Kelsie Van Belleghem is running for Council in Kenora.
Kelsie (she/her) is a personal financial advisor, currently on maternity leave with her second child. She and her husband have two children under two and have been married for almost four years. Her husband was born and raised in Kenora, and she has lived there permanently since the spring of 2017. She is currently the treasurer for the Women’s Shelter Saakate House, and has been a volunteer board member for the Festival of Trees. She has spent the bulk of her career, prior to living in Kenora, in Sales and Merchandising. She is a registered investment fund advisor, has a visual merchandising diploma from Sheridan College and Business Administration from Red River College.
Why are you running for this position?
I am acutely aware of the privilege a person has to hold in order to run for politics, especially at the local level. Candidates usually self-fund their campaigns and do all the work and organization of their campaigns to become elected. Then, if elected, being a member of the council is a huge time commitment, that is paid, but not at a rate equal to the time put in; therefore, people at different life stages are often unable to offer themselves as candidates. As a financial advisor, I talk about risks and risk mitigation with my members, and when it comes to financial investments the key to mitigating risk is to hold a diverse asset portfolio, we always say, “You don’t want all your eggs in one basket.” This is especially true when it comes to representation. I believe everyone that offers themself as a candidate for local office does so with the best intentions, but everyone is coming at it from their own lived experiences and if you have a council that is only representative of one group of the population, you are leaving yourself open to a lot of risk. At the end of the day, we all only know what we know, and if the group representing your municipality is all homogeneous then the pool of information being drawn from is smaller, which usually leads to less creativity and more missed opportunities.
What innovative projects would enhance life in your municipality?
We, like everywhere in Canada, are facing a major housing deficit. We do not have a lack of land to build on, we do, however, have very restrictive zoning laws that don’t make building attractive to private developers. I would like to re-evaluate our zoning laws in order to allow developers, investors, and individuals to be able to build creative, sustainable housing options. The single-family unit home is not the only option for everyone, and we have “the missing middle” problem when it comes to our housing options. I would like to see more flex house units, multi-generational condo and/or apartment buildings, and also take advantage of our existing real estate by retrofitting solar panels and/or micro gardens on our downtown buildings.
If you received a $1 million grant to use for your municipality any way you wanted, what would you do with it?
Food insecurity is a growing problem everywhere, but food waste is also a huge problem. I grew up in Kimberley BC, and they have set up a food bank program that works in conjunction with the local grocery stores to take any food that the stores are going to throw out but is still useable and give it to anyone who can use it. They also have volunteers come in periodically and take any produce, meats, etc. that are going to go bad soon and cook them into stews, baked goods, etc. to extend the life of the food and offer prepared food options to everyone. I have also seen very successful city-wide composting programs in southern Manitoba, and I would like to see this work in conjunction with a good food bank program so that we are mitigating our waste, extending landfill lifespans and, most importantly, addressing the burgeoning costs of inflation leading to higher food insecurities.
What do you think are the greatest challenges your municipality faces?
Our biggest challenge in Kenora is one of “Us or Them”. We struggle to act like a community instead of a place where a bunch of individuals reside beside each other. A lot of the things that I hear people are upset about are problems that can be addressed if we choose to all agree that we all live here and that if we work to pull everyone up, we will all benefit, all be raised up, and all be able to live as Us instead.
Other than the official communication methods (minutes, municipal notes), how else will you reach out to your constituents to involve them in the decision making process?
We have an aging population in Kenora, and we are “trying” to attract younger generations, so it is important to meet everyone where they are at. Social media has a lot of benefits from a cost/reach perspective, but local newspapers are so important still (and I personally hope forever) for community reach and engagement. I also still believe there is a need for regular door knocking or door-to-door notices. Paper is a very profitable recyclable material, and I think the onus is on the city to make sure the residents are receiving the message, not for the residents to have to go and look for the message.
What is your favourite thing to do in your municipality?
I love walking. I live in a central part of town, which is intentional. I walk to work; the kids and I walk to the parks and rec center; we walk to get groceries; and we are so lucky to live within walking distance of grandparents, great-grandparents, aunties, uncles and friends.
Why do you think it’s important for women to be represented in civic leadership, including on committees, boards and municipal councils?
Women represent half of the population and going back to my answer about we only know what we know. There is a difference in living in this world in a woman's body, and if that voice isn’t represented there will be things missed. Also, again, women represent half the population so if you want representative representation then that should be considered. There are also two other women in their thirties with families, and full-time careers, offering themselves as candidates in this city council election, and I am so impressed by them.
What does a ‘feminist city’ mean to you?
Feminism means that all genders have equal rights and opportunities, so a feminist city is one where all genders can thrive.
Social Media Handles
Where can people find you?
I will be hosting a meet-a-greet at 235 2nd St. S on Wednesday, Sept. 7th. Follow my social media for more upcoming events.
