Turn Intention Into Action- What did I do for Ward 4?
When running for office, I heard many things when I knocked doors. I knew that there were some challenges already but learnt a lot after speaking to residents. Some things that I decided to go after and the results were as follows:
Glen Road street reconstruction- Being delivered in Summer of 2026- site plan is completed and funds are budgeted.
Community Development officer- Hired in 2025, East side evaluation completed in 2025 and position refilled in 2026. Work will be enhanced starting this year.
Community Center- Latimore Lake Community center opened and I did assist them with some chairs and collaborated to get a few donations and connected them to some of my contacts. I will continue to support them anyway that I can. We still need community center time. As wonderful as Latimore Lake Community Center is, it is far out for many people and I have been advocating for the East side residents to have more time available in the Field house when expansion happens. We should not have to build something from 0.
Splash Pad- This was something that I agreed to advocate for if I had gotten somewhere with the previous items and since I was gaining traction, I started to and on my own was successful in getting $1 Million dollar splash pad on the capital plan. This took a lot of advocating and meetings but it is an amenity that Ward 4 does not have. It is scheduled to take place in 2029.
Changing Rooms and Bathrooms for the Rez- This is a $750k project that is on the docket for 2030. It was great having meetings with people making plans for the East Side and this was something that I heard over and over. I was happy to get this in the capital plan. It will be well used. I was also asked at the same time what I would think of the Volleyball Court being put into the Rez and I was thrilled that staff came up with this as an idea. I think that this will be a well used item in Ward 4.
Forest Hills Sports field- I advocated for multiple years for this to get paved and for upgrades. It is on the docket for 2026.
McLeod Road and Mclaughlin Road- There are other roads in the Ward that I have advocated for but these two roads brought up something that became a real advocacy project for the entire city. I realized that the overlay program was removed from city plans and they had no idea when these roads would get done. Every time that I asked for a road to be on the list, I would hear “that was on the overlay program”. When I would ask when it would get done, I would get a blank look and an I don’t know type of response. It was about 3 years ago that I started to advocate for the overlay program to be back. After having meetings with numerous managers and talking about it in open session, it was reinstated in 2025. In 2025, alone, we did 10 extra roads with this program including McLeod and McLaughlin. So yes, I am partially to blame for all of the construction but keep me in mind when you drive on the nice roads too please.
There are many “little items” that I have advocated and got done like replacing some benches, repainting the basketball court in Redhead, getting some properties cleaned up, pot holes getting done, water rolls installed, speed cushions in McNamara and Champlain Drive (after residents advocated to me for them), trees planted in Glen Falls and Red Head, a lawn mower in Champlain Heights, ….. The list goes on for small items.
Creek Cleanout in Glen Falls- This was a biggie. I had told my business case for getting this done and after being told that it would not get done, I asked the staff member to promise that they would try. One day, I get tagged on facebook and that is how I knew that they followed through. It had not been done for 20 years. I am so so proud of this one.
Train whistles- getting train whistles stopped at Ashburn Lake Road/Rothesay Ave. I have advocated for residents on this one as it is a quality of life item. The letter went off to NB Southern Rail and they are supportive and now it is off to the province. The province has approved this for one area of the west side so I am hopeful that they will do it for this one. This took investments of a gate and then a line of paperwork to get it approved. It will be a wonderful thing for Ward 4 and Ward 3 if this does get final approval.
There are many other things that I have been working on for the ward but I am hoping to have some engagement sessions in the next few weeks to see if I am on track with what I think that residents want. Running again, means that I continue to listen to ensure that I am advocating where residents wants and especially needs are. It has been such a pleasure to follow through on getting so many things for Ward 4 and I am so proud of this work!!
I know where the true appreciation needs to go- to City Staff. Thank you to everyone that supported Ward 4 in getting these items implemented or on the capital plan.