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Mayoral race: Mills will spend 'more time and money' on town centres across the city

Mayoral candidate says she'll work to ensure everyone feels part of Greater Sudbury 
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Mayoral candidate Patricia Mills was joined at a news conference Wednesday by outgoing Ward 4 councillor Evelyn Dutrisac. (Allana McDougall)

If elected, mayoral candidate Patricia Mills says she would spend “more time and money” on town centres across the city, not just downtown Sudbury.

“It is becoming increasingly apparent to me that we need to create a more caring and compassionate city, and I believe it starts with listening and understanding each other,” Mills said at a news conference Wednesday at Cousin Vinny's in Hanmer.

“The people of our communities that make up Greater Sudbury have been neglected for far too long.”

Each town centre should have their own master plan for future growth, she said. Instead communities are fighting each other because of poor leadership.

“The downtown has a master plan and it needs action,” Mills said. “However, all of our communities neighbourhoods need focused improvements and the best way for downtown to succeed is when all of Greater Sudbury's town centres can celebrate their own successes.”

With Sudbury facing a surging senior population, Mills said long-term care homes need to be built in all communities so people can stay close to home. 

“I want to work with local developers to strategically locate affordable housing in our town centres,” she said, “so seniors can stay in their neighborhoods that they know and love.”

In addition to the town centres announcement, Mills received endorsements from two former councillors: Evelyn Dutrisac, the  outgoing Ward 4 councillor, and Fran Caldarelli, who represented Ward 10 before retiring in 2014.

"I'm really happy to be here to support to Patricia Mills as mayor of the City of Greater Sudbury,” Dutrisac said. “Patricia Mills is a caring person and I have to say that she's responsible for fundraising $6 million for NEO Kids.”

Addressing concerns of residents outside the old City of Sudbury is important if we're going to have a united city, she said.

“We need to empower all our people to feel that we are all part of the city of Greater Sudbury. Together, if we walk hand in hand like we're doing right now, we're going to be able to make this the biggest, the greatest city in all of Northern Ontario.”

“I think our city's at a crossroads,” Caldarelli said. “I really see that we're kind of stuck. We need to move ahead.”

People are worried about the city's finances, Caldarelli said, and about how well the city functions as a whole.

“We have to look at where we're going,” she said. “I think that it's time for new leadership and I think you're the lady to give it to us.”

Learn more about Mills' candidacy and campaign by visiting her election page on Sudbury.com. 


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Darren MacDonald

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