Muskoka Lakes Township — Councillor — Ward B/ Ward2
1. What actions have you personally taken to support a greener, more sustainable climate?
By way of introduction, I’m a Professional Engineer and have worked in the fields of landfill operations management, water quality monitoring, industrial operations, manufacturing and systems reliability.
I’m currently building my energy efficient house, upgrading the insulation value from ~R10 to over R30 with triple pane energy efficient windows. The old wood stove used full time for heating in the winter is being replaced with a highly efficient furnace and air source heat pump.
Over the last few years, we have established a naturalized shoreline buffer on our property with native trees, plants and undercover. This is a big improvement from when the lawn used to run all the way down to the water.
2. What opportunities for climate leadership at the municipal level (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs)) would you champion in one or more of these areas: Buildings | Housing | Land use (sprawl) | Transportation | Other
Buildings: For municipal buildings and community centres, look at opportunities to upgrade them to be more energy efficient such as increased insulation, improved heating and cooling systems. Some of these improvements could be funded by municipal grants.
Housing: Promote development of highly energy efficient housing and efficient sources of energy. I also believe we should implement a risk-based septic inspection and upgrade program.
Land use (sprawl): Promote development that focuses on return of municipal capital infrastructure i.e. intensification vs sprawl. Development should occur where infrastructure already exists – roads, sewage systems, services such as snow plowing, garbage and recycling etc.
Other: Given our lakes are a very important part of Muskoka, I believe we should significantly expand focus on shoreline naturalization that helps with runoff and filtering. We need to resource water quality monitoring and management programs with appropriate staffing.
3. A long-term problem requires a long-term solution. What is your 100-year plan? If elected, what would be your first action?
My first action would be to work with municipal staff and local organizations to understand, document and measure the key issues we face in Muskoka. I believe we should take a data and fact based approach to prioritizing municipal projects, making decisions on planning processes and creating / modifying by-laws.
My 100 year plan focuses on water quality, waste reduction and diversion and encouraging and supporting highly energy efficient sources of activity – from building to transportation.