One of the leading manufacturers of residential, commercial, and architectural doors in the western U.S. and Canada continues its eastern expansion.In 2022, Lynden Door Products of Lynden, Washington, opened an Alliance Door Products distribution branch on Dennis Road in St. Thomas.
In response to growing customer demand, Lynden Door is investing in a new residential door manufacturing plant in Aylmer, announced Alliance Door Products Canada president John Ridder.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday (Oct. 20) on 20 acres within Aylmer’s AIM Industrial Park.
Ridder talked about the firm’s humble beginnings.
“The relationships we have built through our line store products distribution operation in St. Thomas, together with growing customer demand, have given us the confidence to make the next major investment in Canada, a new Linden Door Canada manufacturing facility here in Aylmer.”
He continued, “While our business has grown and changed, the principles behind it remained remarkably consistent: integrity, service and stewardship. We remain a family-owned and operated business, rooted in deep faith and in a belief that business can be conducted with honesty, kindness, humility, and respect for others. Those values have guided us for more than 70 years, and they continue to guide us today.
“We have continued to grow across Canada. Today, our distribution footprint includes Abbotsford, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and nearby St. Thomas.”
“And that’s what brings us here,” added Ridder.
It’s a long-term investment, he stressed.“It represents our commitment to serving Canadian customers with dependable quality, responsive service, and reliable product availability. Our goal is to have this new facility operational in the fall of 2027, manufacturing residential door products for customers throughout Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. It will complement our existing manufacturing and distribution operations throughout Western Canada and the Prairies.”
Ridder continued, “I think the most important thing that I can say today is: this investment is about more than manufacturing. It is about people. We are not simply building a facility in Aylmer. We want to become part of Aylmer. We look forward to creating meaningful employment opportunities here and welcoming new employees into our family of companies.
“And just as importantly, we look forward to supporting the people, families and organizations that make this community such a special place to belong. That matters to us. When we enter a community, we want to contribute to it.”
Elgin County Warden Dominique Giguere reiterated those comments.
“That it’s not about numbers. It is about people.”
She added, “This whole decision-making process was going to be about people. You cared about the kind of commute that the employees were going to have, what kind of weekends they were going to have, what kind of sports and service clubs they were going to get involved with.
“And that really impressed me, even with my background in organizational development and organizational culture and performance. I was impressed, really. And I thought, ‘Okay, game on. We’re going to impress you.’”
Aylmer Mayor Jack Couckuyt highlighted the relationship Lynden Door has built with Aylmer’s high school.
“One of the things that people forget about Aylmer is that one of our jewels is East Elgin Secondary School, mainly because it’s a huge composite school that offers a huge technical program and also offers just about every program you can think of. So thank you for reaching out to the school, and certainly this is a great partnership for Aylmer. We look forward to watching this facility take shape, welcoming your employees and having Lynden Door become part of the community for many years to come.”
Photo courtesy Town of Aylmer
Ridder concluded, “But in many ways, what we’re doing here in Aylmer is very much connected to how we started. We are still investing in Canada. We are still building for the future. And we are relying on talented people to make it possible. Our goals remain straightforward: to provide customers from coast to coast with high-quality door and millwork solutions manufactured and assembled in Canada by Canadians for Canadians.”
MUNICIPAL ELECTION UPDATE
As of 4 p.m. yesterday (Oct. 23), 15.8 per cent of eligible electors had cast their ballot in the 2026 City of St. Thomas municipal election.
Have questions about the voting process? Stop by one of the city’s upcoming Voter Assistance Centres to help you prepare to vote:
– Saturday, October 24: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Elgin Centre
– Monday, October 26: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the St. Thomas Public Library, 153 Curtis Street
Voting closes Monday, Oct. 26 at 8 p.m.
Below are profiles of the seven members of city council seeking re-election.
CANDIDATE PROFILE: LORI BALDWIN-SANDS
Lori Baldwin-Sands was first elected to council in 2006, and this is her fifth term in the council chamber. She notes the unique opportunity she has had to watch the city grow: “How we’ve been able to embrace many of the things and transition from a smaller community to a now larger community and a growing community.”
We asked what has stood out for her in this current term of council.
“There are many things for me that personally stand out. Number 1 is all of the housing and bringing people together in order to make that housing work. So the projects that we’ve been able to do with the YWCA, the projects that we’ve been able to do with other not-for-profit agencies throughout this community, and bringing housing to all members.”“I believe we need to do more work for seniors housing. I believe we need to do more rent-geared-to-income housing. But that complementary stock of housing that we’ve had has grown in this term of council.
“But I also love how the city has grown with more recreation. All of the trails, all of the connections. So it not just allows people to move fluidly throughout the city; it helps bring community members together. And that’s one of the things that I really love, how the city has enhanced all of those park spaces and travelling on those trail spaces.”
She continued, “When I first started on council, it was operated in silos. Those silos have been pretty much broken down, and everyone is working together and all moving in the same direction toward more housing for community members. So it’s that variety that we need. So it’s not just all of the housing that is going in, but providing that mix of housing for all of the members of our community.
“When I was first on council back in 2006, I was chair of social services. And that was one of the walls that I wanted to break down: more seniors’ affordable housing. And that’s when we were able to get the project on Scott Street, the project on Elysian Avenue, and work with those developers at that time to provide that. But there hasn’t been that renewed vigour to create more of those spaces that are so critically needed.”
She has a strong commitment to building a community/aquatic facility in St. Thomas.
“I believe it is incumbent upon all members of the community that we provide swimming lessons because it’s a health and safety issue. We are surrounded by lakes. We are surrounded by rivers and we are surrounded by creeks. So we have so much water around us to know when and where to swim, know water safety, know water. What our water conditions are all about, that I believe is something that we need to do. I’ve been fighting that fight since 2006.”
She added, “I’ve asked city staff to look at what is called the Uxbridge model, which is something that is being built currently in Uxbridge, which is the 25-meter pool plus a therapy pool. Plus three gymnasiums, and one of those gymnasiums to have a performance centre. Now, finding that location where we need that acreage that hasn’t been used for other things in the community that I’ve also supported, it’s finding that magic piece.”
Baldwin-Sands has had a lengthy relationship with the city’s Health Recruitment Partnership.
“That’s our mandate with health recruitment is for family physicians. The hospital itself works on the specialists. So we can, if there has been in the past, a doctor who is a specialist who wants to come to our community, we give them the direction to the hospital. That’s one of the advantages that we have.
“I have always talked about how I’m independent, how I’m independent in thought, and in my work, I try to do that. I’ve been known as a collaborator, someone who builds consensus amongst the people that I work for.”
“But also, if a family doctor is coming to the City of St. Thomas, their spouse may also be a medical practitioner, whether it be a specialist, etc. So we’ve worked to accommodate family units, for example. So those are the connections that we can make with the hospital and continue to work together to make this a healthier community.”
The new council will need to take a hard look at regional growth, she stressed.
“Because with the new industrial park that we have, we are looking at jobs, good, well-paying jobs for the residents of this community. Plus, when you have good paying jobs, it means the other jobs that are created, not directly, but the indirect job impact would be better as well. So that’s one of the things that I hope for. But with that, I hope that we do have positive growth through our industrial lands and ensuring that we have good quality paying jobs that don’t raid our resources, that actually benefit the community.”
She has also long been involved with the Kettle Creek and Catfish Creek conservation authorities.
“And how we are moving forward with provincial guidelines on merging those two with others as well to make a very large Eastern Lake Erie Conservation Authority. And that’s going to result in a lot of changes. I’ve been a very strong advocate of the environment. I still sit on the National Climate Caucus, which is elected officials from across Canada and I’m very fortunate to be one of those 10 people that have been selected to sit on that National Climate Caucus to help educate and inform on the simple things that we can do within communities to make it better for all and addressing some of these climate change issues.”
As for her campaigning efforts, she makes it clear it is all about her record on council.
“I have always talked about how I’m independent, how I’m independent in thought, and in my work, I try to do that. I’ve been known as a collaborator, someone who builds consensus amongst the people that I work for. You will find that if you ask some of the other members of council, they will say, and I hope they say, that I’m very respectful of the views they have, the attention to detail that they provide, as well as being respectful of the attention to detail that I provide.
“And I find myself very, very strong in the research department and like to dig into those details to see if we can get that consensus that we need to build around the table.”
CANDIDATE PROFILE: GARY CLARKE
This current term of council is the third for Gary Clarke, and as he seeks re-election, he suggests residents are fairly pleased with what has been going on in St. Thomas.
“They know that we need some growth, with the commercial and industrial tax bases growing to offset the new parks and trails and amenities that they want. So that’s what we’re working on.
“But I hope people get out and vote. Municipal politics is the one that affects them the most and closest to them. You know, it’s the garbage pickup and the roads and arenas and trails and all the good things that happen in a city. And so, if you want your say, this is the time of year to do it.”So, what was the driving force behind the desire to serve a fourth term?
“Well, I think right now what motivated me the most to run again is that we’re in the middle of some very, very big projects.
“And Yarmouth Yards is one of them. The new sewage treatment plant is another. We’re poised for a lot of growth. And so I think the continuity, being able to see those through, will provide a great future for generations to come in St. Thomas. You know, it’s a changing world, and for us to have all that industrial land and opportunities, it’s going to mean a lot of good-paying jobs where kids can stay at home. Our grandkids, our kids can stay at home, live, work, and play in St. Thomas.
“Yeah, and the good news with that is that, as the tax base grows, then we’ll be able to do the new arenas, a new theatre, a civic center, a pool, the things that people want for their kids, so that you don’t have to travel to London.
“As the tax base grows, we’re going to have the dollars to then be able to provide those things. So people are going to have to be patient. I think they think that because we’ve announced some of these factories coming, that things are going to happen quickly, but we need to have them up and built and providing the jobs and providing the products so that we can get the tax revenue.”
“And with that comes the need for housing.
“We’ve worked very hard in homelessness and housing, affordable housing. We’ve made great strides. People across the country, across the province, are looking at us as a model where it’s supportive housing and we’re allowing people to journey along the road to getting better.
“And we’re also trying to increase the housing stock in general for people with more affordable housing. And so I think with some of the changes that we’ve seen with our development charges being reduced, we’re going to be able to see a lot more. And we want to switch and pivot a little bit and spend more of an emphasis on, say, senior housing as well, affordable and accessible senior housing.
“We’ve got great partners. We can’t do it alone. A lot of the affordable housing relies on provincial and federal grants. And so you need those partnerships. And we’re lucky in St. Thomas that we have so many great partners here.”
Clarke agreed that the upcoming 2027 budget deliberations could prove a challenge.
“I think it’s really important to cut red tape and make things an open-door policy at city hall so that people feel comfortable coming in. We’re really making it easy for people to get what they need and get the answers.”
“For me, this whole term of council, not just this year’s budget, but the next three after that, is really important. We’ve got large projects that we’ve already dedicated dollars to, and so we don’t want to be mortgaging the farm, so to speak.
“So we’re really going to have to dig deep and make some tough decisions and go with it, even though we’ve got those pressures for larger things. We’ve always had, over the last 12 years, averaged about 3 per cent, which is in the inflation range.
“Zero-increase budgets don’t do anything for you because it catches up with you. And so we’ve got labour contracts that we have to honour, and they’re all in the inflation range of 3 per cent. So we just have to take a real hard look at what services we need to provide and what we can expand on, and be mindful of the fact that with the Trump economy and everything else that’s going on, times are tough for people.
“And so we’ve got to stay within that inflation area and wait two or three years until we have the new taxes coming in.”
Add to the mix the request from the Elgin County Railway Museum for $1 million in funding to rehabilitate their home.
“I think it’s important, though, when the Chamber of Commerce had a report out, and it said that when culture is thriving in a city, so that’s museums, theatres, and senior centers, then business and cities thrive. So we put a lot of money into recreation, and I think we have to take a look at where we are spending our other dollars and balance that off.”
If re-elected, what are the priorities for Clarke?
“For me, there are four things. Economic development to continue that work. I want to see taxes stay at the inflation rate. I want to see affordable housing that we continue those projects that we had with our partners and do more work on our own. And then the last one for me is as we look at moving forward, I really think we’ve got to take a look at Valleyview and then take a look at the number of beds there. Our population is almost double what it was when Valleyview was built, and we still have the same number of beds.
“And so the waiting list gets bigger. People are living longer with more acute needs. So we’ve got to do something with Valleyview. And then Valleyview’s day program is an easy one where people can get some respite. The people who are aging at home, their caregivers can get some support. And a lot of that all flows from provincial dollars, so it won’t affect our budget.”
It’s an area where he and Coun. Joan Rymal have been working collaboratively.
“I’m excited to see how the election folds out. I hope I can serve the people again. And whether that’s with new councillors or with some of the old guard, I think we’re well positioned with a lot of really qualified candidates.
“I think it’s really important to cut red tape and make things an open-door policy at city hall so that people feel comfortable coming in. We’re really making it easy for people to get what they need and get the answers. And most of the candidates operate the same way. They try to get back to people as quickly as they can with answers.
“I hope that people take this opportunity to vote and whether they think we’ve done a good job or a bad job, it’s their opportunity to get out there and see the city that they want for the future.”
CANDIDATE PROFILE: ROSE GIBSON
After several unsuccessful runs at a seat on city council. Rose Gibson won the endorsement in the 2022 municipal election. So, what prompted her to seek re-election for a second term?
“I would run at least three times, and if they’re willing to have me on a fourth, I will stay. But I feel that there always should be room for new faces to come in, and I appreciate those who have stepped up. And, yeah, I’m certainly looking forward to the second term and doing more work.”She continued, “It certainly is very, very, very busy, and I realized that when I stepped into that, my life would change to the point where it could be 90 per cent of my day.
“And I understand that work and the reading of the paperwork and trying. There’s some terminology I had to really learn really quickly. I think I did my best to understand what’s happening and what the numbers mean.”
Assuming she wins the support of voters, what does Gibson anticipate for her second term on council?
“I do believe it’s going to be even busier because we have land that’s still being negotiated out there. I’m sure more will come in. They’re going to be looking. There will be a lot of back and forth with people wanting to buy the land out there. And then we have the housing coming up, and the federal and provincial governments are coming up with new initiatives for builders to build affordable homes.
“I think our next council, we need to look at the smaller things, our teens and our seniors. We’ve looked at everybody having jobs, those who can afford housing. We need to look at the smaller end of things now. Smaller but no less important.
“But I’m getting it to the point where I’m feeling that they really mean it this time. So it seems a little more promising this time for me.”
“Just because you’re a senior and you’re a teenager doesn’t mean you don’t bring part of the economy into the community. There are a lot of things seniors can do that they don’t have to go in every day. They can do a part-time job, and then we have the young people; they become entrepreneurs. So we really need to keep that all in mind when we’re looking at our bigger-package items.
“We need to really look at getting some places where we can have our rentals at $900 or less per month. Inclusive of a few amenities. You know, make sure water and hydro are included, at least that part of the issue. And then, of course, we have to make sure we have it accessible.”
She is gratified with the response her campaign is generating.
“Well, you got my vote. And you don’t know if they’re saying it to be gracious or if they really mean it. But I’m getting it to the point where I’m feeling that they really mean it this time. So it seems a little more promising this time for me.
“At this point in the election run, in the days that we’ve had early voting, I think most people are very, very informed. Those who have an interest in knowing they have already reached out. We’re getting emails constantly.”
CANDIDATE PROFILE JIM HERBERT
This has been his second term on council, after winning a seat in 2018. And he pointed out he has knocked on over 1,000 doors this campaign. He added, “I knock on doors and talk to people. And they seem to love that.”
We asked Herbert the motivation to seek a third term on council.
“I’m born and raised in St. Thomas. I saw the issues. I saw the good and the bad. I grew up with them. But I had a good background to start with. I just didn’t jump in to run for council. I was executive for Softball Ontario, past president of the YMCA. And I was chair of St. Thomas Energy, which is Entegrus now (the city’s utility provider).“And I managed the X-ray department at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital. And one of the big things I took away from that was budgets. You really have to have a good solid understanding of how budgets work.
“I had some mixed emotions about running for the third term, but I had a good chat with your Mayor Joe Preston. I thought, with Joe retiring, I need to stay around because we got a lot of stuff on the go, and we want to keep this momentum going. I support what we do for the city.
“I remember my first meeting in council when I first got elected; they brought me this three-inch binder and said, ‘Here’s the budget. We need to discuss it next week.’
“We have got some really tough decisions to make this year, but we’ll make them. We’ll go through the budget and we have a great leadership team. It’s changed over the years since I’ve been here, but the departments, they’re really well-informed leaders. They do their homework.
“One of the biggest things that I did in my third month on council was I campaigned for a satellite police office downtown. What do we have now? Our 10 special constables.”
We asked Herbert about the 6 per cent increase in the municipal property tax rate for this year.
“For the last six years, the increase has averaged between 2 per cent and 3 per cent. This year, the police services come in with a 22 per cent increase in their budget. And so it comes to council, and we realize that the police haven’t had anything really in six years. Maybe this is the time to do it.
“We have a great strategic plan that we work on every year. We just don’t shove it in the drawer. It’s a workable plan.”
“We started at almost a 10 per cent increase for the budget if we’d accepted everything the way it was. We had some hard sessions on it, and we got it down from almost 9.8 to 6.2 per cent. We felt that was pretty reasonable.
“But, it’s something we’ll have to work on for next year. We’ll have to work with the leadership team. I don’t think anybody’s going to be too excited about a 6 or 7 per cent increase on the budget, including me. I pay taxes too.”
What are his priorities for a third term on council?
“One of the ones I talked about for sure for senior citizens, I would like to go to the seniors’ center twice a year and sit and listen. I mean, they have concerns.
“We talk about our transportation. Okay, our ridership is about 8 per cent. And we know we had a big master plan for transportation. And we sent it off to a consultant. We know we need more buses. We know we need more routes. We know we need more operators. But what does that cost?
“What I found was a transportation app. You put it on your phone or iPad. Everything you want to know about that bus is right here. So I think that’s going to be a mind-changer for people who want to ride a bus.
“The Westlake-Evans Park has been fantastic by the library. We put in that children’s centre across the street. We did the hospice. We’ve needed it for years. And it all costs money. And we partnered with the YWCA for two different buildings now.
We have a great strategic plan that we work on every year. We just don’t shove it in the drawer. It’s a workable plan.
“And of course, the Elgin County Railway Museum is going to be a big controversy. But I really think if that’s our heritage, it’s time we do something with the museum. And I don’t think it’s outrageous what they’re asking for: $100,000 for 10 years.”
He wrapped up by paying tribute to the outgoing mayor.
“I can’t say enough about Joe Preston, our mayor. He was a mentor to me. We both came on at the same time. His heart is as big as the city.”
CANDIDATE PROFILE: JOAN RYMAL
Last November, Joan Rymal was appointed to fill the seat vacated Oct. 14 of last year by Steve Peters.
Rymal previously served on council for two terms, between 2014 and 2022. She did not seek re-election in the 2022 municipal vote
So what prompted her to file her nomination papers this time around?“When Joe (Mayor Joe Preston) decided that he was not going to run again, I thought, oh my goodness, you know, we’re really going into a critical time in St. Thomas. We have to be very careful with our budget. We don’t have the PowerCo money. I thought it would be good if we can keep council as consistent as possible and not have too many bumps along the way. So I thought if I could help, you know, keep things a bit constant, I think I could add some value and just help council.”
She continued, “We are trying to increase housing, and we have a lot of new builds. But once you get new builds, then you get new roads. And you have people who want more sidewalks. People, when they’re in their homes, they’d like to have the snow plowed. They’d like to have garbage picked up. So all those things are extra costs for services. So we have to be able to manage all those costs as well.”
And, factor in the $1 million ask this past Monday from the Elgin County Railway Museum.
“So a million dollars is like a 1.3 per cent increase on top of all the other items and pressures that the city has. So everybody has great ideas. We certainly support all sorts of suggestions, but we have to be really careful with the budget. And there’s only so much that the taxpayer can absorb in costs.”
We asked Rymal, if elected Monday night, what are you anticipating as you go into the new term of council?
“It will be the budget, and apparently with the new mayor’s powers, you can’t bring the budget in until January. So the staff will be getting all their reports and everything ready for budget. And that’ll be our main issue to look at.
“And we have to look at any new capital projects that are being looked at. But the first thing will, I’m sure, be the budget.”
“St. Thomas is a wonderful place to live. There are the services you need, but it still has that small town feel. People will still recognize you or say hello or go out of their way. We have a lot of volunteer groups in the area.”
We turned the focus to housing and what role, if any, might be played by the shuttered Arthur Voaden property?
“It is an issue to look at for housing. We have the federal housing program, and we have three new projects coming on stream with those. And with those federal affordable housing projects, those don’t cost the taxpayer anything. That money is all federally supplied. So that’s really a win-win. We have a certain amount of money, but we have, let’s say, three new projects that have been assigned to that. So we have been very good with the housing.”
Also sitting vacant is the former Wellington Street School.
“Yes, that has potential as well, and there has been an expression of interest gone out for that. So we’re looking at what people have suggested for that property, and that’s another central area to downtown. We are going to make sure we keep the playground on the corner, but that’s another housing possibility.”
Rymal is excited about the progress made so far on the first PowerCo structure.
“You know, it’s huge, the amount of building that’s going on there. It’s incredible the amount of infrastructure that was put in the ground. The sewer, the hydro, the water, a train line – it’s just incredible the amount of infrastructure that was put in place.”
As the campaigns wrap up, she notes that people she has approached have been friendly and gracious.
“I have a couple of other people who are out campaigning for me as well. So, it’s been going well. My pitch was experience you can count on.
“St. Thomas is a wonderful place to live. There are the services you need, but it still has that small town feel. People will still recognize you or say hello or go out of their way. We have a lot of volunteer groups in the area. I can’t believe how many organizations we have.
“Everyone works well together, and they really enhance the services for the citizens, like Destination Church’s lunch meal for kids. There’s all these programs that go on that may not be as visible, but really, really help support the community. It’s a wonderful place to live.”
CANDIDATE PROFILE: EARL TAYLOR
Earl Taylor lost out by the slimmest of margins in the 2022 municipal vote. Tara McCaulley won the final seat on council by five votes over Taylor.
After McCaulley stepped away from council early last year, Taylor was appointed to fill the vacant seat.
So this time around he is seeking to win a seat in the council chamber, and his campaign team so far has knocked on thousands of doors.“Going door to door was very, very interesting. I talked to as many people as I could. Of course, you don’t get to talk to everybody, and you don’t get to every door in the city, but I did a fairly substantial mailing and then hit about 4,000 doors to try to get people to understand who I was, who I am, what I’m running for.”
We asked Taylor for the takeaways from that effort.
“There were a couple of things that came up. People are worried about school zones. They’re very, very busy. Everybody drives their kids to schools nowadays, and that’s causing traffic jams and parking issues on side streets where people need to get access to their driveways. So we’ve tried to address some of those.”
However, Taylor feels there are no outstanding major issues, as was the case in several elections going back 20 years.
“Certainly our downtown and, you know, my past issues with the downtown. I’ve been chair of the downtown development board for 10 years from 2014 to 2024. So that’s definitely a passion for me. And people have contacted me, wondering, you know, there are some things happening downtown. How do we bring downtown back to life?
“Because there are a lot of merchants. A lot of people don’t understand. A lot of merchants downtown, business owners, property owners, that’s their life. That’s what they depend on to make their living.”
Taylor stressed, “We need to support them. So that was definitely an issue.”
As for his priority considerations, Taylor notes that this is where he is a little bit different.
“I am one of those kind of guys who would say, what do we want? So I’d rather listen to you and hear what you’re looking for because they may not be what I’m thinking. So if you’re thinking, okay, we need to do another roundabout, or we need to do speed bumps or we need to do something different, then I will listen to your concerns and raise them at council.”
Taylor continued, “So I have nothing in my books that I am going to raise as a personal issue. I’m not running for me. I’m running for you. I’m running for the constituents, for the electors.”
He adds, “My wife Nancy and I have travelled to many other towns and villages and cities, just to look at what they’re doing and how they’re making things work. But, of course, as you’re driving around the city, you say, oh, my gosh, they’ve done speed bumps on this road. Maybe that’s not a bad idea that we should be thinking about on some of the roads, like Southgate Parkway was a concern that was brought up to me.”
Which looped the conversation around to roundabouts.
“I don’t know what the official count now is, but there are a lot of roundabouts for sure. And the people actually did tell me while I was out and about that they like roundabouts. Keep them going. They’d rather keep moving, like going through a drive-thru. You don’t stop at just one window and order and pick up your food. You stop at like three windows by the time you’re going around just to keep yourself moving. And that’s what roundabouts are meant to do. Keep the flow going, keep people happy.”
“You just don’t understand how many hours you’re working Friday night, Saturday, Sundays, whatever, trying to go through the paperwork and understanding what the concerns are, talking to some of the managers in the departments if you’ve got questions for them.”
While in some past municipal elections, there was a strong desire to clean house and start with a fresh look on council, Taylor is not of that opinion.
“I think that this is not the time to say let’s clean house. No, even in the year and a half that I’ve been there, I have had my eyes opened. I thought that I knew what was going on, being chair of the downtown development board, being a member of the Optimist Club, being involved in my community.
“But, seeing some of the expansions that are happening, some of the businesses that are looking to come to town, it’s a very exciting time. There’s a lot happening.”
Taylor continued with that thought.
“We get our council agendas on the Wednesday before the Monday meeting, and people think, okay, you just show up. But I was also a member of the London St. Thomas Association of Realtors and president in 2019. And our feeling was, you never want to show up and open your brown envelope at the table. So there’s a lot of work that goes on.
“You just don’t understand how many hours you’re working Friday night, Saturday, Sundays, whatever, trying to go through the paperwork and understanding what the concerns are, talking to some of the managers in the departments if you’ve got questions for them. And it is a lot of work.
“I think it’s more than what I anticipated. I never really understood the intricacies of what it takes to get something from point A to point B. It’s a lot of work and a lot of people are involved. And we got some phenomenal staff at city hall that I’ve had the chance to work with. You need the experience. You need somebody that understands what’s going on, jumping into it with both feet and not knowing.”
With the assumption the majority of councillors will return following Monday’s vote, Taylor feels the new council needs to continue to follow the city’s Strategic Plan.
“The city is moving along quite smoothly as far as I’m concerned. Yeah, there are things that can be changed for sure, but we need to continue what we’re doing. Continue to attract businesses, continue to build houses that are affordable, continue to find ways to move people throughout the city. The transit system needs an upgrade. And I’m not sure if you have heard, but just comparing us to Woodstock, for example, Woodstock spends a million dollars more on public transit than we do. So those things are very important.”
As is casting your vote, stressed Taylor.
“There are always people online complaining about the online voting system. It’s very efficient. There are other municipalities around here where it’s a mail-in ballot. And I understood that if you didn’t get your ballot mailed by October the 15th, now you have to get in your car and drive it to the municipal office or to a fire hall or something like that. What we’ve got here in St. Thomas is very efficient.”
He concluded on this encouraging note.
“Plus there are online voting assistance centres where, if you don’t have a computer, or are having trouble getting online, go to those locations. There’s one at the mall on Saturday, and then, of course, at the library on voting day, the 26th. And somebody is there to help you. Sit down at a laptop or a computer and boom, done.”
CANDIDATE PROFILE: STEVE WOOKEY
After losing to Joe Preston in the 2018 St. Thomas mayoral race, Steve Wookey wondered whether he would ever serve on city council again.
But after Linda Stevenson died in 2020, Wookey was appointed to fill the vacant seat.
Wookey recalls the scenario.
“So they called me, and I thought, you know what, I could finish out that term. And I got back, and I realized, I love this.”He was elected to council for this third term in 2022, with over 5,500 votes.
“It has been a very positive experience. And I’m also confident that when I see who’s running and the newer candidates, it’ll still be a great team in the next term, regardless of whether I get voted in or not. I hope I do. But I have confidence that that whole team philosophy will continue.”
Wookey delved into the housing partnerships the city has established with organizations like Indwell, the YWCA, and Eastwood Housing.
“And when they come to us with ideas, we’re like, yes, let’s do it. And now that we’ve got that kind of dealt with, we’ve got a pretty good idea of what’s going on. Now we can move into the affordable housing corridor a little bit more.
“You’ve got industrial development on one side and social support advocacy on the other side. This is about doing things to help the people of the city of St. Thomas.”
One potential future site for housing, among other uses, is the former Wellington Street School.
For those who have followed Wookey as a city councillor, they know he is passionate about an active lifestyle.
Wookey added, “There’s a 5 per cent parkland dedication, but now when everything’s denser, there are more people sharing that 5 per cent. I believe we need to make further investments in parks, trails, and open spaces. So that people have a chance to be outside and active. So for me, I’m always looking forward. When there’s a new subdivision plan, what can we do to increase its livability?”
He pointed to the city’s Strategic Plan as a significant success story in this term of council.
“Yes, and I’m very proud of that. So, yes, I’m running for re-election, but I know that if I’m not re-elected, that Strategic Plan will live on. We’ve set a good foundation that I think we’ll see continue with the next council.
“And I think what outgoing Mayor Joe Preston has made a key point is that we have to revisit that Strategic Plan regularly.
“And that’s why when people say about the next mayor, I’m saying, look, you need somebody who understands what’s going on here, understands governance versus management, understands the dangers of strong mayor powers, quite frankly, and can step in and move this thing along.
“Now, thankfully, we have a very strong leadership team at the city. The city manager and all the directors are very strong.”
Wookey’s campaign has no catchy slogan or buzz phrases.
“Over the next four years, things are gonna be tight. We are putting a lot of money into infrastructure programs that will not garner a monetary repayment until later on. Eventually the gold coins will fall from heaven.”
“I’ve loved politics since I was a kid. I was the kid who was going through the political cartoons and papers when I was eight years old and trying to figure out the joke. I still am passionate about serving the city. I think we’re moving in a good direction, and I’m looking forward to being on the team, if that happens. And if not, I’ll be proud of what I did, and I’ll move on to my career in modelling . . . not.”
He offered this message leading up to Election Day.
“Over the next four years, things are gonna be tight. We are putting a lot of money into infrastructure programs that will not garner a monetary repayment until later on. Eventually the gold coins will fall from heaven.
“In basketball, we say, go hard in the paint. We have got to go hard in the paint here for the next four years, get infrastructure done, be disciplined. Not that it’s a, it’s a doom and gloom thing. It’s not at all. But we have got to watch our pennies.”
THE ECHO CHAMBER
Responding to our item last week on development charges, Sarah Jane forwarded the following observation.
“Normalizing mobile/modular homes and more tiny home communities while reducing red tape would go a lot further toward actually owning something vs. renting forever for lower incomes.
“Affordable vs. reality. We don’t all live or work the same. But this is a step forward.”
Susan Kalinoski Hill would like an answer to these questions.
“Why can’t they build houses without high-end fixtures and other costly upgrades? Many, many years ago, when we built our semi, we didn’t add a lot of upgrades. It was affordable. Also, why are all new apartments always ‘luxury’?”
Valerie Young was in complete agreement.
“People don’t really care if they have marble counters; they care they have a roof over their head they can afford every month.”
And, we’ll leave the last word on the Central Elgin mayoral race to Melissa Schneider-Seitz.
“Andrew Sloan is running again through Dennis Crevits; let’s not fool ourselves.”
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And a reminder, I can be heard weekday afternoons as news anchor and reporter on 94.1 myFM in St. Thomas. As always, your comments and input are appreciated.
