9 people vie for vacant Cambridge council seat

There are nine people running in a byelection for the ward 7 council seat in Cambridge.

The seat is currently vacant after the death of councillor Frank Monteiro in October.

The byelection will be held on Monday, March 23. Advanced polling will take place Saturday, March 7 at city hall between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

To help voters in ward 7 prepare, CBC Kitchener-Waterloo has spoken to eight of the nine candidates. Cody Botelho did not respond to requests for an interview.

The candidates are (in alphabetical order by last name): Cole Boland, Cody Botelho, Connie Cody, Manuel da Silva, Scott Hamilton, R.J. Johnston, Sandra Lemieux, Vandan Patel and Simon Weresch. 

Cole Boland

Cole Boland was born and raised in Cambridge and says he's lived in ward 7 since he was five. 

"I understand that Cambridge isn't exactly the same city that it was when I was growing up," he said. "But I think that having that mentality of being born and raised in Cambridge really helps. It helps me relate to the people that I'm speaking with at the doors."

For him, the top issues include developing stronger core communities, which includes business development along with safety.

"Cambridge is growing at a rapid rate right now. I think that we need to allow for further development," he said. 

For safety, he'd like to see more police officers on bikes or walking patrols and to hold more events to make the downtown cores more welcoming to people.

"I know that a lot of people right now are afraid to walk around in some of the cores," he said. "It's a shame that people feel that. They have lost a part of the city that they've loved for so long."

Boland admits he doesn't have any political experience, but he says that's a benefit. He's not a member of a political party, and "I don't have that agenda with me."

Cody Botelho

Cody Botelhi did not respond to requests for an interview.

Connie Cody

Connie Cody was born and raised in Cambridge, and she and her husband raised their family in the city.

"I'm running for council because I want to represent the voices of ward 7 residents to bring the people back into politics," Cody said.

Cody has been a familiar face to councillors, speaking out on different issues in the community, as well as sitting on council committees.

"I'm not someone that just comes out at election time," she said. "I always try to advocate what is best for the community … I want to bring people back to politics. I really feel that people are deserving to have their voices heard and listened to at the city hall level, and I just want to be there for the community."

For Cody, the top issues in the city is making sure councillors take protecting the environment into consideration when it comes to development, road maintenance and city services. 

She is also concerned about public safety, including on the city's roads and at roundabouts where she saw a person hit by a vehicle.

She also says there are many people living on fixed incomes in the city and rising costs is a "huge concern." She would like to see the city do more to encourage affordable housing options.

Manuel da Silva

Manuel Da Silva was a trustee with the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. After he decided not to run as a trustee again, he considered city council.

"I've always believed in having a voice in the communities they live in. I've lived in Cambridge for 26 years and as soon as I moved to Cambridge, one of the things that I wanted to get involved with was with school councils," he said.

Among his top concerns is the placement of a consumption and treatment services site.

"I want to be part of that conversation because I think that is something that is going to affect our community," he said. "I want to help to hopefully bring a positive voice."

He also wants to see Cambridge be a part of the larger community in Waterloo region. 

"We often talk about the tri-cities. That's where we live, but I don't believe that Cambridge has always been a part of that equation. And I want us to be more inclusive in that equation," he said.

Scott Hamilton

People may recognize Scott Hamilton for his run with the NDP in the fall 2019 federal election.

He says he decided to enter politics after he and his wife had a son. 

"It just changed my perspective," he said. "I started thinking a lot less about myself and more about his future and what his world was going to be like."

He has previously taught international politics, international security and environmental security at Wilfrid Laurier University.

"I thought, after teaching, researching and writing about politics for so many years, it's time to actually roll up my sleeves and try to do it myself for the good of the future good for my son and the entire Cambridge community itself," he said.

Hamilton said one of the top issues in the city is lack of housing, and in particular, affordable housing. He said problems such as homelessness and drug addiction could be addressed with more options for affordable housing.

Cambridge has a lot of aging infrastructure that needs to be dealt with he said, and he's concerned about transportation in the city.

He wants to make sure "bus service and the LRT go through smoothly and people can get to where they want to go easily and smoothly."

There's also a lot of anger in the community, Hamilton says.

"We need to return to a positive spirit in Cambridge where we see differences between neighbours not as something to get so angry over, but as points of conversation, as a way to start a dialogue," he said. 

R.J. Johnston

If you don't recognize his face, you may be familiar with his voice.

R. J. Johnston is a former broadcaster with 98.5 FM CKWR.

He says people would call in when he was on the air and ask for help or tell him their stories. He says he enjoyed helping people.

"I've never run for office before, but if I get the chance to just help people, that's really what it boils down to," he said.

Johnson, who is also known for hosting events around the city and his role with local theatre groups, says one of the top issues for him is undeveloped land in ward 7. 

"It's going to be a ward that's going to be growing in big leaps and bounds. I think a lot of people are afraid of urban sprawl, and I'm afraid of urban sprawl," he said. "I want to make sure that if anything, if you're going to be developing that land, you can't just let it go crazy."

He says crime is also a major concern for people he speaks with, who say they're afraid to walk in their neighbourhoods.

"Cambridge is not really known for having an excess of civic pride, and yet we have so much to be proud of," he said, pointing to the city's rivers, parks and growth.

Civic pride, he says, could go a long way to helping Cambridge combat many of the issues it faces such as crime and a feeling of safety and happiness.

Sandra Lemieux

Sandra Lemieux has worked alongside her late husband on their farm. She also became a developmental service worker, she owned a children's clothing store in Preston, and she's volunteered at the legion.

Now, she says she wants to be an advocate for people who don't feel like council hears what they have to say.

Affordable housing is the number one issue on her mind in this byelection, she says.

She wants to also see support for businesses in the downtown areas of Cambridge, and she says there needs to be more programs for seniors.

"There's so many seniors out there that have to stay home during the day because they just can't get into a day program," she says.

She says that while she may not have the experience others do, "I'm going to do my best."

Vandan Patel

The top issue on Vandan Patel's mind is a consumption and treatment services site in Cambridge. 

He's had a very personal experience that has convinced him the city needs one.

Patel was working in his Double Double pizza shop one night when a man came in to use the washroom. A few minutes later, the man's girlfriend was telling Patel to call 911 because her boyfriend was overdosing.

After making the call, Patel started CPR.

"I was making a large pepperoni pizza. Think about that. The guy making a large pepperoni pizza suddenly jumped up … and is doing CPR," he said.

He says that experience changed his life.

He says he supports a CTS wherever it's deemed necessary and says dealing with the opioid crisis will help people who are homeless and who have mental health concerns.

He's also concerned about safety near Moffat Creek Public School, where the region has proposed a new regional road project. 

"I don't want … hundreds of kids everyday put in danger," he said, noting parking at the school is a big issue. 

He says he's faced family crises, business hardship and crime in his area.

"What I learned: Don't give up," he said. "Whenever you get a chance, take as an opportunity to do the right thing."

Simon Weresch

Simon Weresch is a child youth worker who says his work has him solving complex problems, and he thinks he could use those skills to address some of the issues Cambridge is facing.

He says the city has a housing crisis, not just in terms of homelessness, but also for seniors who want to downsize or young people who want to enter the housing market.

"Cambridge vacancy rates are plummeting and have been for quite some time, so that's definitely an area of concern," he said. 

He thinks addressing housing could help with the opioid crisis.

"We really need some creative solutions," he said. "[The] Housing First strategy would help get people off the streets and also help those facing addictions."

He says he is a leader and he believes in transparency in government.

"I really want to be a councillor who is approachable, who is someone they can call up or someone they can come over to my place," he said. 

Candidates were also asked specifically about a possible consumption and treatment services site in the city as well as the 2020 budget. The answers to those questions will be published in upcoming articles.