DIGITAL TOWN HALL ELECTION 2018: BILL CRUMPLIN

Check out the rest of the Digital Town Hall responses here: Our Crater Digital Town Hall Municipal Election 2018

At the present moment we find ourselves at quite a crossroads in Greater Sudbury with many plans hanging in the balance that could change the future of our city. What is your vision for the future of Sudbury?

You are absolutely right that we find ourselves at a crossroads. I feel this means we have the opportunity to rejuvenate Sudbury for the economic, social and environmental needs of the 21^st Century. My vision, as listed in my platform (www.billcrumplinformayor.ca), is “To attract and keep young people in our community, people who want to raise families and build wealth in a community where everyone is intent on improving the economy, the ecosystem and human health by fostering relationships between local businesses and City Hall while using urban design to transition and expand Sudbury’s economy to the needs of the 21^st Century.”

I do not for an instance think a casino sets Sudbury in a direction that leads us into the 21^st century. Putting the morality of gambling aside, casinos remove wealth from communities; they are reminiscent of 1970s thinking. Highly educated young professionals have been telling me the last several weeks that they are not enticed to move, or stay, because a casino exists. They are interested in lifestyle choices that include vibrant downtowns, outdoor activities like cycling, hiking, canoeing and kayaking. They also desire to live in friendly neighbourhoods in cities where they can find career jobs. They seek jobs in the IT, innovation, education and health sectors. They are motivated more by lifestyle than former generations and this allows Sudbury the opportunity to emphasize our unique location complete with over 300 lakes, many kilometres of hiking and cycling trails and a multitude of year-round activities.

In my platform, I outline my vision that will revitalize our downtown urban core. I very much believe that a pedestrian focused shopping, market, and entertainment district similar to that of Ottawa’s Byard Market will create a new vibrant environment where Sudburians, young and old, will want to gather and even live. I strongly believe that arts, culture and sports facilities should be intertwined within a real market environment seven days a week. I am also committed to opening up discussions with CP Rail to move the rail lines from the core. I do not, however, expect moving the rail line will happen within the 2018 to 2022 council’s tenure.

I also believe that we must compete with other cities who offer world class convention centres. There are hundreds of conventions and concerts that are hosted in only three or four cities within Ontario each year. Having a central multiuse convention centre would allow us to attract these types of year-round gatherings from all walks of life and showcase Greater Sudbury and our region to the world.

It is often criticized that the millennial generation does not show up to vote or participate in the democratic process. As the older generation decreases we are slowing finding ourselves to be the new majority population. Many of the decisions being made at the municipal level today will have a direct effect on our future. How do you intend to engage with millennial voters to ensure their voice is being represented in council?

As a Professor at Laurentian I have the privilege of engaging with millennials every day. As a listener and life-long learner, I have learned much from my students. I am well aware of the unique thinking of our millennials. I know that many of our millennials are angry with the state of our cities, environment and economies that older generations, including mine, have left them.

One of the common things that I have heard from millennial students is their impression that there is little to nothing they can do to improve things. I feel their frustration often and encourage them to participate in elections. This past spring, I decided to ‘walk the talk’ and I ran in the provincial election for the Green Party. After that experience, I was invited to run to be Mayor. Again, a big reason was to be an example to my students. These decisions have motivated some of my students to pay careful attention to this municipal election. In fact, many have committed to volunteer to explain to others the importance of voting.

I also feel it is important to validate the concerns of the millennial generation. I am tired of them being the brunt of jokes. I work and learn with them daily and I see first-hand how creative, committed and reliable they are. As Mayor, I would reach out to millennials for input and to learn which issues are most important to them. To do this, I will identify and work with people who will modernize how City Hall communicates issues, seeks input and presents decisions in ways that will appeal to the way young people engage.

It has been an ongoing trend for many years that young people feel that in order to be successful they must leave home. The employment opportunities they are looking for are in larger cities, job openings for recent grads are minimal or contract based, rent rates continue to rise making it more appealing to live in a bigger city for a similar price with access to more attractions. How would you take action to encourage young Sudburians to stay in the area strengthening and reinvigorating our workforce?

You are speaking my language, this is something I anguish over all of the time. My colleagues and I have witnessed this out migration of talented and creative people for years. I know that retaining and attracting millennials is a key to our immediate and future success as a city. As addressed above a new urban environment with diverse offerings will help attract the citizens who are our future. We must embrace our creative class, our technology, be a city of science and innovation and let young people know they don’t need to move away to make a life.

I also feel City Hall, with input from young entrepreneurs, can design policies and programs that might ease self-employment possibilities. For instance, the City might be able to design a program of low or no interest loans for new small businesses. I do not desire, however, to turn our backs on the mining and its service industries. There are opportunities to innovate and advance technology and sell these innovations to the world.

Part of a thriving economy includes new businesses entering the market place. There is great risk in starting your own local business, the costs associated with starting up are enough to make many entrepreneurs think twice. Likewise when an outside shop is considering opening a location in Sudbury they must assess if our markets buying power will outweigh the upfront costs. What programs would you like to see put in place to make Sudbury a more enticing place to do business and ease the burden on new business owners?

As noted above, I would work with young entrepreneurs to identify their needs. I would also demand evidence of any new business with head offices outside our community. Many times, these national or multi-national firms claim that they will create jobs. I will demand that they complete strong market analyses and share their findings with Council to ensure both a) the market exists and b) that they will not displace existing locally owned business or their employees.

I would work with City staff to develop a one-stop process for guiding future entrepreneurs through the process of establishing themselves. This would include having the most up to date information on the many provincial and federal programs that support small businesses and budding entrepreneurs.

We must also create a reputation that we are open minded and as Mayor I would be more vocal in championing our city as one that welcomes innovators, new technology, industry and manufacturing.

Childcare for many families can be an enormous financial burden. As a result many families are forced to make the decision of whether or not they can actually afford to go back to work. Wait times for childcare can be quite long and finding a provider who has space within the desired age bracket can be a guessing game. How would you propose to make childcare more accessible?

I have no first-hand knowledge about the challenges young families face with respect to finding childcare. However, I would seek input from young parents, childcare professionals and City staff to identify a set of possible solutions.

Our historic mining industry has certainly taken its toll on the environment. Great lengths have been taken to re-green our city over the years and we continue to work towards initiatives to reduce green house gases and environmental impact of industrial business practises. On a smaller scale, what initiatives would you like to see put in place to urge the general public and local business owners to do their share in reducing waste and emissions?

Many communities are debating banning plastic bottles, plastic shopping bags and related products. I would champion that conversation. Sudbury can be a leader in demonstrating that like our renowned re-greening effort we can be an example to the world in taking care of our earth in other ways. It is not good enough to eliminate plastic bags and bottles, that’s just the first step. We have the talent within our communities to capitalize on replacing such items that result in economic opportunities.

I would also like to work with Sudbury Utilities’ and local diesel and gasoline distributors to develop a way to estimate the amount of Green House Gases the City emits on regular basis. I would further seek to have the media report this as they currently do things like the TSX, the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq. This would allow us to establish baseline GHGs, target emission reductions and celebrate our successes.

On the personal front, this summer I had solar panels installed on my home. They have encouraged much discussions from neighbours and my students. Again, this is an example of how I try to lead by example.

Sudbury is home to a large First Nations population with many reserves in surrounding areas of the city. There is much work to be done to bring Sudbury to a place of truth & reconciliation and integrate Indigenous culture into our society at large. What is your commitment to locally increase awareness, education, resources and understanding following the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada?

As a candidate for Mayor, I have been invited to listen to representatives of First Nations with respect to reconciliation. One thing that I have heard is that some First Nations leaders would like to create a council of Chiefs or delegates to bring their issues to City Hall. As Mayor, I would encourage the development of such a council and would engage with it to advance reconciliation in our City. I would also work with senior levels of government to endorse the establishment of a day of remembrance and reconciliation.

I would also advocate that local arts and culture venues include events and exhibits that depict the true history of our local indigenous communities to educate our citizens of this history.

Sudbury is not exempt from the opioid epidemic sweeping Northern Ontario. It is reported that in 2017 three Ontarians a day fell victim to a fatal opioid overdose. In our community specifically we lost 30 to overdose by September of the same year. What steps would you like to put into action to restrict access and educate Sudburians about the risks of recreational opioid use?

As I have publicly stated, because other levels of government are abandoning this issue, as a community we cannot standby and ignore our fellow citizens who are suffering. If necessary, and as a first step we must investigate and provide safe injection sites. My friends in the health care sector and emergency services deal with this very real crisis everyday in our community. I also recognize that many in our community are perhaps unaware of this dilemma. Therefore, I would with the collective assistance of front-line staff in social services and health and emergency services work to provide further insight into why safe injection sites make sense. Not only are we creating a safe environment for those in need but we would also be discouraging the spread of refuse into the environment that can be seriously harmful to innocent people.

I would consult with health professionals and former addicts to identify what other steps are needed. I expect that education programs exist that could be made available to children in schools and I would support such.

Protecting vulnerable citizens is at the top of many peoples agenda. Those living in danger of homelessness, low-income, on the streets, living with chronic mental or physical illness need more resources integrated into the community to allow them to access the help they need with dignity. Safe injection sites, needle exchange programs, emergency shelter services, affordable housing, accessible health services/resources have been ongoing ideas to address these issues. What initiatives would you like to see put in place? How will you ensure action is taken to develop sustainable programs to provide these urgently needed services?

No response provided.

Like any paying customer, tax payers want to see their hard dollars put to good use. Roads continue to require maintenance, many new builds are in development, transit, facilities upkeep, tourism and attractions spending – keeping a city going isn’t cheap. How will you ensure transparency and accountability for expenditures on new development projects and operation costs within council?

No response provided.

Additional notes provided by candidate:

Overview:

As a candidate for Mayor of the Greater City of Sudbury I have been consulting with individuals from a cross-section of our citizens to understand what they want Sudbury to be in the near future. I have also worked closely with my team to distill these hopes, goals and ideas into a platform that hinges around five major themes.

I will continue my consultations during the campaign and after being elected Mayor to assist me in working with Council, Management and Staff to provide respectful service to our citizens for the greater good of the City

Besides the obvious issues like improving roads, keeping taxes as low as possible and improving water quality, I have heard from many young adults in the 20 to 35 age range that they desire career jobs in our city because they like the lifestyle Sudbury offers and they want to live and raise their children here.

My Vision:

To attract and keep young people in our community, people who want to raise families and build wealth in a community where everyone is intent on improving the economy, the ecosystem and human health by fostering relationships between local businesses and City Hall while using urban design to transition and expand Sudbury’s economy to the needs of the 21^st Century.

The five major themes:

1. Improve Roads and Infrastructure
2. Instil Open and Transparent Government Processes
3. Undertake Community and City Building Through Urban Design
4. Diversify the Economy and Establish Sudbury as City of Science and Innovation
5. Budget and Taxes

For additional information on Bill Crumplin and his platform visit: www.billcrumplinformayor.ca

Check out the rest of the Digital Town Hall responses here: Our Crater Digital Town Hall Municipal Election 2018