Sabrina Ree
Sabrina Ree is running for Council in Oliver Paipoonge.
Sabrina Ree (she/her) is a multidisciplinary healthcare professional, local business and farm owner, community volunteer, and dedicated resident of Oliver Paipoonge. Her professional background includes work as a Medical Laboratory Technician, Personal Support Worker, certified English as a Second Language instructor, and volunteer first responder. As the owner and operator of The Ree Ranch, Sabrina has firsthand experience in agriculture, entrepreneurship, small-business management, bookkeeping, and the trucking and transportation industry. She is also an active community volunteer, including as an announcer at the Murillo Fall Fair. Sabrina previously ran for Oliver Paipoonge Municipal Council in 2022 and as a federal candidate for Thunder Bay—Rainy River in 2025. As a mother, business owner, and community volunteer, she values integrity, accountability, respect, responsibility, and compassion.
Why are you running for this position?
I am running for Councillor because I care deeply about the future of Oliver Paipoonge and want to ensure residents have a strong voice at the council table. As a resident, mother, business and farm owner, and active community volunteer, I understand many of the opportunities and challenges facing rural families and businesses. My priorities include responsible municipal spending, protecting taxpayers, supporting agriculture and local businesses, strengthening community services and public safety, and preserving the rural character and heritage that make Oliver Paipoonge unique. I believe decisions should be practical, transparent, and made with the long-term interests of our residents and future generations in mind.
What do you love most about your community?
What I love most about Oliver Paipoonge is its strong sense of community and its rural character. We are fortunate to have hardworking families, farmers, local businesses, volunteers, and community organizations that contribute so much to the municipality. I especially value our agricultural heritage and the way events such as the Murillo Fall Fair bring generations of residents together. I love that Oliver Paipoonge offers the space and rural lifestyle many families value while still being connected to Thunder Bay and the wider region. Most of all, I appreciate the people who give their time, knowledge, and experience to make our community a better place to live. I want to see us preserve what makes Oliver Paipoonge special while creating opportunities for the next generation.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing your municipality right now?
One of the biggest challenges facing Oliver Paipoonge is balancing the cost of municipal services and infrastructure with the need to keep property taxes affordable and sustainable for residents. As a geographically large rural municipality, we need to maintain roads, infrastructure, emergency services, recreation, and other essential services while recognizing that taxpayers have limits. I believe municipal spending should be carefully examined, priorities should be clearly communicated, and residents should be able to understand how and why their tax dollars are being spent. At the same time, we need to encourage responsible economic development and support agriculture and local businesses, along with our wonderful families in our community, without losing the rural character of our municipality. Good long-term planning and open communication with residents will be important as Oliver Paipoonge grows.
If elected, what is one thing you would like to accomplish during your term?
If elected, one thing I would like to accomplish is to strengthen Oliver Paipoonge’s long-term financial and economic sustainability while protecting the rural character that makes our municipality unique. I want to ensure taxpayers’ dollars are carefully managed, municipal spending is transparent and responsible, and we actively pursue grants, partnerships, and economic opportunities that reduce pressure on local taxpayers. At the same time, I would like to see greater support for agriculture, small businesses, tourism, and community initiatives that create opportunities for our residents and future generations.
What is one thing you would like to see your municipality do differently?
I would like to see the Municipality become more proactive and transparent in how it communicates with and involves residents in decisions. Residents should have clear, accessible information about how their tax dollars are being spent, why major decisions are being considered, and what those decisions will mean for their community. I believe public input should be sought early in the process, not simply after plans are largely developed. Good decisions come from listening to the people who live, work, farm, and operate businesses here, while ensuring municipal decisions remain financially responsible and protect the rural character of Oliver Paipoonge.
What does good local government look like to you?
Good local government is transparent, accountable, fiscally responsible, and accessible to the people it serves. It means elected representatives listening to residents, asking difficult questions, carefully examining how taxpayer dollars are spent, and making decisions based on the long-term interests of the entire municipality. It also means providing dependable core services, planning responsibly for infrastructure and growth, supporting local businesses and agriculture, and protecting the rural character of our community. Above all, residents should feel that their municipal government listens to them, respects them, and works for them.
If you received a $1 million grant to use for your municipality any way you wanted, what would you do with it?
If Oliver Paipoonge received a $1 million grant, I would prioritize investing it in essential infrastructure, particularly our rural roads, bridges, and culverts. These are services residents, farmers, businesses, and emergency responders depend on every day. I would want the municipality to identify the highest-priority projects through its asset management plan and use the grant strategically, including leveraging it wherever possible to secure additional provincial or federal funding. A one-time grant should be invested in something with long-term value rather than creating new ongoing expenses for taxpayers. My goal would be to make that $1 million work as hard as possible for our community while reducing future pressure on the municipal tax base.
How do you approach working with people who disagree with you?
I believe disagreement is a normal and healthy part of local government. I approach it by listening first, asking questions, and trying to understand the other person’s perspective, even when we ultimately disagree. I focus on the issue rather than the individual and look for common ground where possible. I am also willing to reconsider my position when new facts or a better solution are presented. At the end of the day, Council members do not have to agree on everything, but we do have a responsibility to treat one another respectfully and work together in the best interests of the community.
What does having more women in local leadership change?
Having more women in local leadership brings additional perspectives, experiences, and voices to the decision-making table. I believe local government is strongest when leadership reflects the diversity of the community it serves. Women may bring different life, professional, family, business, and community experiences, but ultimately every elected representative should be judged on their ideas, integrity, work ethic, and ability to serve residents. I hope that seeing more women step forward for local leadership also encourages other women and young girls to recognize that there is a place for their voices in municipal government and all levels of government.
What is something about you that you would like voters to know that they might not learn from your campaign platform?
Something voters may not learn from my campaign platform is how deeply connected I am to everyday rural and community life. I am a mother, healthcare professional, small-business and farm owner, volunteer first responder, and someone who understands what it means to balance a family, work, a business, and community responsibilities. I am not afraid of hard work, and when I commit to something, I take that responsibility seriously. I genuinely enjoy learning from people and hearing perspectives different from my own. My interest in municipal government comes from wanting our community to remain a place where families, farmers, businesses, and future generations have the opportunity to thrive.