Lake of Bays Township — Mayor
1. What actions have you personally taken to support a greener, more sustainable climate?
My family and I are investigating a greener and more sustainable lifestyle. We owned and operated a takeout/catering restaurant for 10 years. For many years we have been composting organics from that restaurant and recently expanded to a bigger and better compost system at home. Our restaurant switched to compostable packaging 2 years ago and we recycle all materials we can.
We are in the process of searching for a new vehicle and decided on getting a hybrid model. Improvements to our home heating system are needed and we are investigating greener options than our current system.
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: Through grant funding, we recently approved a new geothermal ice making plant in the community centre in Baysville. Once this system is operational, we hope to look at ways the same plant can add value to heating and cooling cost in buildings within proximity to the ice plant system.
Housing: We have been studying a zero net tiny home project to learn more about how we can look to develop a more sustainable construction method. Housing and building practices have taken a better approach under the new building code.
Land use (sprawl): Sprawl is not currently a problem in Lake of Bays however we must continue to allow for green space in planning even though it appears that we are surrounded by forest. Years from now we will thank ourselves.
Transportation: We in the Township have purchased our first hybrid vehicle and are considering the purchase of a second.
Other: I proposed solar ready builds on the last large build and am hoping the next proposal can be suitable. I sit on the Mayor’s watershed advisory committee where we hold regularly scheduled meetings with more frequency in late winter through the spring.
3. A long-term problem requires a long-term solution. What is your 100-year plan? If elected, what would be your first action?
The best approach is to be open to new technology as greener, more sustainable solutions are constantly evolving. As we look to implement new projects, we need to prioritize the environment and investigate the impacts of the proposed project by looking through the climate lens before the project unfolds.