Environmental survey highlights candidates’ platforms on climate

For the last several weeks, candidates running for mayor and council in the Sault and across its 12 surrounding municipalities in Algoma have been providing their positions on key environmental issues through an online survey ahead of the municipal election on Oct. 24.

A coalition of Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma environmental and conservation groups emailed the survey to every candidate vying for a spot in city hall, and their responses are now being made public.

Paul Hazlett, a volunteer with the Sault Climate Hub, says the intention of the survey was to allow the public to see where their candidates stand on several hardline environmental issues unique to their area.

“We thought it would help voters make a decision overall,” he says. “We tried to cover off topics of interest and form questions we thought needed to be addressed by candidates that represent the objectives and mandates of those particular groups.”

In the Sault, Matthew Shoemaker is the only mayoral candidate yet to take part in the survey, while just 9 of the 21 candidates running for council responded. Answers can still be submitted until Oct. 14.

While he wishes a few more councillors had participated, Hazlett is still happy with the turnout.

“We were really pleased,” he says. “They took it seriously; some gave some really intense thought and comprehensive answers to all the questions. In terms of those that responded, it was really good.”

In the Sault, each candidate running for mayor had the chance to highlight their environmental platform through a series of 12 questions, headlined by how they would address climate change if elected.

Donna Hilsinger

“Our net zero target should be shortened by 10 years to be in effect by 2040,” she says. “We must expand our trail network and our transit system to make it easier and more convenient to make the active transportation choice. We should enact a tree preservation bylaw. Building codes should target net zero. Building retrofits should be prioritized. Preparing our community to reduce our dependency on vehicles and embracing alternative fuel vehicles.”

Ozzie Grandinetti

“Establish an improved and more efficient transit system that would encourage more people to use it and reduce the need for empty buses to be driving all around the City,” he says. “Improve our biking paths and walking trails to make it easier for people to get around without a vehicle. Improve and monitor our land-use bylaws to include landscaping, prescribe setbacks, and establish the percentage of trees/ greenery expected on a property.”

Robert Peace

“Municipalities can address climate change by planning for green transit, move to composting, developing more community gardens, adopt smart energy policies and green our buildings,” he says. “A green audit would be a first step I would take to identify the easy immediate wins.”

Tobin Kern

“In my platform, I propose examining every aspect of city business and life for opportunities to reduce our community's carbon footprint,” he says. “This includes, but is not limited to calls for: Increased investment in public transit, active transportation (more infrastructure, better service, incentives to increase ridership, etc.), and to a limited extent, electric vehicle accessibility and infrastructure; the curtailing of all non-essential capital investment to limit carbon emissions from building, unless such investment results in a net-carbon reduction.”

Meanwhile, on a scale of 1-5, one being lowest priority and five being top priority, Hilsinger and Kern put climate change as five, while Grandinetti and Peace ranked it as four.

The four candidates that responded to the survey also agreed they would support:

• Building a municipal composting facility and rolling out a green bin program
• New municipal rules to reduce single-use plastics
• Development of a municipal Environmental Reporting and Disclosure Bylaw to require businesses to report use and release of toxic chemicals to Algoma Public Health
• Opposing the building of a ferrochrome smelter in Algoma

Candidates who haven’t responded or haven’t received the survey can email saultclimatehub@gmail.com. The deadline for submitting a response is Friday Oct. 14.

To check out the survey’s full results from the Sault and across Algoma, visit here.