By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
Municipal election coverage: Meet your candidates
JARVIS—Mayoral candidate Jenn Gilmour has lived in Jarvis with her husband and daughter for the last eight years, but it’s her 16 years of experience working for the City of Hamilton and a desire to manage Haldimand’s ongoing growth “the right way” that ultimately inspired her to run in the upcoming election.
“Working for a large city, it has afforded me the opportunity to learn and understand how the municipal government operates and how important it is that the different functions work together in order to best serve its residents,” said Gilmour. “I want to be able to make a difference in the County I love calling home.”
On Haldimand’s accelerated growth, she said, “I want to make sure that the developments make sense for Haldimand and that the developers are invested in creating communities with proper infrastructure, places for our children to play, and make them appealing to new business…. But at the same time, not disrupting the current businesses that have been in our County employing our residents for years. New developments should be situated in locations that are compatible with their surrounding land uses.… I am not a fan of asking to have land designated to residential if that means the County loses a great deal of agricultural and industrial lands.”
She called a lack of water/wastewater systems one of the County’s biggest challenges: “Our current system is at capacity, and we need a new treatment plant. This will come with a very large price tag, so figuring out the best solution to getting this built with as little financial impact to residents will be challenging.”
She is also troubled by limited discussion surrounding affordable housing amidst the development plans currently underway, noting, “In a time when families are struggling to find somewhere affordable to live, these conversations should be happening with every development proposal brought forward.”
Lastly, Gilmour pinpointed the need to review whether the current road infrastructure in Haldimand is enough to handle the influx of traffic from new development.
Despite her concerns, Gilmour believes the current Council has been given a tough hand over the past four years: “We have to remember that this is a job that, no matter the decision made, someone is not going to feel like it was the best decision. I would like to think that they have done their best.”
Gilmour clearly loves her community, saying Haldimand has “a great deal to offer a family.… Our county is full of beauty that surrounds us. The farms, the sense of community you feel … all of our local markets, fairs, and community fundraisers. It teaches children to appreciate the farmers who grow and raise our food, their community that rallies together to help an individual or family in need, and how important it is to be a good neighbour.”
In closing, Gilmour said that In addition to the wealth of knowledge she has learned over her career in municipal operations, she believes her moral grounding is what will make her a great mayor.
“As a leader my character matters; it shapes how I engage others, what I notice, what I reinforce, what I value, and what I choose to act on and how I make decisions,” she concluded. “I will stay committed to my role and representing the best interests of the residents and businesses in our County. I will work with my fellow Council to build a community that is a great place to raise a family and grow old in.”
See future editions for the remaining ward and mayoral candidate profiles. The municipal election will take place on October 24, 2022. Catch the Haldimand Press’ mayoral debate on October 12 at the Caledonia Lions Hall or online.
