Voters want to know where the candidates stand on the issues and so does Sudbury.com.
To that end, Sudbury.com is running a special election feature: Where Do They Stand? We picked nine issues that mattered, and reached out to the mayoral candidates and invited them to give us their answers.
Each candidate has 250 words or less to stake out their position on each of these issues: the Kingsway Entertainment District (KED); expanded casino gambling; large project spending; downtown Sudbury and the urban-rural divide; taxation (everyone’s favourite); roads (always top of mind in Sudbury); the health of our lakes; the state of firefighting in the city, and; transparency, openness and leadership.
We’ll be rolling a new story every weekday, an election issue per day leading up to Election Day.
Today, the topic is the health of local lakes, waterways and watersheds. Greater Sudbury is blessed with more than 300 lakes in the municipality. The city needs to encourage to development to grow, to broaden our tax base and to make life more affordable for all Sudburians. But as we do that, the health of the natural environment, particularly waterbodies, must be protected. How can we do both? Can we protect the waterbodies, encourage development and prevent using protecting lakes as a tactic to stop unpopular developments?
Read on and find out exactly what the candidates think. Now, every candidate was invited to participate, but not all of them chose to do so. Here are the answers from those who did. Rodney Newton, Troy Crowder, and David Popescu did not supply answers.
You can click on each candidate’s name to visit their page on the Sudbury.com election website.
This is the question we asked:
The health of Ramsey Lake and the Sudbury watershed is something everyone cares about. Concerns about lake health, though, are sometimes used as a tactic by those looking to stop a particular development. Can we protect our watershed and lakes, encourage development and push back against NIMBYism? Explain your position.
Brian Bigger (incumbent)
I think when it comes to our lakes we need to listen to those who have expertise in the field. Environmental assessments, consultation and consideration for the future all need to be part of any project in our city. We have more than 300 inland lakes. Lakes need to be part of the project. We have to be fair and honest when it comes to developing and investing. Keeping our lakes healthy is a priority of this city. It is one of the soundest returns on investments for Greater Sudbury. Our lakes attract residents, increase development and provide water to drink. Our lakes are also a destination for swimmers and anglers. We all depend on lakes like Ramsey Lake and we all need to respect its natural value.
Cody Cacciotti
As home to 330 lakes, the water of Greater Sudbury is one of our greatest features and one of our most vulnerable assets. Caring for our lakes will benefit all citizens, now and in the future. As Sudbury’s next mayor, I will work with the dedicated groups that are already invested in protecting our watershed. I understand that our lakes give us a very attractive asset for tourists, locals and developers. The wants of everyone and the health of our lakes must be considered at every turn. By combining research, proven technologies and best practices, and adapting them to the needs of our community we can ensure healthy lakes for future generations. Great Sudbury is known as a world leader in environmental restoration, we need to continue foster this important work as we strive to grow our city.
Bill Crumplin
I don’t feel that concerns about lake health are trivial nor do I feel that they are misguided. Given that we are very aware of things like the amount of salt in our lakes, Lake Ramsey and Minnow Lake in particular, we must view new developments and existing practices very carefully.
I am aware that water contamination is one of the concerns put forward in at least one LPAT appeal of the KED and I look forward to hearing the evidence on both sides of this concern. There will always be people who take a position based on what appears to be the “Not in my Backyard” approach for a variety of reasons and motivations.
When we are confronted with locational concerns it is important that we listen to understand and work to seek a solution that is based on well researched evidence while considering the difficult to measure qualitative aspects. Sometimes individual hopes and desires do not outweigh benefits to the community, City or the environment.
More specifically to the salt issue, we need to explore alternatives to using salt on our roads. Some are relatively simple and low tech such as using wood chips in place of salt. Wood chips, unlike salt, work at any temperature and are biodegradable. They can be applied using existing salt/sand trucks. Other options exist that use various chemicals and these need to be studied to ensure that we just don’t replace the salt problem with a different one.
Jeff Huska
As a member of Greater Sudbury’s Watershed Advisory Panel, I do believe we can and must protect the quality of the water in our lakes and rivers, but to do so we must utilize the knowledge of the experts around us. I do think it’s important to wait for the findings of the ongoing subwatershed studies currently taking place. These results should allow the implementation of specific criteria by Greater Sudbury aimed at protecting our waterways. Once integrated into the standards for development, the opportunity for using the NIMBY as a tactic for pushing back won’t be valid if all elements in the standards for development have been met.
Ron Leclair
I do believe in protecting our lakes and environment. However, it would be beneficial for conservationist and developers to work together to devise safe ways to develop our community. We must start building for today and take precautionary measures. So, if any issues arise we are prepared and can adapt to the situation efficiently and effectively.
Dan Melanson
Council is obligated to look at any and all options with respect to ensuring the long-term viability of our water system. If fixing our leaky pipes and an education and conservation program will meet and or exceed our needs well into the foreseeable future, why would/should we be focused on a master water plan that is centred around building a new system, when there are significant savings in fixing what we have along with a conservation and water shed protection program?
In order to ensure that all options are fully explored with respect to the management of our water resources, treatment and delivery systems, as mayor I will bring forth a resolution to create a water management board which would have the responsibility to provide full oversight for all aspects of our water system from watershed protection through to the final delivery at your tap.
I think we need to refocus our needs, wants and priorities with respect to our water system master plan, into one that meets our needs and is also affordable, it is my firm belief that by bringing all aspects of our water system together under one management board, will provide cost-effective common-sense decisions, and result in an affordable, safe, efficient, and dependable water system for the foreseeable future.
As for development and NIMBYism, water is our most important resource and we need to protect the source. There are rules and regulations mandated by the province for our lakes that we, as a city must follow. Development near a water source depends on the details of the development. Each project has to meet these requirements and if it can be proven then I would ensure that that development proceeds.
Patricia Mills
We are known as the City of Lakes. We do not want to be known as the City of Dirty Lakes. Clean water and continued stewardship of our greenspaces is vital to the health of our citizens and our economy. The City of Greater Sudbury’s Lake Water Quality Program leads a number of annual activities and provides support to more than 30 stewardship groups. The Living with Lakes Centre has some of the leading experts on freshwater and aquatic biology, and demonstrates a model of successful partnership between government and post-secondary institutions for research in the public interest. An emerging issue in Sudbury is the need to control/reduce use of road salt and there are groups that can provide evidence of the increased salt content of Ramsey Lake. I would like to try a pilot project on part of the Ramsey Lake watershed catchment area and monitor the results of alternative materials to road salt.
Bill Sanders
The protection of our water is paramount. To suggest anything less is irresponsible and asinine. If there is even a slight chance that a development might affect the watershed, I would hope that the city protects us. Thank goodness there are smart concerned citizens who give a shit.
The voting period in the 2018 municipal election is now open, from Oct. 15 to Oct. 22. Learn more here.
