrial tax base to balance our tax base
  • This past term welcomed 41 new businesses to town, adding over 7 million dollars to the tax base through growth and assessment
  • We currently have 200,000 square feet of commercial space under construction and another 1.6 million square feet at various stages of the planning process
  • Major international companies are calling because they know Stouffville is open for business
  • I will continue working closely with our economic development team to attract even more exciting and innovative businesses to town

IMPROVING TRANSIT

Q: With bus routes being canceled and only a limited north-south GO train schedule, public transit for Stouffville is lacking. This limits access to our community and makes travel within the community highly challenging for those without access. If elected, what will you do to improve public transit for our community?

SHER AHMAD

  • I would arrange meetings with the executive of GO and Viva to express to them the genuine need for increased transit routes to and from Stouffville 
  • A second GO train-bus station at 10th Line and Bloomington shows they would not have made this significant investment unless they had clearly studied the demographics of upcoming growth in the area 
  • I’m confident that as the town grows, so will the availability of increased transit

JUSTIN ALTMAN

  • Basic mobility for all residents should be considered a right and not be excluded from accessing basic needs because they lack transportation options
  • I’ll create our own transportation pilot program by renting for a short-term one to three light-duty minibuses that can seat between 8 to 29 passengers and are equipped with wheelchair accessibility that exceeds the AODA standards
  • Municipalities qualify for gas tax funding from the Province of Ontario if they contribute financially to their public transit service themselves 
  • The Ontario government is providing $375 million to help 107 of 144 municipalities in Ontario that operate and improve local transit

MARK CARROLL

  • Aurora has more than 30 kilometers of York Region Transit, plus they have Viva that goes up and down Yonge Street, so people in Aurora can get to anywhere in York Region and a lot faster because it’s a 40-minute loop
  • They need to provide those transit systems here and to all of Whitchurch Stouffville, not just a loop

ANAND DATE

  • Council hasn’t made any progress since the last time around
  • We need a lobby with GO and other departments with strength
  • It seems to be a problem keeping relationships 
  • Affordable transit is critical, just like walking paths and cycling paths 
  • We need to have a thoughtful plan 

IAIN LOVATT

  • Ridership in Stouffville grew to 100,000 but unfortunately fell by more than
  • 60 percent, causing cutbacks and routes in public transit 
  • I’ll use my seat on York Region Council to advocate for more frequent buses and more bus routes to serve our community
  • I’m excited to see Metrolinx investing more in our community through their GO expansion program, which will bring more trains, more capacity, faster trips and trip times to Stouffville 
  • I will continue to advocate for even more Transit options for you, including two-way 15-minute service to Union Station and the up Express from Pearson on the Stouffville line

MAIN STREET RECONSTRUCTION

Q: The Main Street project is years behind schedule, and plans are just now being presented to residents and businesses. What will you do to ensure this project stays on track and that the disruption to Main Street businesses and residents is minimized?

SHER AHMAD

  • To decrease disruption to Main Street and residents, I would ensure that the project is broken up into small manageable components and not done all at one time
  • I would ensure that all the detours would permit residents to get through town

JUSTIN ALTMAN

  • We must change the current landscape to a fresh and vibrant mixed-use development with the character and charm of heritage
  • Density is key, and it’s extremely important to have the correct balance of low to medium density
  • I see underground parking with retail on the main levels, with professional levels on the second floors, and residential going two to three floors up facing Main Street
  • A plan must be in place to take on the costs associated with infrastructure replacement
  • To redevelop with no true plan, no investors, no strategy, and by keeping with the same old same old helps no one

MARK CARROLL

  • We need to do it right the first time to avoid past reconstruction messes, such as what happened on Stouffer Street

ANAND DATE

  • We don’t have a Main Street like Unionville, and we don’t have a Main Street like Markham
  • The solution is not going to be an easy one
  • I had said in 2018 that I would get it done, and I would have put my term on the line for it
  • We’ll give it a try again using experts and getting it done properly

IAIN LOVATT

  • I’m excited that the Main Street reconstruction project is officially back on track, and there is no going back 
  • The project is vital to our community, and it will be like rocket fuel for businesses once it’s transformed 
  • Our Main Street businesses are excited about transformation 
  • I assure you that there will be a plan to minimize disruption during construction 
  • I have a special project manager on site to support the needs of businesses 
  • I will recommend to council that the village businesses be exempt from the special downtown tax levy throughout the construction project 

ATTRACTING VISITORS TO STOUFFVILLE

Q: Stouffville is a vibrant community with so much to see and do. If elected, what will you do to attract visitors to Stouffville and encourage them to support our local economy?

SHER AHMAD

  • The Town does a great job of promoting visitors through unique festivals 
  • Events such as baseball tournament weekends and cultural affairs would also help to attract new visitors

JUSTIN ALTMAN

  • There are not many visitors that come to visit Stouffville a second time because after the first time visiting, they decide to call here their home
  • Our residence and business community are the most amazing people who dedicate and volunteer their time to create fun and attractive year-round events that draw thousands of visitors
  • To attract tourism, invest in our residents, and they will continue to create and foster and attract many from near and far 

MARK CARROLL

  • The town is a youthful, vibrant, and exciting place
  • We have a Main Street that’s not working
  • Our parklands are just grasslands; there are very few trees in our Parklands
  • We only have maybe three or four tourist destinations 
  • We need to encourage that type of businesses to come into town so that we can bring tourists into town

ANAND DATE

  • We’ve been in the news for all the wrong reasons for eight years 
  • I will take a little bit different approach and focus on positive things 
  • I will charge our economic development program by getting the best minds to look at realistic targets and bring the things here that we need 

IAIN LOVATT

  • I have a vision of extending a seamless trail network from the Rouge National Urban Park through Memorial Park to Main Street
  • I want to extend our trail network north of Main Street to Gallucci and Willow Springs wineries
  • Last year staff executed my vision for a holiday market

HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND

Q: High speed broadband remains a critical need in certain parts of Stouffville. What will you do to improve access and ensure that it is affordable?

SHER AHMAD

  • There’s currently new high-speed internet service being installed across the town, and this should improve service to many residents 
  • I will work with the internet service providers to determine if we could get decree decrease rates for bulk service; for example, if the town offices agreed to Roger’s service, it would be a requirement that they reduce everyone in town’s bill by 10 percent for all of those residents who sign up with Rogers 

JUSTIN ALTMAN

  • I recognize that this is and remains a concern for so many areas of the town in rural areas and is not unique just to our municipality
  • municipalities are still seeking funds to be downloaded from the federal to the provincial, then to regional, and finally to us
  • Another municipality created a corporation of the corporation and took on first hand putting in fiber for the residents by the residents; in turn, residents pay themselves at a cheaper rate than other providers to get the best access, which in turn created revenue for the town and helped the tax base
  • Instead, council went in another direction with a private provider; today, we see them torpedoing lines underground all along our roadways
  • I will continue to work with all levels of government to seek funding and connect our communities with better advanced services for high-speed networks

MARK CARROLL

  • We need to bang on the industry’s table and start demanding services for our town 
  • The only way that this broadband came to some of our rural parts was that the residents got up in arms and started banging on the table
  • I’ll make sure that both the provincial and federal governments will bring broadband into our communities 
  • I’m going to help and attract small to medium-sized businesses 

ANAND DATE

  • This is an essential service 
  • I would work with the region and beyond to gain the support of the industry giants that put this stuff into the ground
  • Representation at the regional and beyond levels is important
  • I think about medical facilities, educational facilities, and all the ancillary benefits that go along with that big picture

IAIN LOVATT

  • The need to access fast, reliable, and affordable internet service was never more apparent than during the pandemic
  • 75 percent of the rural area of town had no high-speed internet; today, that number is down to between 10 to 15 percent
  • The ISPs are working together on projects to advance high speed to some of our more rural parts of Stouffville 
  • I will continue to push for more internet companies to invest in Stouffville 
  • This past term saw major investments from providers to make more capital investments in fiber in their networks 
  • The key to keeping costs low is competition, and there will be no shortage of internet service providers that I will approach

SUPPORTING SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES

Q: The majority of local businesses here are small to mid-sized enterprises, most of which carry a heavy debt burden as a result of extended lockdowns from the pandemic. If elected, what will you do to champion local businesses and make sure that they are supported so that they can thrive?

SHER AHMAD

  • A strong way to do this is by increasing tourism to the town
  • This can be achieved by increasing fairs, events, food fairs, etc.
  • When tourism increases, so does the revenue for all the local businesses or small businesses

JUSTIN ALTMAN

  • A great question for our community partner, the Chamber of Commerce 
  • the town needs to call a strategic initiative to create a recession-proof community
  • The key to our strength is in our people 
  • We need to enable opportunities for business owners to come together to foster symbiotic relationships for mutual prosperity 
  • I’m committed to helping businesses grow 

MARK CARROLL

  • We’re putting a lot of tax burden on small to medium-sized businesses
  • I would like to see our tax burden be spread out a little bit more so that we don’t have to rely so heavily on that 30 percent of the commercial businesses
  • We can also champion programs that go beyond financial interventions and provide non-financial support

ANAND DATE

  • I own a business here in town
  • My priorities are the current businesses and residents of Whitchurch Stouffville
  • The most important strategy is to listen to people and figure out what the heart of the issue is, and engage our staff who are experts at this 

IAIN LOVATT

  • Local businesses have my full support
  • I work closely with the Stouffville Chamber of Commerce Center Economic Development Department to support businesses through a variety of initiatives, such as the very popular town-wide patio program 
  • We secured $370,000 in grants to support small businesses and tourism infrastructure and another $109,000 in Community Improvement Grants
  • will continue to advocate for more grants to promote the newly approved town-wide CIP that supports our economic development vision

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Q: As our population continues to grow, the fabric of our community becomes more culturally diverse. What will you do to ensure that diversity and inclusion are represented, and newcomers are included?

SHER AHMAD

  • I would ensure that there was one staff at the town to deal specifically with diversity issues and provide all services and resources to direct our newcomers today to the places where they need to obtain these resources

JUSTIN ALTMAN

  • The first step is the adoption or implementation of strategies that facilitate positive intercultural encounters and exchanges that promote equal and active participation of resident communities in the development of our town
  • Our town has changed for the better with the addition of so many new cultures
  • We have used the top 22 most spoken languages by our residents in our election material 
  • Federal, provincial, regional, and municipal governments, along with the community stakeholders of York Regional Police Hospital Service Group, schools, and so many other individual residents and businesses, have taken an active part in making diversity and inclusion a key priority 

MARK CARROLL

  • I believe every level of government has a role to play in creating an inclusive, barrier-free diverse society
  • So much can be done to overcome the barriers that limit excess discrimination and ignore people’s differences
  • From mental health and physical disabilities, language differences, cultural differences, equity and inclusion of women, the town of Whitchurch Stouffville must learn from others as well as look at what is unique for the town 
  • We must also recognize the distinct heritage of the Indigenous peoples of North America and what this community can bring to our town, letting people know that we are listening and developing policies 

ANAND DATE

  • We’ve got committees, surveys, and policies – what we need is action 
  • What we are doing at council is happening because of what you’re doing in the community 
  • We need to give it more attention 
  • I’ve been a supporter of indigenous affairs – how about five percent of all purchases in our purchasing department should be from organizations that employ indigenous peoples 

IAIN LOVATT

  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion are important matters that we are actively addressing in Stouffville
  • During the racial unrest in 2020, I spearheaded the town’s first-ever diversity, equity, and inclusion committee
  • Council just approved the diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy and plan
  • The community strategy and plan are now being implemented by our staff to celebrate the full diversity of our community
  • We must create safe and inclusive environments where all voices can be heard
  • Our role as government leaders is to serve all residents equitably

IMPROVING SOCIAL PROGRAMS

Q: We’re seeing more and more evidence of a growing issue with a lack of social support within our community, most notably in homelessness, food insecurity, and mental health services. If elected, how will you improve social service support?

SHER AHMAD

  • I have noted clearly that the Hummingbird Hub in Stouffville has made it its mandate to address all of these situations
  • The Hummingbird Hub is a non-profit organization and so does not have a lot of resources to deal with these large and significant issues
  • I would determine if it would be viable to access municipal or provincial funds to assist the Hummingbird Hub and its mandate, or I would help the Hummingbird Hub obtain whatever grants or funding are available at the provincial or federal level to sustain its existence and ensure that they have the resources to grow and assess many more marginalized residents of our community

JUSTIN ALTMAN

  • Unfortunately, at the municipal level, we do not have the resources nor financial capacity for funding along with qualified staff to operate such needed services
  • These social concerns that are growing in need daily with constant committee reviews and plans
  • The mayor and council must create an emergency ad hoc committee with all community partners and stakeholders and keep a strong thumb on the pulse of the community as we potentially head into a recession

MARK CARROLL

  • This is a huge problem that’s just growing and growing
  • We’ve never had the services that will support the homeless
  • The food banks have all been closed; we need to get those back open and start supporting our food banks

ANAND DATE

  • Our Food Bank is open Monday and Wednesday from 9:30 am to 12 noon, and we will meet all demand
  • direct funding of groups that support challenge sectors is what we need
  • get the donors to donate directly to the people that need it

IAIN LOVATT

  • I will continue to be a strong advocate for those that are in need in our community
  • There’s no question that more social services are needed in our town, but this is York Region’s responsibility, and this is where part of your tax dollars go
  • The commissioner of Community Health Services at York Region will increase support and develop a plan that is for more permanent solutions to the issues of homelessness, food insecurity, and mental health services in Stouffville
  • I’ve earned their trust and respect, and as a result, they listen to me when I call and make requests on behalf of our community
  • I look forward to the opportunity of continuing this work with the region and supporting the marginalized people in our community 

TRAIN WHISTLING CESSATION AT CROSSINGS

Q: Many residents are forced to live with the howl of GO train whistles passing their homes. Our neighboring community, Markham, has implemented train anti-whistling at over a dozen crossings. If elected, what will you do to move Stouffville forward toward train whistle cessation?

SHER AHMAD

  • I think that the train whistle, much like the chime of the town clock, is charming and greatly enhances the small-town feel of Stouffville
  • My suggestions would be that during daylight hours, the whistle should be permitted as there is also a safety purpose 

JUSTIN ALTMAN

  • I am a supporter of the whistle cessation
  • In my term of office, we did have a proposal of $400,000 in which we could have done that and made all the crosswalks legitimately legal and safe for everybody for that travel if we had not possibly purchased the floor shop or gotten into these other lawsuits 
  • I am a strong proponent of seeing that those whistles are stopped, and we should be able to find the funding within that 

MARK CARROLL

  • Metrolinx has their blinders on
  • The only way that we are going to get them to respect our communities by not blowing the whistle through our communities such as they do in Markham is to gather together and demand that they stop doing this 
  • We need to get out there and say you can’t keep doing this 

ANAND DATE

  • If you want it stopped, I’m for stopping it 
  • I’m ready to be influenced if it’s a health issue or a safety issue

IAIN LOVATT

  • This is a hot topic in Ward 6 
  • I am fully in favor of whistle cessation, and I have voted as such for the last eight years
  • It’s been a really long process with differing opinions on councils 
  • we need approvals from various regulatory bodies as well as Transport Canada 
  • You just don’t demand that Metrolinx stops blowing the whistles 
  • Council directed staff to do a detailed design on the crossing upgrades required, and I’m pleased to report that our staff is nearing completion of that design process; when the final report comes to council for approval, I will be leading the charge to get it done 

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Q: If elected, how would you position Whitchurch Stouffville to truly embody strong environmental stewardship?

SHER AHMAD

  • My very sincere commitment to the residents of Stouffville in terms of the importance of increasing the tax base, managing sustained growth, and dealing with issues like homelessness would be of tremendous benefit to the residents of Stouffville 
  • I’m approachable, honest, and of integrity

JUSTIN ALTMAN

  • I will be introducing some environmental pilot projects
  • We need a stronger environmental committee here with the municipality
  • I’ll plan boulevard streets and other landscaped areas into the Wildflower program; place beehives within the community so families can put on the bee outfit, and collect honey to see how wildflowers grow
  • I would like to see greenhouses attached to our Leisure Services for the Horticultural Club so that we can begin to grow our flowers for our Main Street 
  • Create more tourism with better gardens
  • Consider launching a hen project 

MARK CARROLL

  • I’ve been involved in environmental programs and projects for the last 25 years
  • When I worked for the town of Whitchurch Stouffville as the town arborist, I saw the lack of attention to our trees 
  • I was a rep, and we were just replacing trees for six years; $200,000 was put into trees, and we were just replacing them
  • If you look at our secondary plans, most of the trees in those secondary plans are less than 20 years old
  • We don’t have the canopy cover that we need within our communities to sustain us

ANAND DATE

  • We’ve missed so many opportunities for eight years
  • Every new building that goes in could be green on top 
  • We could have heat recovery systems 
  • We need fiber optics, cabling, and all kinds of things to be able to really promote that, but we need to encourage the developers to build these types of buildings
  • We need to spend a little bit more time planning out in advance  
  • The problem occurs when we’re just fighting over each other every four years 
  • I think it is it is achievable, but it takes a long-term vision 

IAIN LOVATT

  • Extreme weather is directly related to climate change
  • We’ve failed as a municipality 
  • We need to start making decisions at council that are going to protect our community 
  • Development is being encouraged to build green – look at the Ledgemark building with ICF geothermal solar on the roof