Revitalization and safety are some of the shared priorities for candidates vying for the Ward 3 councillor's seat.
Candidates in Wards 2, 3 and 4 had their chance to share their vision with voters Oct. 10 at a Timmins Chamber of Commerce debate at Northern College.
Residents packed the Quill Lounge to hear from the candidates. Here are some of the highlights from the opening and closing statements from the Ward 3 (Schumacher) hopefuls:
After one term on council, Joe Campbell is looking for another four years at the table.
Policing, revitalization, housing and transparency are among his top priorities.
“I’ve lived in Schumacher all my life and like South Porcupine and Porcupine, I get distressed walking down the street seeing what my town has become over the years. There are options to try and fix it, it won’t be easy,” he said.
He explained how a couple of years ago he co-chaired the Schumacher Revitalization Committee looking at ways to bring people back to the community. What they came up with was renovating the Mac into a year-round event centre.
“If we can bring 4,000 – 5,000 people back to Schumacher on numerous occasions during the year, other people would come and want to invest in the town because of the economic activities,” said Campbell.
When it comes to policing, he said the department is very responsive to his requests. He said there has to be a collaborative approach between police and citizens.
He promises to continue being open and transparent.
“I will let you know everything that’s going on at city hall. You are the taxpayers, you pay the bills. You have a right to know what is going on there and no one should tell you any different,” he said.
Lawyer Donna Dorrington says she has always been actively involved in the community.
“My aim is to make this city more green, more economically stable, more physically inviting and attractive, and a place that residents and future residents would like to call home,” she said.
The other issues she listed are access to fire protection, roads, empty buildings, safety, snow removal, and having regular town halls to hear from constituents.
“I am committed to addressing these concerns and I’ve pledged to donate my honorarium to make these things happen,” she said.
She also used some of her time to address the fact that she is married to current Timmins Mayor Steve Black, who is seeking re-election.
“I like, most people in this community, have my own independent thoughts and opinions,” she said.
As a lawyer, she said there is no conflict of interest.
“But more importantly, it’s insulting to know a candidate believes I or any other woman are not capable of forming our own opinions and we will do just what our partners tell us,” she said.
She said she would disagree with her husband or any other council member, make her opinion clear, and respect and support the decision of council going forward.
“This is how a properly functioning city council works. I do not subscribe to the sky is falling ideology, I believe the city is on the right track,” she said.
Carter Lucyk doesn’t want to be a career politician.
He said his interest was piqued after watching the community slowly dissolve.
One of the key points he mentioned is taxes.
“With the population shrinking, our taxes in the city should be reduced and adjusted accordingly,” he said.
He said he is committed to the youth and aging population.
“I stand by maintaining our infrastructure, focusing on emergency projects like water treatment for Porcupine Lake,” he said, adding he also supports revitalization of businesses as well as parks and recreation.
If you walk the streets, he said there are areas in dire need of repair that have been neglected for years.
“We should grow and expand with our future, our children’s future and to those that wish to settle here as our forefathers did in the past,” he said.
More on what the Ward 2 candidates had to say at the debate is available here.
Last week, the chamber held a debate for the mayoral candidates at O’Gorman High School. You can read about that here.
Read more on the Timmins election here.
