Wanda Berton-Heyerichs
Wanda Berton-Heyerichs is running for Council in Ward 9 in Greater Sudbury.
Wanda Berton-Heyerichs has lived in Greater Sudbury for most of her life and currently lives in Ward 9. Her professional background spans community development, human resources, mental health, corrections, administration, and supervisory roles. She has worked with Canadian Blood Services, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and the Northeast Mental Health Centre. Wanda holds diplomas in Human Resources Management and Correctional Services from Cambrian College, as well as an International Montessori Teacher Diploma in Early Childhood from NAMC. A mother and grandmother, she has lived, worked, and raised her family in different parts of Sudbury.
Why are you running for this position?
I’m running because I think we can do better. People pay a lot in property taxes and they should feel like they’re getting good value for that money… good roads, reliable services, and a city that responds when they need help.
Over the last few years, I’ve noticed priorities changing and some of the basics deteriorating, like snow removal, drainage, and infrastructure. Running in this election has become personal because I’ve been affected by some of these issues too. The city has become almost unrecognizable to me and I’m hoping we can change direction and focus on the issues that are affecting local residents.
What do you love most about your community?
I would like to see the city get back to focusing on the basics and doing them well. Roads, infrastructure, drainage, snow removal, and other core services affect residents every day and I think they need to be a higher priority when decisions are made about where our money goes.
I’d also like to see better follow-up when residents contact the city with a problem. Sometimes the issue isn’t that people expect everything to be fixed immediately—they just want to know they’ve been heard, understand what is being done, and what they can expect next.
What does good local government look like to you?
To me, good local government starts with listening to the people you represent, understanding the issues, and following through. It means being transparent about how decisions are made and how taxpayers’ money is being spent. It also means asking questions, doing your homework, and being willing to change direction when something isn’t working.
Residents should be able to reach their representatives, have their concerns taken seriously, and know what is happening with the issues they raise. Good local government should be practical, accountable, and focused on serving the people who live here.
What is something about you that you would like voters to know that they might not learn from your campaign platform?
I’m a naturally curious person. If I don’t understand something, I tend to keep asking questions and researching it until I do. I like understanding how things work, how the different pieces fit together, and why a process works the way it does.
I’m also someone who tends to notice when something in a process doesn’t make sense and start thinking about how it could work better. That curiosity is probably one of the reasons I ended up running for council in the first place.
Where can people find you?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61593247682394
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wanda-berton-heyerichs-18977415/
