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Lindsay Koch
Lindsay Koch is a councillor in Kenora.
In our ongoing effort to spotlight the experiences of women in municipal politics, we reached out to those elected in the 2022 municipal elections in Northern Ontario. We asked these newly elected councillors and trustees to share their insights and reflections on the transition from candidate to council. Here are their candid and firsthand accounts of the challenges, surprises, and lessons learned along the way.
Lindsay Koch is a councillor in Kenora.
What initially inspired or motivated you to run for council, and how did you envision your role before being elected?
I’ve been involved in my community in a number of ways for so many years that it was only a matter of time. The timing wasn’t necessarily right for me for this election, but the timing for the community was - we needed some new faces and new generations making decisions for us, so why not go for it! Is anything ever truly the right time, anyway? I envisioned lots of meetings and hand-shaking. I envisioned working as a team with others who were elected and hearing many different points of view which would ultimately help to inform my votes and our collective decisions.
How did your expectations or perceptions change once you took office?
The Municipal Act really precludes us from functionally doing business. I’m all for transparency and making efforts to keep the public informed about processes and decisions, how they can engage and participate, etc., but I’m disappointed by how hard it is to get anything done because of legislative restrictions and the policies that have been generated at a local level in response to provincial requirements. Much of what I perceived this would look like holds true, but the barriers that exist and the challenge of making effective change and keeping up with the times lead to frustration for me and others around our council table.
Were there any surprises or unexpected aspects about the role?
I thought I would hear from people more. There’s an assumption that people complain to councillors any chance they get, but I don’t get a lot from people, even when I ask!
What were the biggest challenges you faced when transitioning from a candidate to an elected official?
The relationship with Administration was a challenge — knowing council’s role versus administration’s; knowing when to push back or push for more, and sorting through how to support and manage our one employee (the CAO) in a way that is helpful in meeting the objectives of the corporation and our strategic plan, helpful for council, and helpful for every other staff person who ultimately relies on us to be making good decisions to support them in their work. Also jumping right into the budget - what a beast.
Looking back at your first year in office, what were the most rewarding aspects of serving in your municipal role?
Taking the time to share on social media — which can be a tough place — and all the positive engagements and connections made there. I never tire of hearing from people that they know more, understand more, pay attention more, and are more engaged in not just the City or Council but in the many wonderful things happening in our community because so much of it is shared in one place in a consumable way.
What were the significant milestones or accomplishments you achieved during your tenure?
Working hard on addressing violence and harassment in the workplace through continued Provincial advocacy and making some headway! Learning and connecting almost every day with women across the province in similar seasons of life is huge.
On the other hand, what challenges did you face during your first year, and how did you navigate or address them?
I continue to struggle with bringing forward the priorities I campaigned on because of existing policy and procedure requirements. I also very much wish council could gather in a more informal team-building capacity — we’re still in what feels like an early forming stage when I think we could have moved along the forming - storming - norming - performing spectrum in a more timely way if afforded that opportunity. There’s such a fear of ‘advancing the business of council’ in an unsanctioned meeting and the threat of FOI requests, integrity commissioners, closed meeting investigators, etc., that we’re all left a bit disjointed.
What do you wish people knew about working as a politician, based on your experience?
There’s always more to a decision than comes out in public / is reported on, and a lot of it is available for you to read in the minutes or watch in the recorded meeting. Working as a municipal politician is different than party politics because decisions are made by consensus — I can’t make a decision for our community on my own in this capacity. I’m my own person with my own priorities; I work hard to make decisions with this council with the information I have at the time that, based on my experience and the input others have offered, is the best for our community because I signed up to help make positive change and support growth and development and opportunities for residents to thrive. I am not here to raise your taxes for my own gain.
Where can people find you?
These profiles are part of our ongoing series featuring women councillors and trustees elected through the ElectNOW initiative. Surveys were sent to all woman councillors and trustees who participated in the 2022 ElectNOW series. While some answers have been edited for clarity and spelling, the responses provided are the candidates' own and do not necessarily reflect the views of PoliticsNOW. If you are a woman councillor, mayor, or trustee residing in Northern Ontario and would like to be featured in this series, please fill out our survey.
Lindsay Koch
Lindsay Koch is a working professional, wife, and mother who jumped into giving back to her community following university through participation in various boards and committees related to economic development and tourism, business development, arts, community service, and social services, in addition to working with various groups on their fundraising efforts. Lindsay is a life-long learner who believes that when you know better, you do better. Relevant strengths include a background in policy and governance, open-mindedness and a willingness to consider other perspectives, the ability to respectfully engage in challenging debates and discussions, and most importantly, the drive to do what it takes to take care of what we have and grow to make us better.
Lindsay Koch is running for Council in Kenora.
Lindsay Koch (she/her) is a working professional, wife, and mother who jumped into giving back to her community following university through participation in various boards and committees related to economic development and tourism, business development, arts, community service, and social services, in addition to working with various groups on their fundraising efforts. Lindsay is a life-long learner who believes that when you know better, you do better. Relevant strengths include a background in policy and governance, open-mindedness and a willingness to consider other perspectives, the ability to respectfully engage in challenging debates and discussions, and most importantly, the drive to do what it takes to take care of what we have and grow to make us better.
Why are you running for this position?
I’m running because it feels like Kenora is at a turning point - we either adjust course now or we continue down what’s not a very promising-looking rabbit hole. This community is asking for change, innovation, and a council who will listen to hear them, and I’m ready to work for all of that.
What innovative projects would enhance life in your municipality?
Infrastructure to support active transportation and enhanced ways, without barriers, for people to enjoy life outdoors. Isn’t that why many of us live here?
A celebration of culture! We live in Treaty 3 Territory and the Métis homeland. We are surrounded by land and knowledge keepers and we know the importance of keeping language and culture alive for generations to come. There are so many ties to reconciliation in this work.
If you received a $1 million grant to use for your municipality any way you wanted, what would you do with it?
$1 million doesn’t go a long way, but I would earmark it for delivering infrastructure to developable land to support increased housing availability.
What do you think are the greatest challenges your municipality faces?
Unity - Kenora feels fractured. Forward motion, innovation, and development only happens when we can come together to achieve long-term, common goals. Recognizing that not everyone will agree on priorities, but that everything is interconnected. There are big picture issues like housing, homelessness, mental health and addictions issues in our downtown, and other competing priorities like road maintenance, tax and service inequities.
All of these issues and the varying perspectives around them feel completely splintered and a bit like no matter which is tackled first, it’s not going to be the right answer.
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?
I like the idea of some kind of in-person event periodically where community members can come talk to Council and Municipal leadership informally.
I know this says “other than official ways,” but I think there’s something to be said for reviewing the official ways and ensuring they’re digestible by highlighting some of the main things people want to know like timelines, where the funding comes from, how/if people will be impacted.
I’m not opposed to crowd-sourcing. If the loudest voices are the only ones we’re responding to, I don’t think that’s how we make the best decisions. If there’s a decision to be made that will impact our community, we need more active engagement to seek that feedback - not just wait for complaints to roll in or hope people will fill in a survey.
What is your favourite thing to do in your municipality?
I love to hit the trails - all of them. We’re so lucky to live where we do with all this nature in our backyard.
I also love to grab a coffee from one of our local shops and wander through the small businesses in town with my husband. We love to support local and chat with the owners and people we see along the way. It’s a well-spent Saturday when we do that.
Why do you think it’s important for women to be represented in civic leadership, including on committees, boards and municipal councils?
For me it’s balance - women tend to observe things differently, I find, and give more intentional thought to implementing decisions. Women’s voices are an important piece of the puzzle - how often, even now, are we seeing decisions made that impact women that are based solely on a man’s point of view.
Equally important, women need representation at this level so we can show our young people that they can do this too - no matter how they identify.
Our communities are better when there is diverse representation in civic leadership.
Please identify the most critical policy, project, or initiative in your platform that addresses systemic barriers faced by women in your municipality, and describe why:
I think most visibly for Kenora, it’s that nearly half of those seeking a seat at the council table are women. We’re talking with one another and sharing publicly that ‘the way things are’ doesn’t have to be the only way they can be. We’re working professionals, mothers; we have families and commitments and call on the City structure and voters in Kenora to stand alongside us as we call for change and representation. While this isn’t directly platform material, there’s a big statement being made here about there being room for women at all levels of leadership and government and that we’re willing to show up where and when it matters because that’s how we do life.
Social Media Handles
Where can people find you?
www.lkochkenora.wixsite.com/2022
I will be at the Olfman Pop-Up shop on Monday, October 17th, from 10am -5pm at 239 2nd St S in Kenora and at any candidate forums our community chooses to host.