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Patricia Mills
Patricia is a successful journalist, businesswoman and community leader who created many events that have become cornerstones in Northern Ontario, including the Influential Women of Northern Ontario Awards, 40 Under Forty Awards, Community Builder Awards and the Northern Ontario Business Awards. Most recently, she led the creation of NEO Kids Foundation which raises funds for children’s care in the north. She is the recipient of a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, Bernardine Yackman, BPW Woman of the Year Award, Volunteer of the Year Award, United Way,
Cambrian College Alumni Award, Edward J.Conroy Community Leadership Award,
International Women’s Week Award, Excellence In Communications, Women of Distinction Award, Sudbury Women’s Centre and numerous provincial and national newspaper awards. Patricia is the only woman running for mayor in Greater Sudbury, and is the only woman running for mayor in a city in Northeastern Ontario.
Why did you decide to run for mayor?
When I came to Sudbury I was a young widow and a stay-at-home Mom with a six-year old daughter. I had no job, no education and no money. But I had plenty of determination. This city was good to me when I needed help the most. Now I want to give back to help this city grow and prosper as much as I have over the years and to ensure we remain a city of compassion, opportunity, and growth. We have an amazing future, but not on this current path. I plan to bring my tenacity, leadership skills, business acumen, compassion and work ethic to take our city into the future in a fiscally responsible way.
What innovative projects would enhance life in your community?
Vibrant 10-minute main streets in all of our communities throughout Greater Sudbury. Affordable housing for seniors, young families and professionals. Focus on the technology and innovation sector to grow our economy. Explore more use of green technology and extend our environmental leadership footprint. Access to affordable child care.
If you received a $1 million grant to use for your city any way you wanted, what would you do with it?
Purchase and introduce smaller buses with a revamped schedule to offer environmentally friendly transportation options on a more frequent basis.
What do you think are the greatest challenges your city faces?
Declining population and an increasing tax base. It is currently unsustainable with the current large projects being touted.
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?
Your ROI with Patricia Mills - Respect. For me a big part of respect is listening. I will hold town hall meetings in each ward in my first year as Mayor. Openness. We will sets targets for service and post our performance on our web site and through our social media channels. Tax rates. New Jobs. Spending. Snowfall vs Snow removal. Kilometers of roads fixes. Did we improve water quality. We will publish city stats, good or bad and be available for questions from our citizens. Integrity. We will publish all information that is pertinent to council decisions and host community engagement sessions on important community investments.
What is your favourite thing to do in your city?
I love our parks - Onaping Falls, Kivi Park, Bell Park, Rotary Trail. I love love hiking and walking in all of our beautiful nature.
What do you cherish most about your community?
The people. I have met incredible people who have added so much richness to my life and I have learned so much from talented entrepreneurs, teachers, community builders, artists, students etc. We have amazing potential as a city because we have incredible people who live here.
Where can people find you?
At my website; on my social media channels: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; or by calling me at 705-562-1140.
Are you a woman who is running for council or school board trustee in Northern Ontario, and would like to be featured on our blog? Let us know.
Heather Garbutt
Heather Garbutt was raised in Sudbury and left to pursue a degree in Fisheries Biology from the University of Guelph. She also completed a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from Simon Fraser University. She is a career public servant with the last 15 years being spent with the Ministry of Transportation in North Bay in the Environmental Section. The foundation of her work at the MTO is in Environmental Assessment, which is a defined process for informed planning and decision making. Toward ensuring more positive and inclusive work spaces, she is trained and registered as a Positive Space Champion and will soon be a Positive Space Trainer. She is a married mom of 2 kids (11 and 9) and in her spare time, she plays the violin in the North Bay Symphony Orchestra. Heather is running for School Board Trustee for Near North District School Board.
Why did you decide to run for council?
I am passionate about education and very appreciative of the education afforded to me. My interest in the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) began however with my 2 young children who are enrolled in this board. Over the past few years I have been a vocal participant in NNDSB processes that will ultimately impact the future of our city’s youth and determine whether they are ready or not for the next chapter of their educational careers. I am running on my belief that the decisions of the NNDSB need to be, first and foremost, student focused and demonstrate a high level of accountability, transparency, inclusivity and responsiveness.
What innovative projects would enhance life in your community?
I would like to see synergy between the Near North District School Board and the communities represented in the family of schools. Facilities and transportation bear ever increasing costs, as one example but some of these costs could be offset by partnering.
What do you think are the greatest challenges your city faces?
As with all northern communities the local economy is the top of the list of challenges for North Bay. Planning for the student body population is influenced by the ability to attract and retain young professionals and their families.
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?
It is my desire to see the Near North District School Board communicate with students in families in a transparent and responsive manner. To achieve this I would like to see fulsome agendas posted in sufficient time that interested individuals can assess what meetings they need to attend. I would like to ensure that the basis of all public decisions be publicly available. As trustee I intend to respond to all requests for information with all of the information available to me and to seek out those details that I am uncertain of.
What is your favourite thing to do in your city?
The North Bay waterfront is beautiful and the sunsets over Lake Nipissing are unparalleled. I like to spend as much time as possible enjoying the natural splendor of this area.
What do you cherish most about your community?
The sense of community in North Bay is tremendous. North Bay has that small community feeling while offering everything that a larger city has to offer.
Where can people find you?
Facebook and Twitter, or through email.
Are you a woman who is running for council or school board trustee in Northern Ontario, and would like to be featured on our blog? Let us know.
Tanya Vrebosch
Tanya Vrebosch is a 37 years old mother of two beautiful children: Danielle (Dani) who is 7 months and Sydney, who is almost 6 years old. She raises them with her better half, Dan Nogueira. Her parents are Bill and Gisele Vrebosch. Her father is the current Mayor of East Ferris and retired music teacher and her mother is retired from working at Gravelle's Meat Market. She was born in Corbeil and has lived in North Bay since she was 18. She has always had strong roots in the city, graduating from St. Joseph Scollard Hall and then Canadore College after that. Her experience ranges from tourism to economic development to social services. Her most recent experience involves working for 9.5 years at LIPI, the local poverty office and currently as a Case Manager for Ontario Works. She is an active volunteer with the North Bay Santa Fund and LIPI and have been a Royal Canadian Legion member for over 15 years. Tanya is running for re-election to council in North Bay.
Why did you decide to run for council?
I have 11 years of municipal experience with the City of North Bay.
I was elected 11th out of 17 candidates in the 2006 Municipal Election. In February of 2008, I was sworn in as the youngest member of North Bay City Council (at the time). I am the current Chair of Engineering, Public Works and Environmental Services. She sits on the Waste Resource Liaison Committee, Cassellholme, Heritage North Bay, and the Nipissing Parry Sound District Health Unit. I have served as Chair of Engineering and Public Works, Deputy Mayor, Budget Chief, and Chair of General Government at different points throughout my time on City Council. I have previously sat on the General Government Committee, Board Member with the Capitol Centre, the North Bay Public Library, the Planning Advisory Committee, the Concerned Citizens of North Bay and Area Committee and the North Bay police Services Board.
My previous work experience in economic development, coupled with my education in recreation and leisure services along with my current experience with social services gives me a well rounded approach when making my decisions. When I was 26 years old, I was in and out of contract jobs. My siblings had all moved down south and that was the last thing I wanted to do... so I put my name forward for council. I wanted to make a change in the City of North Bay and work towards bringing my siblings back home.
Politics is in my blood. My grandfather George Gravelle was the Reeve of East Ferris, while my father has been the Mayor or Deputy Mayor of East Ferris for the last 40 years. My sister Louise works for the legal department in Innisfil and my brother Billy has also attempted to take office in Toronto.
My approach is very grassroots. My dad always taught us to listen to the people. They may not always like what you have to say but they will respect you for showing up and listening. I am honest, I do my homework and I vote my conscience.
To wrap up the question: “Why am I running for North Bay City Council?" It's because I LOVE North Bay. I see so much potential in North Bay and want to keep working to making it better than it already is.
What innovative projects would enhance life in your community?
A community wide job matching program would assist employers and job seekers. We already have the infrastructure for the program within the community and partners with the knowledge to make it work.
My father and his municipality created a formula that the Province implemented to help install natural gas to areas without it. I think that with the Province's support, we can take this same formula and provide high speed internet to the rural areas.
If you received a $1 million grant to use for your city any way you wanted, what would you do with it?
This is a tough question. Realistically, we should put the money and fix a road (that's almost all $1 million will fix). I would love to use it to increase transit routes, however, I would spend the million dollars in the first year or two and then would have to find the money to continue the service in future years.
If I could spend it on my wish list for one-time projects, I think I would split it up and spend it the following ways:
Accessible ramps to the a couple of our main beaches
Seniors playgrounds
Community events to bring us back to our roots. We need to look at Powassan's Clark 250 model.
Use it for our portion of the job matching program start up costs.
A million dollars isn't going to do a lot for a community other than for 1 time projects that have little ongoing costs.
What do you think are the greatest challenges your city faces?
Indecisiveness from council, competing for economic development opportunities not just with the Province but with the World but also lack of Provincial funding for infrastructure improvements.
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?
This is an area that City Hall needs to improve on. We are open and transparent but we need to do better at getting our message out to the citizens. We already have facebook and twitter, public meetings and a web site. Perhaps a monthly newsletter posted on our website and that can also be emailed out to those who want to subscribe. I think we can also change how we provide information on our website to make it easier to read, understand and make it visually appealing. I am open to getting feedback and ideas on how we can do better at reaching our citizens.
What is your favourite thing to do in your city?
Walking down the waterfront with my family with one kid in the stroller and the other on her bicycle. We get some ice cream on the dock, play at the playground, swim in the lake and then cross the street to ride the train and carousel. A fun full day out for the entire family and it costs less than $20.
What do you cherish most about your community?
The beauty and the people. You won't find a more beautiful place than North Bay. You also won't find people that are so friendly and giving then our citizens. When someone is in need, we pull together as a community and lend a helping hand.
Where can people find you?
At my website - www.votevrebosch.com
Are you a woman who is running for council or school board trustee in Northern Ontario, and would like to be featured on our blog? Let us know.
Ashley Nurmela
Ashley Nurmela is an Indigenous woman from Lake Helen, and a proud wife and mother of four beautiful children. She attended Confederation College in the Native and Child Family Services Program as an adult learner, where she was on the honour roll, received the Board of Governors Award, and the Succi OASA Student Leadership award. She works at both the grassroots and administrative levels, developing and coordinating such programs as the Stand Up Speak Up Campaign, and most recently as the FNMI Liaison for the Lakehead District School Board. Ashley is running for city councillor of the McKellar ward in Thunder Bay, ON.
Why did you decide to run for council?
I have lived in Thunder Bay since 1999. This is my home. I decided to run because the personal experience I have across various sectors, such as health, mental health, being a parent and a student, provides me the unique opportunity and understanding to empathize with our community needs. The experience I have professionally allows me to advocate at multiple levels for individuals, groups, businesses and organizations. My voice can go further.
If you received a $1 million grant to use for your city any way you wanted, what would you do with it?
When talking about City budget and needs, realistically $1 million is just a drop in the bucket. That being said, many communities have tackled homelessness on less, and that is where my time, energy and money would be spent.
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’ve seen some candidates and councillors using social media to make videos, or posts explaining roles and responsibilities of city council. I feel this is really innovative because it reaches a audience that would otherwise not be engaged with politics and administration. As our population ages, we have a responsibility to continue to educate voters and neighbours. This form of communication creates a platform for a dialogue exchange.
What do you cherish most about your community?
Our diversity. I think our city is extremely diverse and always has been. We are poised for opportunity to continue to celebrate and enhance that. I don’t just refer to our human diversity, but also our rich economic diversity. We can continue to pursue and support innovative ideas bringing jobs and services to our community.
Where can people find you?
Via Email. On Facebook.
October 10 from 7PM-9PM: PUBLIC forum organized by Thunder Bay and District Labour Council
Are you a woman who is running for council or school board trustee in Northern Ontario, and would like to be featured on our blog? Let us know.
Kim Ducharme
As a community member for over 30 years, Kim Ducharme has been engaged in her community in a variety of activities, roles and commitments. She has served in several family/children’s social service agencies, both in direct service and management. She has extensive experience serving on various Boards, as well as significant volunteer and advocacy work. She graduated from both a community college and university program in Child and Youth Care, and is grateful for the experience in both learning pathways. She presently serves as a professor at her local community college in the Child and Youth Care program. Her career direction definitely fine-tuned her skills in realistic and no-nonsense decision making, conflict management, crisis intervention, organization as well as the ability to do ten things all at the same time. Kim is running running for councillor-at-large in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Why did you decide to run for council?
In all honesty, running for city council was never really something I ever thought I would be doing. I love Thunder Bay and currently our city is in crisis. I'm worried about the state of affairs in our city and our REPUTATION across this province has become problematic. I see a real need to start having the difficult CONVERSATIONS about that. Safety within our community must be addressed; I want answers, accountability and like you, I want change. Policing and safety are issues atop everyone’s mind. We need the courage and drive to change those aspects of our community that have allowed these issues to intensify. I have decades of experience facilitating difficult conversations and I’m good at asking the tough questions. As a Child and Youth Care practitioner, I have always been interested in the Children's Advocate role on City Council and equally frustrated with the lack of meaningful engagement this role has provided to our community. I will be putting my name forward to volunteer for this position with the intention of bringing to it, significance and consequence. It's time.
What innovative projects would enhance life in your community?
There are a few, but let's start with saving lives. Get those safe injection sites going.
Secondly, reviving the role of Children’s Advocate and support the development of a youth services task force. We need to get community services together at the table working together to address gaps in services. We need to ensure that the new money from the federal government for the Youth Inclusion Program is used in the most effective manner.
Third, introducing changes to our city transit. I love the city of Kingston's transit plan, especially their idea of implementing travel training sessions to high school students that provide an orientation to transit travel, then offering free transit to continue exposing youth to the benefits of using public transit...what a great idea! There is more in their plan that I liked, but I especially liked that one.
There are a ton more, but I'll just sneak one more in: something that would support the reinstatement of the basic income pilot. The cancellation of this project is alarming. As a city, we need to collaborate on what we can do to step up.
If you received a $1 million grant to use for your city any way you wanted, what would you do with it?
Wouldn't that be awesome?! I would love to use that money to tick off some of the recommendations from the Poverty Reduction Strategy that speak to housing. People without a home, and lacking supports for mental illness and addiction, draw significantly from our social services just to survive - our EMS, the shelters, social agencies and hospitals. The invisible symptoms of homelessness comes at a HUGE cost to our city. You can find the Poverty Reduction Strategy here.
What do you think are the greatest challenges your city faces?
Right now the opioid crisis is taking over our city. Overdose calls to our EMS have multiplied significantly. This is a public health issue! The recent decision by the province to put a halt on the safe injection site program has put our community in crisis. People are dying and it's not just one demographic. The issue of poverty is another significant challenge. The child poverty rate in Thunder Bay is appalling, checking in at a whopping 21.1% (national average is 17.4%). Last but not least is the issue of racism. Indigenous people are experiencing significant barriers, violence and safety issues. The local Indigenous community has come to distrust our public institutions to the point that many people believe the deaths of several Indigenous youth, initially thought to be suicides or accidents, are actually unsolved murders. Thunder Bay has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in recent months. Violence, tragedy and scandal are how the province has come to know us.
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?
For starters, I think City Councillors need to start with a better communication process with the community. This needs to start with being more relatable. My feeling from talking with people is that there is a real sense of disconnect - they and them vs us and we. Councillors need to be able to connect better with the community; speaking the language so to speak, being present and available in the spaces where people live. I really like the idea of a monthly "coffeehouse" with a City Councilor (that isn't held in an office building somewhere)! I also like the idea of being more accessible. Perhaps getting Councillors more tech savvy with social media. I do plan to continue my Tuesday Tabletalk with Kim Ducharme series where I initiate a chat with the community on a topic. Then, we can start the business of dialoguing about decisions: how does our community want Councillors to involve them in the decision making process?
What is your favourite thing to do in your city?
My favourite thing to do in the city is to get involved. I know that sounds kind of cheesy, but it's true. There are so many exciting things happening in our city, on so many levels, and so many good people doing great things! I like to support that. I like helping people, I like creating opportunities for change, I like critical dialogue and I love talking to people.
What do you cherish most about your community?
I really value our green spaces, access to water and the fact that we don't have crazy traffic jams. It's easy to get around our city! I also value the fact that there is ALWAYS something going on in our community that you can get involved in. I'm also pumped about the federal government's commitment of $5.6 million dollars in funding for a new youth inclusion program for the city of Thunder Bay.
Where can people find you?
At my website, or on Facebook.
Are you a woman who is running for council or school board trustee in Northern Ontario, and would like to be featured on our blog? Let us know.
Winona Hutchinson
Winona was born in Toronto and raised in an Anishnaabe household. Her adopted mother is a band member of Garden River and her birth mother is Metis (French/Blackfoot). She returned to Sault Ste Marie in 1999. She has a varied work experience, beginning with graduating from Humber College as a Child and Youth Worker in 1989. Since then she has accomplished many things, but to highlight a few: she 5 group homes in government licensing and operations; she held the position of Chair of the Staff Training and Retention Sub-Committee for the Ministry of Community and Social Services; she has experience as the manager of Marks and Assistant Store Manager at both Home Depot and Lowe’s, with experience in both roles of Operations Manager and Specialty Manager in Sault Ste. Marie; she managed a weight-loss and nutrition center which allowed me the necessary experience to cross over to retail from the social services industry; she managed Invitational and Regional Swim Competitions as a Meet Manager. Winona is also a Level IV Referee with Swim Ontario. She is running for Councillor of Ward 3 in Sault Ste Marie.
Why did you decide to run for council?
As a representative I believe it is less about my individual wants and more about the needs of the Ward and our City. The Sault does need to move forward however, we also need to make sure it is done with fiscal accountability and transparency after all it is our tax money and every resident of Sault Ste Marie should feel confident that their city council is acting in the best interest of everyone.
1. Addictions
Because of my social services background I am deeply concerned as to the extent of our addiction crisis here in the Sault and I can no longer take a back seat. I need to be more vocal on behalf of the residents in Ward 3 and Sault Ste Marie on being proactive to bring in resources by ensuring our city effectively lobbies our Provincial Government to help not only those suffering from addiction but also their families and communities.
This is not an isolated problem that is only found in one part of our city but a problem that spans across all boundaries.
It is also because of my background that I know I can be an effective resource in investigating and reaching out for those resources. I would be happy to roll up my sleeves and partner with our local agencies in finding those solutions for our city.
2. Business to the Sault
As a mother of four beautiful children and their families, I believe it will be through partnership with the Business Development Corporation and the city to present an attractive Sault Ste Marie for businesses to come here.
We need to bring business here so our youth can see a future for them and their families here. We cannot and should not rely on Essar Steel or the Tube Mill. More and more they are leaving to find work elsewhere and that needs to change. Further, after attending Premier Ford's campaign here in town, I will be happy to keep the lines of communication open with Ross Romano and ensuring the promises made to Sault Ste Marie will be kept.
3. Transparency and Accountability
Although every member has said this as a platform I have yet to see it come to fruition to my comfort.
As a Council member I believe that is imperative that we are not only listening to the residents in our Ward but to also ensure that we in return pass on information to them to keep them informed.
What innovative projects would enhance life in your community?
After speaking with a number of concerned residents and compiling the issues the most reoccurring are:
Business to the Sault
- start actively approaching various industries through workshops and venues to promote our city.
- look at the possibility of reducing business tax to encourage local business growth
- look at reduction of property tax and/or the services provided to the residents of Sault Ste Marie
Health and Wellness
- lobbying provincial government for resources not just money but tangibles such as an effective treatment centre for addictions.
- look at the engagement of our youth in our community through training and positive interactions with our local businesses and core services personnel such as Police, EMS, and Firefighters
- look at the every increasing rat problem in the Sault and how we as a community can combat the issue
Tourism
- taking to heart and action the ideas suggested through the secret shopper visit by Roger Brooks (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4rUvgCTc2Y)
- partner with foreign tourist agencies to help promote Sault Ste Marie for visitors.
If you received a $1 million grant to use for your city any way you wanted, what would you do with it?
I would love to give it to the many charities here that are doing amazing works for our community, such as Pauline's Place, the soup kitchen, Resource centers etc. But alas, since I would be representative of the community and I would ask the community for their input.
Our residents have excellent ideas on how to make their community better and I insist that their ideas are considered as well.
What do you think are the greatest challenges your city faces?
Our city is not only beautiful but a great place to live. I personally need to see changes happen with respect to our drug crisis. Our crime rate seems to be increasing as the number of individuals coming under the influence of drugs increases. It is causing unnecessary hardship in our hospitals and core services such as EMS and Police Services as well as the safety of our community. We need to ensure that during the time we are fighting for the necessary resources from our provincial government that we ensure adequate funding and personnel are in place to help and protect our community through our core services.
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 am firmly entrenched with the idea that communication is a two way street. As a representative we must go above and beyond in reaching and listening to our constituents. City council must make decisions based not he needs and desires of their residents as a whole but must also ensure that each decision is communicated as part of the Transparency and Accountability requirement outlined in the Municipal Councillor's Guide.
What is your favourite thing to do in your city?
I love attending various events, as well as enjoying our beautiful landscape.
What do you cherish most about your community?
I love that each one of us has a giving heart. No matter the cause or who the individual is we gather as a community and give support anyway we can that is not only monetary but giving in and of our time as well.
Where can people find you?
winonahutchinson@shaw.ca or 705 542 4047