The nominations are closed. The battle is joined. Less than six weeks to go.
Dropped in on the first election debate for mayoral candidates.
Tuesday morning's event at Robert Bateman High School featured four of the five candidates.
There were some ideas.
Richard Burgess wants to develop a symposium for north Burlington residents to better understand their issues. He also proposes a "Team Burlington type approach" to working with social/cultural agencies.
Former Burlington MPP, Cam Jackson, had few concrete ideas in his opening remarks. Jackson sees a "need for a greater dialogue" and noted that "many city projects are not paid for yet."
Councillor Joan Lougheed spoke to the largely student audience about making Burlington a "youth friendly" community through, among other things, developing a Community Youth Partnership Council.
Businessman Philip Papadopoulos emphasized his knowledge of the community. Over 240,000 people have come through his doors in his nearly thirty years working in the town.
Some Thoughts
Papadopoulos seems like a nice man who has gotten involved through his concerns regarding the development of the downtown. There are many more issues.
Lougheed was clearly best prepared, speaking confidently to the audience.
One wonders if Jackson thinks this is a coronation rather than a campaign. Fortunately, his recollection of organizing a protest against a reduction in PD days while a student at Nelson High School didn't encourage Bateman students to bring out the placards and take the day off.
Burgess appears well organized but his answer to a question on cosmetic pesticide use was a big disappointment.
Mr Burgess, it is a health issue first and foremost.
For her part Lougheed demonstrated an understanding of the battles ahead on private property vs public health issues. Burgess' idea of "giving business a chance to survive" sounds like Chamber sloganeering rather than a thoughtful response on an important and controversial matter.
Couldn't stay for the whole event. Hopefully, there will be good media coverage of these events. There won't be many of them.
