TimminsToday asked each of the candidates to submit a bio to introduce themselves to the voters. Here's Ward 4 (Porcupine) candidate Pat Bamford's:
I am a retired secondary school teacher of 35 years: the last 10 in administration of Roland Michener Secondary School. The last 12 years, after retirement, I’ve had the distinct privilege of representing Ward 4 on city council. I have always been well prepared for thoughtful debate; and, most importantly, I have always been open-minded but discerning when faced with competing ideas.
“Actions speak louder than words”: so needless to say I fought extremely hard for the new Whitney Fire Station and ambulance base, which our residents and volunteers truly deserve; long overdue, it replaces a 70-year-old cramped building. As well, the new impressive facility will support northern College as a major, growing economic force in the east end.
During my last term in office, the city has made incredible investments in the east end…for example, $5 million for a new industrial rail yard (Hallnor Road) that already has attracted new industry; $13 million on three connecting link projects with new lighting, paved shoulders for biking, and extra depth for asphalt durability; a $3 million expanded public works yard on King; $23 million to protect Porcupine Lake and households from raw sewage spills; $500,000 in upgrades to the Whitney arena; new roof on the Connaught community call; financial support for the Connaught museum; resurfacing of Frederickhouse Lake Road; expansion of the Whitney cemetery; maintenance of two garbage disposal sites (Tisdale and German) despite pressure to close them…and the list goes on.
If re-elected, I intend to continue to use senior government dollars to complete the connecting link from Harold to King Street; decommission Bob’s Lake Lagoon’ expedite the resurfacing of problem streets; upload the cost of ambulance, social housing and the Municipal Road to the province, away from property taxes; negotiate a fairer formula with the outlying communities in CDSSAB to save our Timmins taxpayers $2 million annually, and continue to attract new industries like Calabrian and Certarus to the Porcupine.
The other Ward 4 candidates are:
John Curley, David Shale, and Jessica Trudel
Meet the mayoral candidates here.
