With advanced polls for the upcoming municipal election getting underway this week, The Weekly News is offering voters a snapshot of candidates running in your district.
Voters can cast an electronic or phone ballot during the advanced voting period anywhere, anytime starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6 and ending 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18. Alternatively, voters can vote in person on Election Day, Saturday, Oct. 20, (paper ballots only) from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
District 7 – Peninsula South – Downtown
Sue Uteck (incumbent) – sueuteck.ca
Why should I vote for you?
Uteck: “I believe that with this new district in a smaller council that I bring a voice of experience at City Hall. I know this issues, I know the problems and I look forward to working with new leadership to solve them.”
Name one great thing about your district.
Uteck: “The people. We have such an eclectic mix here.”
What is something in your district that needs improving?
Uteck: “The downtown, revitalization. It needs streetscaping, a coordinated plan for signage, street furniture, the place is a disaster.”
Mike MacDonell – mikemacdonell.ca
Why should I vote for you?
MacDonell: “To bring a new feel to Halifax politics, we might have a changing of the guard in terms of people, but the same ideals are there. I’ve got a fresh set of ideas with a new perspective and we need to start getting youth involved in politics.”
Name one great thing about your district:
MacDonell: “We’ve got the downtown, the Oval, the commons, the universities, there are amazing things here, but I would have to say the downtown core.”
What is something that needs improving in your district?
MacDonell: “Where do I start? The property tax system, and I’m not talking about reform in terms of what the city has proposed in years past, which is in my eyes a tax shift instead of reform. We need to stop subsidizing urban sprawl and start rewarding urban density.”
Waye Mason - wayemason.ca
Why should I vote for you?
Mason: “I’m going to bring a focus on fixing our broken council on growing the city sustainably and spending smarter. I have the experience through my not-for-profit and entrepreneurial business ventures to be able to deliver those promises.”
Name one great this about your district:
Mason: “I love the Central Common, I love the free swimming pool, the water fountain, the skate park, the playground, The Pavilion, the ball field, the tennis courts. You’ve got people from all ages and backgrounds hanging out all summer, it’s one of my favourite places in the city.”
What is something in your district that needs improving?
Mason: “Recreation opportunities, there is no recreation center south of Citadel High. There’s lots of people with different incomes, living in apartments and they need recreation opportunities so we need a rec centre down here.”
Dawgfather PHD – thedf.ca
Why should I vote for you?
Dawgfather: “Number one, I’m the only candidate that will get rid of peek-a-boo politics, and I’m the only candidate that understands that we have an almost $3 billion economy called the student economy and in the plan they have for the next five years doesn’t even mention them.”
Name one great thing about your district:
Dawgfather: “That we have more students per capita than any other place in the country. That’s the greatest thing about it. Between September and April we have the youngest most vibrant community this country knows.”
What is something that needs improving in your district?
Dawgfather: “The housing, particularly student housing. If you’ve got an economy that is 18 per cent of your GDP, you should be bootlicking them, not these guys who come in and set up these call centres and you give them millions of dollars to set up dead-end jobs, when you’ve got these landlords that are just chopping these kids off at the knees every year. HRM should be into the affordable housing business.”
Gerry Walsh – gerrywalsh.ca
Why should I vote for you?
Walsh: “I bring a strong blend of work experiences, having run my own business for 22 years in Halifax, I’ve been a strong community organizer, having built the Bluenose Marathon from scratch and made it one of the largest in Atlantic Canada. I have a solid educational background with a bachelor of commerce and an MBA from Dalhousie. I’m a professional accountant as well as CMA and I’ve taught accounting at Saint Mary’s University for 10 years part time. I’ve been a lifelong resident of Halifax.
Name one great thing about your district:
Walsh: “I love the boardwalk. It’s a great place for people to come together and creates a sense of community, that’s one of the many great things about District 7.”
What is something in your district that needs improving?
Walsh: “Respect for residents by HRM council and staff. A high level of disregard for bylaw enforcement, resident requests being ignored, it’s really created a great deal of discontent in the riding. I’d like to see that improved by the mayor, council and staff.”
District 8 – Peninsula North
Dawn Marie Sloane (incumbent) – dawnsloane.ca
Why should I vote for you?
Sloane: “I have 12 years of experience working for the downtown and residents that surround the downtown. I’ve been taking municipal courses in local government administration and I believe in having the background in working for the municipality and the people of the district and having education, I can hit the ground running.”
Name one great thing about your district:
Sloane: “It’s the home of many artists and musicians and it’s a great community.”
What is something in your district that needs improvement?
Sloane: “Transportation services. Buses and bus routes, bike routes, sidewalk rehabilitation. Basically transportation or mobility needs to be fixed.”
Jennifer Watts (incumbent) – jenniferwattshalifax.ca
Why should I vote for you?
Watts: “I have 4 years experience as a councilor and I feel that I’ve learned a lot and I’ve gained valuable experience and have some really good energy to look forward to building on that experience and see through some really interesting projects at the next council.”
Name one great thing about your district:
Watts: “It is so diverse, it is amazing. And in that diversity there are fantastic groups and organizations that have been doing work for a long time and that have a lot of exciting ideas and wisdom about how to really build a great community.”
What is something that needs to be improved in your district?
Watts: “Sustainable transportation. So improved transit, cycling lanes, and better sidewalks.”
Karen Dempsey – karendempsey.ca
Why should I vote for you?
Dempsey: “I’d like to think that I’m a new voice on a new council. It’s time for new ideas and new people and I think we’ve had enough of the same-old same-old. I would bring fresh ideas, passion for the issues and dedication for the people of the North End and Halifax.”
Name one great thing about your district:
Dempsey: “The people.”
What is something about your district that needs improving?
Dempsey: “Transportation. We have to make it more accessible. We do have a lot of seniors and there have been issues in the past with buses driving past senior residences and I think it’s really important that they are better supported so they don’t have to walk. I think once the trial period for free rides for seniors is over, it should be put in permanently. We owe our seniors that.”
Doug MacDonald – dougmacdonald.ca
Why should I vote for you?
MacDonald: “If the people are looking for a change, I’m the one who has a lot of experience. I’ve been involved as an administrator with the Ward 5 Community Centre for 40 years and involved in advocating for people during that time.”
Name one great thing about your district:
MacDonald: “It’s made up of a wide and varied number of people, backgrounds, races and I think it’s very active. It’s very diverse and it’s also a beautiful community where people get involved.”
What is something about your district that needs improving?
MacDonald: “I would say that certainly transportation is a major issue. They did away with the number three (bus route) feeling that it wasn’t used enough; they now have the free bus for seniors on Tuesdays during non-peak hours. I think Metro Transit is a major issue. The other thing is maintaining our cities facilities.”
James McKay – Could not be contacted, as of press time.
District 9 – Peninsula West – Armdale
Linda Mosher (incumbent) – lindamosher.ca
Why should I vote for you?
Mosher: “I work hard on behalf of residents and I get results and I’m hearing that at the doors. I consult with residents to make the best decisions and I keep them informed by a variety of means. I have effective leadership and available to my residents full time.”
Name one great thing about your district:
Mosher: “Sir Sandford Fleming Park, the Dingle.”
What is something that needs to be improved in your district?
Mosher: “Traffic and public transportation, but that goes hand-in-hand. We’ve got the downstream affects of traffic coming from outlying areas and it’s at a point where we can’t take anymore, so we need enhanced public transit so that residents outside of the core will have an option to chose not to drive into the peninsula.”
Giovanni Abati – abati4hrm.ca
Why should I vote for you?
Abati: “I have three visions for the city, one is to have open government. I post all of my expenses on my website so people know what I’m doing right up front. The other is transportation, and District 9 is a major commuting area. I would try to improve Metro Transit by getting more buses and extending hours. Also taxation reform, the current system is unfair to rural areas.”
Name one great thing about your district:
Abati: “The Dingle.”
What is something about your district that needs improving?
Abati: “Transportation, it’s just brutal, a major mishmash. We’ve got Connaught, Quinpool, Bayers Road, Herring Cove, the Rotary, that’s all in this district and obviously it’s a major concern in this area.”
Richard MacLean – votemaclean.com
Why should I vote for you?
MacLean: “I’m going to bring honesty and integrity to the position, I’m going to listen to the needs of the residents. I’m not adversarial in the way I approach issues and topics, I’m looking for consensus and to make Halifax the best place we can make it.”
Name on great thing about your district:
MacLean: “I think the diversity in our district, we have both urban setting and a rural-like setting, a great history and tradition, some great landmarks like the Dingle and the rotary.”
What is something that needs improving in your district?
MacLean: “The safety of bikers and pedestrians. District 9 is a thoroughfare, to get to downtown you have to get through District 9. We need to have complete bike routes and we can’t have sidewalks that end and roads without crosswalks. We need to improve safety as we get more traffic coming through here.”
John Wimberly – wimberly.ca
Why should I vote for you?
Wimberly: “I’m running because I didn’t see anyone else on the ballot that I could vote for. I didn’t see anyone that was presenting any kind of vision that fell out of the paradigm of what we’ve been seeing in Halifax and what we’ve been seeing in Halifax for so long.”
Name one great thing about your district:
Wimberly: “One amazing thing about this district is that it is an incredibly diverse one. The amount of different parts of Halifax society that exist in this district is enormous. People of all incomes, people of all backgrounds, many different cultures, it’s really exciting and daunting to have the opportunity to represent that.”
What is something that needs to be improved in your district?
Wimberly: “When you look at the district geographically, the center of it is the rotary and that points to one of the biggest issues in the city, which is that transit is terrible in this city and that’s not just public transit, that’s for anybody trying to get anywhere, they have to go through that hub, the rotary. One way to solve that is a hugely improved public transit system, so people aren’t stuck relying on their cars and being stuck in traffic all the time.”
District 10 – Birch Cove – Rockingham – Fairview
Russell Walker (incumbent) - russellwalker2012@yahoo.ca (email)
Why should I vote for you?
Walker: “My past record and I’m available and I’m willing to take on the fight and to make this council work regardless of who the mayor is.”
Name one great thing about your district:
Walker: “The people that live here.”
What is something in your district that needs improving?
Walker: “The infrastructure. The roads, transit.”
Kurt Bulger – facebook.com/kurtforchange
Why should I vote for you?
Bulger: “I’m passionate about what’s going on in District 10. There are some areas that are growing well; other areas like Fairview have been neglected by the incumbent for far too long. I guess some of it is my fault for not doing things years ago. I should have been pushing more to stop the decay. HRM is being run poorly and managed even worse and I think I can make a difference to clear that up.”
Name one great thing about your district:
Bulger: “The people, they’ve been just wonderful as I walk around campaigning. The views in the area are beautiful.”
What is something that needs improving in your district?
Bulger: “The lower half of Fairview over the last 20 years, the heart of it has been ripped out. When they closed down Titus Smith Elementary School at the lower half of Main Avenue, that was the beginning of the decline for Fairview. Later on they took away the Halifax West site, then the banks went, God bless Scotiabank at Dutch Village Road for staying in the community, because they’re the only support left. The grocery stores are gone. Fairview needs help.”
John Thibeau – johnthibeau.com
Why should I vote for you?
Thibeau: “I feel that I have done as much research and reading as is necessary, but I’m always continuing to learn of what the responsibilities of a city councilor position are. I feel that I am informed enough and educated enough to confidently do my job as well or better than the other candidates in my district. I have a lot of ideas that are outside the box which could help positively benefit not only my district but all of HRM.”
Name one great thing about your district:
Thibeau: “I’m going to go with diversity. There’s a lot of beautiful green spaces and wonderful community groups, but what I really enjoy about the district is the amount of different cultures that are found within the District 10 boundaries.”
What is something in your district that needs improving?
Thibeau: “The biggest thing seems to be crime. From my experience in meeting with residents and going door to door, crime seems to be a big issue in the district and therefore is a primary concerns for me for the district.”
District 11 – Spryfield – Sambro – Prospect Road
Another candidate has joined the two other challengers hoping for Steve Adams’ seat at council. In previous coverage both candidates brought up the incumbent’s lack of residence within the district as a reason for people’s frustration with the current representation. We’ll see if that message resonates with voters.
Steve Adams (incumbent)
Why should I vote for you?
Adams: “Because of 20 years of results, improved communities, improved quality of life which have made a difference in people’s lives.”
Name on great thing about your district:
Adams: “The people.”
What is something in your district that needs improving?
Adams: “Recreation. There’s some nice opportunities along the Prospect Road for more recreation. The are needs more ball fields, while also improving the ones that are there now and some streetscaping with small parks.”
Peter Grabosky - hrmpetergrabosky.ca
Why should I vote for you?
Grabosky: “I believe I am the viable alternative to the incumbent. I’ve been out there walking, talking, and knocking on doors offering opportunities for people to share their views. I make myself accessible to the community. I’ve developed a relationship with the people of our very large district and I want to continue that over the next four years.”
Name one great thing about your district:
Grabosky: “It’s the people. After walking the streets for the past few months, it’s the people that are so great within this district. They want to participate, to be heard and to get involved.”
What is something that needs improving in your district?
Grabosky: “Like all over the HRM, it’s transit. Primarily because if we had a viable economical transit service that moves people in an efficient way we can have the community groups that people want and create local communities that may be able to provide improved tourism, so people could come visit say the Terrance Bay lighthouse or go down to Sambro and visit the beautiful jewel that it is.”
Jim Hoskins
Why should I vote for you?
Hoskins: “I’ve got a good history of public service, 36 years with the municipal government as a police officer and I have some new ideas as to how we can make council work better. I believe in accountability very strongly, and I proved that with the concert scandal by submitting a public complaint with the police in regards to that. Basically I believe it’s time for change. I live in the district and the present councilor doesn’t.”
Name one great thing about your district:
Hoskins: “I could be corny and say the people, but the biggest thing we have here is potential. We have a bigger area from Purcell’s Cove to West Dover, so we have plenty of potential for small businesses and tourism. Our scenery and our environment out here.”
What is something in your district that needs improving?
Hoskins: “Where do I start? From what I’m hearing it would definitely be transportation and connected to that, the unavailability of bike lanes.”
Tom Lavers – electtomlavers.ca
Why should I vote for you?
Lavers: “I’ve worked for the city for the past 25 years as a professional firefighter, got hired by the old City of Halifax and have since worked for the amalgamated HRM. I’ve seen a lot of departments deplete their workforce, increase their supervisors, there has been no accountability for things they’ve been doing or money they’ve spent. My promise to everybody is that I will hold the departments accountable for what they do, the money they spent and the decisions they make as well as represent what the people want.”
Name one great thing about your district:
Lavers: “The diversity of our district. We encompass the Spryfield area, Prospect, Sambro Loop, we can go from very rural to urban. There’s quite a few different types of people, opportunities, places to visit.”
What is something in your district that needs improving?
Lavers: “Transit, in all areas. It’s a big problem in this district and it’s a big problem all over HRM. People just don’t see the sense in taking transit where going somewhere in your car take 15 minutes to a half hour by car takes an hour or more by bus.”
Note: Taking a leave of absence from the fire department to run for council.
District 12 – Timberlea – Beechville – Clayton Park West
Mary Wile (incumbent)
Why should I vote for you?
Wile: “I have experience, I’m interested in the community, I have lived in Halifax all of my life and I feel I have done a very good job in the past eight years serving my community and council.”
Name one great thing about your district:
Wile: “It has some great facilities such as the Canada Games Centre, one of the busiest libraries, one of the best soccer facilities, it’s got the two largest populated schools in all of HRM and it’s a very diverse community.”
What is something in your district that needs improving?
Wile: “I have to think about this, because we’ve already got a lot of things done, but there’s always room for improvement. I would say we need some additional sidewalks in the Bayers Lake Business Park. We’ve got the sidewalk on one side of Chain Lake Drive and now I’m working towards the other side and trying to convince HRM to install one.”
P. Rano Khokar – electranokhokhar.ca
Could not be contacted as of press time.
Reg Rankin (incumbent) - rankinfile.ca
Why should I vote for you?
Rankin: “Because of my experience, which is 21 years, before and after amalgamation.”
Name one great thing about your district:
Rankin: “Diversity.”
What is something that needs to be improved in your district?
Rankin: “The transit, there needs to be an express route from Clayton Park right to downtown. That would include a transit terminal which ought to be built next year.”
Bruce Smith – votebruce.org
Why should I vote for you?
Smith: “There’s been a considerable amount of discontent with the present council and the outgoing mayor and the present incumbents running in District 12 have been in office for eight years and 20 years respectfully. Nothing is getting done that needs to be done. I’ve been very active in the community in the last number of years on the issues that need to be addressed concerning West Halifax.”
Name one great thing about your district:
Smith: “What I’ve been finding as I go door to door in West Halifax is the people themselves. They’re excited about the election and it’s very encouraging to see.”
What is something in your district that needs improving?
Smith: “Public transportation. We need a proper, efficient and effective transit terminal with a park & ride that has a vision for the future and is located in the hub of the activity and can be easily accessible to park & ride users.”
