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Deb McIntosh
As a resident of Ward 9, Deb has served in the community for the past 8 years. During that time, she chaired the Planning, Operations and Audit Committees of council, and was the Vice-Chair of the Finance Committee. She sat on the Greater Sudbury Economic Development Board, the Nickel District Conservation Authority and the Solid Waste, Public Art, Sustainable Mobility, Newcomer and Watershed Advisory Panels. During this past term of Council, she served on the Board of Directors of the Association for the Municipalities of Ontario and the Ontario Municipal Water Association. Her educational background is in accounting, and her work before being elected was as the Executive Director of Rainbow Routes Association and the Sudbury Food Bank. She is a recipient of a YWCA Woman of Distinction Award and a Community Builders Award for her work with Rainbow Routes Association. She is a Mom and Gramma.
Deb McIntosh is running for Council of Ward 9 in Greater Sudbury.
As a resident of Ward 9, Deb (she/her) has served in the community for the past 8 years. During that time, she chaired the Planning, Operations and Audit Committees of council, and was the Vice-Chair of the Finance Committee. She sat on the Greater Sudbury Economic Development Board, the Nickel District Conservation Authority and the Solid Waste, Public Art, Sustainable Mobility, Newcomer and Watershed Advisory Panels. During this past term of Council, she served on the Board of Directors of the Association for the Municipalities of Ontario and the Ontario Municipal Water Association. Her educational background is in accounting, and her work before being elected was as the Executive Director of Rainbow Routes Association and the Sudbury Food Bank. She is a recipient of a YWCA Woman of Distinction Award and a Community Builders Award for her work with Rainbow Routes Association. She is a Mom and Gramma.
Why are you running for this position?
Council launched several initiatives during our last term that I would like to see through to completion. I’d also like to initiate other projects related to my platform priorities. (www.debmcintosh.ca)
Being a City Councillor is first and foremost an opportunity for public service. Over my two terms on council, I have enjoyed working with residents throughout Ward 9 on a range of exciting community projects. I was also able to help many individual residents in their dealings with the municipality. Through all of this, I continue to learn and hope to have the opportunity to apply that knowledge in the next term to accomplish, even more, working for and with the citizens of Greater Sudbury.
What innovative projects would enhance life in your municipality?
More housing options would enhance our community's wellbeing. Availability, as well as affordability, are key to our community's future success. Tiny Homes and Co-housing developments are just two innovative options that need to be explored more fully.
If you received a $1 million grant to use for your municipality any way you wanted, what would you do with it?
Coming from the not-for-profit sector, my first response would be to leverage that $1m into $3 or $5 million from other levels of government and the private sector. Then I would consult with the community on what project or program they thought would positively impact the greatest number of people.
What do you think are the greatest challenges your municipality faces?
Short answer: Old road, bridges, pipes and buildings and how geographically large our municipality is.
What is your favourite thing to do in your municipality?
Work with individuals and community groups to solve problems and get things done.
Why do you think it’s important for women to be represented in civic leadership, including on committees, boards and municipal councils?
A woman's life experience is unique both individually and collectively. It is important that women are at the table to voice thoughts and opinions that may be different that our male colleagues; opinions and thoughts that may prod new and innovative thinking. It is important that the diversity we see in our community be reflected at the Board or Council tables so as to fairly represent the community we live in.
What does a ‘feminist city’ mean to you?
I believe that regardless of your gender that everyone should have equal access to municipal services, and it is partially through that lens that I make decisions. I also consider in my decision-making that there are those who fall through the cracks and need additional assistance from the municipality and the community as a whole. Given my own life experience, I recognize and highlight the times that it is women fell through the cracks. A "feminist city" pulls people out of the "cracks" and then seals up the "cracks".
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Where can people find you?
http://www.debmcintosh.ca/
Learn about the other women running in the 2022 Ontario Municipal Election in Northern Ontario.
Deb McIntosh
As the current Greater Sudbury Ward 9 councillor, Deb McIntosh has demonstrated over the past four years that she works effectively with residents, business and community groups, and all levels of government to get things done. Deb extended the fiscal responsibility and high achievement level she demonstrated during her career in Sudbury as an accountant, community volunteer and Executive Director of Rainbow Routes Association into her work as a councillor. Deb capably demonstrated her ability to identify and troubleshoot critical issues as chair of the Planning and Audit Committees and vice chair of the Finance Committee. A resident of Ward 9 for 25 years, Deb is married to retired music educator Ralph McIntosh. Deb trained to become an accountant but more importantly Deb is by nature a caring mom, grandmother, daughter and friend to many. She also hopes to include a Labrador retriever in her family circle at some point in her future.
Why did you decide to run for councillor?
I am running for a second term because Council has launched several initiatives during our last term that I would like to see through to completion. I’d also like to initiate other projects related to my platform priorities. Visit my website for further details
Being a City Councillor is first and foremost an opportunity for public service. During my first term on council I have enjoyed working with residents throughout Ward 9 on a range of exciting community projects. I was also able to help many individual residents in their dealings with the municipality. Through all of this I have learned a great deal, and hope to have the opportunity to apply that knowledge in the next term to accomplish even more, working for and with the citizens of Greater Sudbury.
What innovative projects would enhance life in your community?
Elgin Greenway in Downtown Sudbury
More pedestrian & cycling infrastructure
If you received a $1 million grant to use for your city any way you wanted, what would you do with it?
I’d invest it in the Elgin Greenway project.
What do you think are the greatest challenges your city faces?
Short answer: Old roads, pipes, buildings and vehicles.
We need to continue to address our infrastructure investment shortfall. We have to repair or replace aging infrastructure, and that will require serious investments of time, energy and dollars. We have several options, including raising taxes, reducing the level of services we provide, continuing to work on reducing inefficiencies and increasing the number of people sharing the cost of running the city.
Long-term success will require efforts in all four areas: we need to regularly review our service levels and how we deliver them; we need to support the growth of existing Sudbury businesses while enticing new business and talent to invest here; and we need to apply moderate tax increases as necessary to keep the city moving forward.
The ongoing balancing of services and expenditures takes considered effort. To grow our economy, we must make investments and offer incentives in the right areas at the right time in an effort to create an environment that will attract and keep businesses and jobs here. A growing economy, along with moderate tax increases and adjusted service levels and/or more efficient delivery, enables us to chip away at fixing roads, replacing pipes and city-owned vehicles, and renovating or replacing buildings past their best-before date.
Other than the official ways of communicating (minutes, municipal notes), how else will you reach out to your constituents to involve them in the decision making process?
Residents of Ward 9 have 24/7 access to me via email, phone and social media.
What is your favourite thing to do in your city?
Ride my bike & visit Kivi Park and I can do both at the same time The other thing I very much enjoy is swimming, canoeing, rowing on our fresh water lakes.
What do you cherish most about your community?
Our City of Lakes: All 330 of them.
Where can people find you?
Deb@debmcintosh.ca
705-918-1155
FB: Deb McIntosh – Sudbury
Twitter: @sudburydeb