The midway point of this term of council passed on Nov. 17. It’s been two years since mayor and council were sworn in after the 2022 municipal election. It’s a good time to take stock.
During that election, candidates responded to community pledges brought to them by 10 diverse community organizations, and endorsed by seven more, on the topics of climate change, housing, reallocating funds from policing to services, basic mobility, support for community initiatives, truth and reconciliation, and protecting land and water.
Of these, Mayor Paul Lefebvre provided updates on housing, truth and reconciliation, and protecting land and water in his two-year address.
The responses to those pledges were of great interest to the community and informed many community members’ votes. For example, a single Facebook post sharing the pledge results was viewed by around 7,500 people, far above the vote margin determining who became councillor in each ward, and about 15 per cent of the total number of people voting.
The Mayoral Town Hall on these issues was viewed by over 1,000 voters, the most watched town hall of any held that election.
Halfway through this term of council, how have elected officials followed through? Let’s take a look at the pledges taken by a majority of sitting members of council.
Lefebvre and eight councillors (Ward 1 Coun. Mark Signoretti, Ward 2 Coun. Eric Benoit, Ward 5 Coun. Mike Parent, Ward 6 Coun. Natalie Labbée, Ward 8 Coun. Al Sizer, Ward 9 Cou. Deb. McIntosh, Ward 10 Coun. Fern Cormier, and Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann) pledged to take urgent climate action, specifically pledging to “actively champion clear, resourced action plans to meet the short-term targets of 25-per-cent greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2025, and 55-per-cent reductions by 2030.”
Two years later, no clear steps have been laid out to reach these 2025 and 2030 targets, and no member of council has put forward a motion directing staff to present such an action plan.
With new climate disasters in the news every day, leadership on climate change is needed more than ever. We’ve missed the boat for 2025, but council will have a good opportunity to provide direction for a clear, resourced action plan to meet 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction targets when the next Climate Action Report is presented to them in the coming months.
These same members of council made pledges on housing, support for community initiatives, and truth and reconciliation.
On housing, they pledged to “to actively champion achieving functional zero homelessness within five years, while supporting the dignity and human rights of unsheltered community members.” On Sept. 26, 2023, council directed the city’s Community Development department to develop a strategy to end homelessness in Greater Sudbury by 2030. The Roadmap to End Homelessness by 2030 was adopted by council in May 2024, as the official plan to prevent, address and end homelessness in Greater Sudbury.
As outlined in Lefebvre’s two-year mayoral address, housing is a focus for this council and steps have been taken on housing, affordable housing, transitional housing, and shelter needs.
With 500 unhoused people to 73 shelter beds, a lack of basic washroom facilities and a loss of key services (such as the safe consumption site and youth shelter), immediate support for the dignity and human rights of unsheltered community members is a dire need.
The mayor’s recent support of the notwithstanding clause to “help municipalities with issues related to mental health, addiction, and homeless encampments” has been opposed by community groups and service providers, who say that overriding basic charter rights causes more harm than good, and that the focus must remain on resourcing housing, services, and evidence-based approaches.
On support for community initiatives, these members of council pledged to “actively champion a one-stop-shop for community initiatives, with a ‘can-do’ attitude of providing the support to make great community-led initiatives happen, smoothly and easily.”
On Jan. 20, the city announced a two-year pilot project for a “One-Stop Resource Team to help community groups and volunteers” (called Community Initiatives and Partnerships). This very welcome resource has some wrinkles to iron out.
At a recent gathering, community organizations shared their experience with Community Initiatives and Partnerships, identifying that it was not functioning as a “one-stop resource” and that being directed to multiple staff, poor communication, rigidity and overregulation, slow responses, and other challenges are still making interactions with the city for community projects and events difficult.
Council has not yet provided clear direction for outcomes and evaluation to get this important ‘one-stop resource’ working smoothly.
On Truth and Reconciliation, they pledged to “actively champion Implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls for Justice, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at a local level.” In 2023, the city established an Indigenous relations specialist position.
Finally, the mayor and councillors Signoretti, Benoit, Parent, Labbée and Sizer took the pledge for better protecting land and water, specifically pledging to “actively champion protecting land and water, inclusive of a sustainable, equitable and reliable fully-funded model for the Stormwater Asset Management Plan and a robust Residential Inflow and Infiltration Program to be implemented within this term of Council.”
In a first for a Canadian municipality, this council aims to meet the goal of protecting 30 per cent of land and water by 2030, at the local level. Council officially endorsed the Mayor’s Task Force on 30x30 on April 30. As heard at a recent update to council, this fall Greater Sudbury submitted its first park sites for official 30x30 recognition.
Two years ago, thousands of Greater Sudbury citizens used candidates’ pledge responses to inform their vote. But democracy is not just about voting. Midway through this term, it is an especially good time to follow up with the mayor and your councillor about the pledges and issues most important to you.
Naomi Grant is the chair of the Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury.
