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Lisa Vezeau-Allen
Lisa Vezeau-Allen grew up in Sault Ste. Marie. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Laurentian University in 1991 and attained a Not-for-Profit Management postgraduate degree in 2006 from St. Clair College. Her work experience is varied: she instructed in Communications at both St. Clair College and Sault College, supported the Big Brothers Association of Sault Ste Marie in a fundraising role, as well as led organizations in a Director capacity (including Sault Youth Association and the Arts Council of Sault Ste. Marie). She was Director of Development for the YMCA of Boulder County in Colorado. She was elected to City Council in 2018 and is involved in various committees and boards in her capacity as Councilor, including; SSM Police Services Board, Downtown Association, Finance Committee, Social Equity Committee, Accessibility Committee and others. In the latter part of 2019, she founded and is Board President of Grocer 4 Good Ability Development Program, a social enterprise committed to programming and paid employment for persons with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, other intellectual disabilities and those facing other employment barriers. Lisa joined her first Board of Directors at 18 and has over 25 years of experience in the Not-for-Profit sector. She believes in community, the joy of giving back and the strength of collaborations.
Lisa Vezeau-Allen is running for Council in Ward 2 in Sault Ste Marie.
Lisa Vezeau-Allen (she/her) grew up in Sault Ste. Marie. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Laurentian University in 1991 and attained a Not-for-Profit Management postgraduate degree in 2006 from St. Clair College. Her work experience is varied: she instructed in Communications at both St. Clair College and Sault College, supported the Big Brothers Association of Sault Ste Marie in a fundraising role, as well as led organizations in a Director capacity (including Sault Youth Association and the Arts Council of Sault Ste. Marie). She was Director of Development for the YMCA of Boulder County in Colorado. She was elected to City Council in 2018 and is involved in various committees and boards in her capacity as Councilor, including; SSM Police Services Board, Downtown Association, Finance Committee, Social Equity Committee, Accessibility Committee and others. In the latter part of 2019, she founded and is Board President of Grocer 4 Good Ability Development Program, a social enterprise committed to programming and paid employment for persons with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, other intellectual disabilities and those facing other employment barriers. Lisa joined her first Board of Directors at 18 and has over 25 years of experience in the Not-for-Profit sector. She believes in community, the joy of giving back and the strength of collaborations.
Why are you running for this position?
I am dedicated to my community of Sault Ste. Marie and I want to continue the positive work in striving to achieve growth, build and sustain our city and the support all folks who call Sault Ste. Marie home. I was honoured to be featured in the "We All Win Campaign" this year led by AMO and we need more women — specifically those that are supporting children with disabilities — as that unique voice is all levels of government is much needed.
What innovative projects would enhance life in your municipality?
We are currently supporting a downtown plaza project which will transform our downtown and that currently is where I intend to focus - building on other initiatives that can grow from there.
If you received a $1 million grant to use for your municipality any way you wanted, what would you do with it?
That would all be directed to our Housing Corporation for Supportive Housing to get us beyond the only 10 supportive beds we have now.
What do you think are the greatest challenges your municipality faces?
After the pandemic years, I think most northern municipalities are dealing with the rising costs of critical services and the struggles of folks not being able to access direct face-to-face mental health and addiction services. We all need to collectively connect as leaders in our municipalities, grassroots organizations and all other levels of government to work together for services and solutions.
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?
Anyone can connect with me via phone and email.
What is your favourite thing to do in your municipality?
I love our nature and walking downtown and our waterfront trail - gives me much joy and I do it as much as possible!
Why do you think it’s important for women to be represented in civic leadership, including on committees, boards and municipal councils?
Diverse voices need to be present and heard, especially young women and it is our role to mentor and support them.
What does a ‘feminist city’ mean to you?
My hope is that a feminist city means everyone is engaged and has no discrimination.
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 believe we all deal with a lack of representation of women in both senior management as well elected representation. I think in terms of my community, we are making strides as we have many senior positions led by women, but I know we need to represent and help all women and those not represented.
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Where can people find you?
Learn about the other women running in the 2022 Ontario Municipal Election in Northern Ontario.
Lisa Vezeau-Allen
Lisa Vezeau-Allen grew up and raised her young family in Sault Ste. Marie, received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Algoma University in 1994, and attained a Not-for-Profit Management post graduate degree in 2015 from St. Clair College in Windsor. Her work experience is varied: she has taught English courses at both St. Clair College and Sault College, supported the Big Brothers Association of Sault Ste. Marie in a finance and fundraising role and has led organizations as an Executive Director for both the Sault Youth Association and The Arts Council of Sault Ste. Marie and District. She currently leads the granting and fund development revenues as the Director of Fund Development for the YMCA of Boulder Valley via distance from her home in Sault Ste. Marie. Lisa has over 25 years experience in the Not-for-Profit sector and joined her first Board of Directors at the age of 18, and believes in giving back to community. She was honoured to receive the "Woman of the Week" recognition from the Business Professional Women's (BPW) organization in 2014 and was present at Queen's Park in 2010 to receive the Playworks Youth Friendly designation on behalf of the city of Sault Ste. Marie. Lisa is the proud mother of three sons, and shares her adventures of parenting a son on the Autism Spectrum at https://thepurplenote.blogspot.ca/. She is running for councillor of Ward 2 in Sault Ste Marie.
Why did you decide to run for council?
I am running for my family, for your family, for those that don’t have a voice. I am running because I care about the wellbeing of our city and want to use my many years experience with committee work, forging new initiatives, and creating new partnerships that will benefit shaping the future of our city and its residents.
What innovative projects would enhance life in your community?
I work remotely, and have done so since 2014, our ability and how we work is changing. Innovation in promoting sectors that can work from anywhere (while enjoying the low cost of living of a northern community) is an initiative that would build our community and definitely affect the quality of life.
If you received a $1 million grant to use for your city any way you wanted, what would you do with it?
With a $1.0 Million influx of revenue, I would invest it in a fund to grow and use it for projects (via a granting application process) that support affordable housing for families and senior housing.
What do you think are the greatest challenges your city faces?
Like many northern communities we face youth outmigration (a topic that I have researched heavily) and employment opportunities. These cannot be tackled alone - it takes multiple collaborations with government, educational institutions and the private sector to grow our job sector and retain our talent base.
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?
I believe in being open and accessible, this can be done very easily with how we communicate: via email, social media and also having community consultations and inviting our neighbours and constituents to have a voice.
What is your favourite thing to do in your city?
Our city offers so much in terms of nature and also culture. My home backs onto our city-wide Hub Trail system and my family takes advantage of biking, hiking or just strolling. While I lived for 3 years in Colorado and loved the beauty of the mountains, our lakes and beaches and access to water is something that I love to do, and missed. I started my community involvement on the amateur stage and attend as many theatre productions that I can and stay connected to my "theatre family. "
What do you cherish most about your community?
Our city is one of the most friendly places that I have lived. People trust one another and say good morning or hold the door open for you, and we help one another. I cherish the caring community that we are.
Where can people find you?
https://www.facebook.com/LisaVAWard2 or @LisaVAWard2