The four candidates running for Ward 3 in next Monday’s municipal election took centre stage at city hall on Tuesday to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing the Sault.
To open the forum, Ward 3 candidates were asked how they plan to improve the economy, create more jobs, and make the Sault a more attractive place to do business.
Retired schoolteacher Ron Zagordo says the city has fallen short when it comes to advertising the attractions we already have like the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre and the Agawa Canyon Tour Train.
“I think we need to look at the things that are already in place in the Sault before we move onto other ventures that may cost taxpayers more dollars,” he says. “We have things but forget to put efforts into them. In terms of economic development, my first priority would be to take a look at some of the great things we already have and advertise those and make sure people across the province and the nation are aware of what’s going on in the Sault.”
Odd Job Jacks owner Kurtis McDermid says we have a great blue-collar community in this city, but the lack of workers needs to be addressed.
“We are at the crux of a labour shortage in town right now,” he says. “We don’t have the entry-level workers here specifically. We have so many jobs at the bottom level of the chain that are looking for growth. We need to fill those jobs and develop them here. When we can fill our low-level labour and entry-level trades jobs, they’re going to grow and become skilled, licensed, and seniors tradespeople. We need to focus on bringing those people in."
The Breakfast Pig owner Angela Caputo says supporting local businesses would go a long way in assisting with the city’s economic development.
“I think we need to encourage more employers to start their businesses here,” she says. “The transition I was able to make at The Breakfast Pig mirrors the transition that I envision being a part of for Sault Ste. Marie. I’m a leader in all that I do and have been recognized many times for my leadership skills over the years.”
Luis Moreno says renewing trust between voters and the government would be a pivotal step towards creating more opportunities for locals to stay in the Sault.
“The mayor and city council must work together to put your needs first,” he says. “We need to attract new businesses and expand the existing ones. We can’t forget about our small businesses because they’re the backbone of our local economy. We need to create the right kind of conditions so that young people and recent graduates stay in the Sault.”
Asked about how he’d ensure the minimum standards of living are met for people living in the Sault, Zagordo says keeping the communication lines open with the provincial and federal levels of government is imperative.
“We talk about our tax dollars and what we can or cannot do,” he says. “Those two other levels of government have a responsibility as well when it comes to housing, food, and security. We need to lobby those two levels of government to play their part in a bigger role in what’s going on in Sault Ste. Marie.”
Meanwhile, when it comes to creating safer roads in the Sault, Moreno is confident he can get the job done.
“I’m the only candidate who has a plan to ensure that we make our streets safer by design, and that’s by reducing speed limits in all residential areas,” he says. “It’s important that we have a plan to ensure that safety is first across our city, and we need to design our streets by narrowing our streets, reducing the speeding limits, and implementing removable speed bumps.”
On the issue of maintaining accountability with the taxpayers, McDermid says more efforts need to be put forth in ensuring more community members are attending city council meetings, town halls, and information sessions.
“Perhaps there needs to be a certain number of community members you reach out to before something gets passed,” he says. “Then, if enough people don’t show up to your town hall, that’s your fault because you weren’t communicating or marketing properly. I own a business, and the only person who’s at fault when customers don’t come in is me.”
Caputo wishes to see fewer closed-door sessions to help create more transparency between councillors and residents.
“We need to ensure accountable spending, and a way to do that is ending closed-door council meetings unless they’re absolutely necessary,” she says. “We have a lot of closed-door council meetings, and I think it causes a lot of mistrust with the community, which in-turn causes our problem of low voter turnout.”
SooToday will have the livestreams of tonight’s remaining forums from city hall. Ward 4 and 5 council hopefuls will discuss the issues at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. respectively, followed by the mayoral hopefuls at 8 p.m.