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Ward 2: A rundown of who’s running

Eric Benoit is challenging incumbent councillor Michael Vagnini in Ward 2

In Sudbury.com’s ongoing efforts to ensure you have all the information you need to make informed voting decisions in the Oct. 24 municipal election, we have reached out to candidates for ward councillor and each of them to provide responses to a short questionnaire.

Besides a photograph, we requested a response from each candidate, limited to 200 words each, under each of the following three categories:

  • Tell me a bit about yourself
  • Why are you seeking election?
  • What are your key platform points?

In the interest of fairness, candidates’ responses have been provided in full, with only minor corrections made for clarity and grammar. In the event a candidate went over the 200-word limit per category, their response was cut off to the end of the nearest sentence. In cases where candidates did not separate their response by the three topics, they were cut off at the 600-word mark to the nearest sentence.

The photographs provided have been included in this coverage, cropped to adhere to Sudbury.com’s sizing requirements.

Candidates were sent the inquiry on Oct. 4, at which time a deadline of Oct. 9 was announced. A follow-up email to those candidates who did not respond was issued on Oct. 11 with a noon deadline the following day. 

There are only two candidates running in Ward 2, with newcomer Eric Benoit challenging incumbent councillor Michael Vagnini. 

Ward 2 includes a large swath of the city’s southwest corner, including Copper Cliff, Lively, Naughton and Whitefish. It has a population of approximately 13,165 and an area of 797.6 square kilometres. 

To find out whether you live in Ward 2, click here.

The following is what came in for Ward 2. 

Eric Benoit

Tell voters a bit about yourself
On a personal front I am a father of 4 kids with my wonderful wife who I met at LDSS. I have had a lifelong love of sports and I am a huge Jays fan. I feel like sports and gaming allow you to create meaningful connections with others and I am a huge advocate of using sports and tabletop gaming to help children develop important relationships. I have been active in the community as long as I can remember and I was raised to always lend a helping hand. I do not seek glory or accolades. I do these things because they are the right thing to do. When I see someone in need I will do what I can to help. I will go from helping an elderly neighbor mow their lawn, to fighting to save the farm, to working to promote youth sports. My background in law enforcement and real estate as well as experience with technology provide me with insight into many of the issues facing a modern city.  

Why are you seeking election?
As with many of you I was not happy with the representation we had at city hall. Often Ward 2 was left without a voice. Through consultation with members of the community I decided that I should run for council to help give the people of Ward 2 an effective voice at the table. It is important that our interests are protected. With advances in technology, any failure to attend a meeting, vote on an agenda item, engage with the media or connect with the public without good reason is inexcusable. I will arrive at council meetings prepared to make any arguments, and with an understanding of the issues presented. I will engage the public and ensure they have the information they need to influence decisions. Through involvement with the Anderson Farm, Real Estate Board and other committees I have learned how to be a leader in the community. Representing Ward 2 is how I will continue that momentum. I want to shape a better future for my children and future generations. Through various municipal leadership and urban planning courses, I learned that there is a better way to do things and I want to be part of that change. 

What are your key platform points?
What we need is a more co-operative city that thinks about the future. Pointless arguments and personal attacks do not belong in council chambers. The city needs to work with and for the interests of the people they serve. Projects need to be evaluated for their long term sustainability and cost saving and long term goals need to be placed ahead of short term gains or savings. We need to use partnerships with innovators and other levels of government to build infrastructure that lasts and is not obsolete by the time it is complete. Current municipal infrastructure and assets need to be evaluated to ensure they are sustainable for the future and assets that are not being used to benefit the public should be transitioned to maximize that value. The city needs to be a partner when it comes to projects, not the opposition. When the benefits of a project vastly outweigh the harm it needs to be embraced and encouraged to help our city grow. The only way we build a better city is together. 

Michael VagniniNo response.

Election day is Oct. 24, which will be preceded by two weeks of online voting and advance paper ballot opportunities. For a rundown of voting locations, click here.


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Tyler Clarke

About the Author: Tyler Clarke

Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
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