Last updated: October 21, 2022
There are six candidates in the running to represent Monaghan Ward through two available council seats. Read through who they are and what they’re promising in our round-up below. The Peterborough Currents team has prepared a short profile of each candidate and a list of all their campaign promises to date.
Candidates are listed below alphabetically by last name.
All promises are drawn from candidates’ public comments and campaign material.
We’ll be updating this page up until the October 24 election when new material becomes available. Is there something we’ve missed? Let us know. Email publishers@peterboroughcurrents.ca
Matt Crowley
Profile: Matt Crowley is an IT specialist and musician who has lived in Monaghan Ward all his life, according to the Peterborough Examiner. His campaign website states that his priorities are fixing the transit system by adjusting routes and reducing bus fares, “helping our most vulnerable,” “fixing our downtown” by moving homeless populations off the street and into transitional housing, and addressing crime by hiring more police.
Promises:
- Crowley promises to “fix” transit routes by going back to the old “loop system” and bringing in express buses on major streets. He would also support a pilot project to use electric buses on public transit routes.
Source: Crowley’s campaign website - Crowley sees a GO Transit corridor connecting Peterborough and Toronto as unrealistic, however he supports the construction of a VIA rail station.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A. - Regarding homeless shelters, Crowley would push for expanding the number of shelter beds, increasing staffing and security and making allowances for pets, which are currently banned. Crowley supports continued funding for 24-hour service at the City’s overflow shelter.
Source: Crowley’s campaign website and United Way Peterborough candidate questionnaire - He wants to implement a “transitional housing community.” His campaign website states, “We need to remove our homeless population off the street, out from under bridges, and out of tents.” He supports the eviction of tent encampments.
Source: Crowley’s campaign website and United Way Peterborough candidate questionnaire - Crowley says he will work with developers to make sure housing is built quickly and that a portion of it is affordable.
Source: Crowley’s campaign website - Crowley supports the creation of 484 new rent-geared-to-income supportive housing units by 2029.
Source: United Way Peterborough candidate questionnaire - Crowley supports raising the police budget and hiring more police. If elected, he would increase police patrolling in the downtown, west end, and along the waterfront. If elected, he promises to work with police to eliminate criminal activity including drug houses and the influx of drugs.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - Crowley supports implementing a CCTV system in the downtown area or hiring private security to monitor and respond to crime in the downtown core.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A. - Crowley supports utilizing police to educate drug users on not using substances in public spaces such as parks. He said, “You can’t police away addiction, but you can educate addicts that using illicit substances in a public space will result in the strong possibility of being detained for an extended period.”
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - To lower unemployment, Crowley would address the barriers that companies and industry face in establishing in Peterborough. He wants to make Peterborough a hub for business, and a “place that every company wants to headquarter.” He would also identify barriers to employment and address them by increasing training programs, and investing in programs that remove barriers like a “working transit system, childcare support or low-income housing.”
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - Crowley would partner with companies to incentivise green technology in households. He would also support a one-time tax rebate for solar panel installation on all new homes. And he promises to work with the province to build more electric vehicle charging stations.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - Regarding zoning and permitting, Crowley would seek to streamline and speed up development approvals by automating the process. Crowley wants to shift zoning regulations to support increasing housing density, especially in the downtown core.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A. - Crowley supports increasing property taxes on vacant lands and decreasing property taxes on new builds to support construction by developers.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - When surveyed by the Peterborough Bicycle Advisory Committee (P-BAC), Crowley expressed support for mixed-use developments and increasing density; spending $1.5 million per year on implementing the cycling network; the city’s current sidewalk policy, which mandates sidewalks on both sides of all streets; and improving winter maintenance of walkways. He does not support installing bike racks on buses.
Source: P-BAC survey - He also agreed to pursue gold designation from the Ontario Share the Road Cycling Coalition in the next five years. He endorses increased funding for local organizations that deliver cycling education programs.
Source: P-BAC survey - He supports the implementation of the “Complete Streets” design framework, which provisions infrastructure for cyclists, pedestrians, transit riders and motorists, on all city roads, including planned reconstructions on sections of Brealey Drive, Sherbrooke Street and Parkhill Road.
Source: P-BAC survey - Crowley promises support for projects that aim to eliminate serious injuries on city roads, like public engagement. He does not support making 30 km/h the default speed limit on residential roads nor building traffic calming infrastructure.
Source: P-BAC survey
Charmaine Magumbe
Profile: Charmaine Magumbe is an advocate and community organizer for racial justice, formerly the chair of the Community Race Relations Committee of Peterborough. Her platform prioritizes “3 ‘E’s”: equity, environment and economy, by “championing and advocating for a welcoming community,” creating more affordable housing, advocating for climate action and sustainable development, attracting new businesses to create jobs, funding community centers and encouraging the green economy.
Promises:
- Regarding climate change, Magumbe pledges to support a climate change action plan developed by the group Sustainable Peterborough, as well as promote active transportation, “implement renewable energy in municipal buildings,” and support a home energy efficiency program. She would also support zero-waste initiatives and reducing the city’s carbon footprint. She also suggests planting more trees, pollinator gardens, harvesting rainwater and improving parks.
Source: For Our Grandchildren survey andMagumbe’s campaign website - Magumbe promises to push for a return to the old hub-and-spoke bus routes.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - If elected, Magumbe pledges to advocate for a welcoming community by developing neighbourhood associations, supporting the City’s community safety and well-being plan, and addressing food insecurity by collaborating with local organizations.
Source: Magumbe’s campaign website - Magumbe promises to create more rent-geared-to-income housing and work with local actors to address the housing crisis through ideas like “secondary suites, tiny homes, co-op housing, co-housing and supportive housing.” She promises to push for building environmentally friendly apartment units, multi-family homes, townhouses, and “cluster homes,” and fewer single-family houses.
Source: Magumbe’s campaign website and Chamber of Commerce Q&A - Looking at Peterborough’s housing stock, Magumbe pledges to apply for funding for the federal government’s rapid housing initiative to build affordable housing. And she pledges to support existing by-laws that allow for tiny homes and laneway homes.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - Magumbe supports negotiating with Cavan-Monaghan to annex a parcel of land to the city’s southwest.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - Magumbe pledges to collaborate with neighbouring First Nations. She proposes a committee to meet monthly to collaborate, listen and take advice. She also would support local Indigenous organizations to support Indigenous people within the city.
Source: Magumbe’s campaign website - Looking to the economy, Magumbe would diversify the city’s tax base by attracting new business to the area and assisting existing businesses. She also would collaborate with local institutions to grow employment opportunities by providing training and reducing red tape.
Source: Magumbe’s campaign website and Chamber of Commerce Q&A - Magumbe promises to support projects like community centres around the city.
Source: Magumbe’s campaign website - If elected, Magumbe promises to implement an “unhoused strategic plan” that would be a collaboration between council and key stakeholders.
Source: United Way Peterborough candidate questionnaire - Magumbe supports the creation of 484 new rent-geared-to-income supportive housing units by 2029. She does not support evicting tenters from city parks. She would support continued funding for 24-hour programs at the overflow shelter.
Source: United Way Peterborough candidate questionnaire - Magumbe supports the established safe consumption site, and promises to push for a rehabilitation center in the city.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - Magumbe supports making the city’s artist grant program permanent and adding an arms-length peer-review to the grant process. She also supports creating programs to curb gentrification.
Source: ArtsVote Peterborough - Furthermore, Magumbe advocates for “permanent financial support from the city for individual artists and arts organizations” as well as city support for arts projects that encourage diversity.
Source: ArtsVote Peterborough - When surveyed by P-BAC, Magumbe expressed support for mixed-use developments and increasing density; spending $1.5 million per year on implementing the cycling network; the city’s current sidewalk plan, which mandates sidewalks on both sides of all streets; and improving winter maintenance of walkways. She does not support installing bike racks on buses.
Source: P-BAC survey - She also agreed to pursue gold designation from the Ontario Share the Road Cycling Coalition in the next five years. He endorses increased funding for local organizations that deliver cycling education programs.
Source: P-BAC survey - She supports the implementation of the “Complete Streets” design framework, which provisions infrastructure for cyclists, pedestrians, transit riders and motorists, on all city roads, including planned reconstructions on sections of Brealey Drive, Sherbrooke Street and Parkhill Road.
Source: P-BAC survey - Magumbe promises support for road projects that aim to eliminate serious injuries, including support for traffic calming infrastructure, public engagement, and making 30 km/h the default speed limit on residential roads.
Source: P-BAC survey
Lyle Saunders
Profile: Lyle Saunders is a tax professional and small business owner at Peterborough Disability Tax Services. His campaign platform planks are: improving the downtown, improving financial accountability by “finding and approving additional city revenue to minimize property tax increases,” balancing the City’s budget, improving public services and improving the accessibility of the transit system.
Promises:
- Saunders pledges to push for approval for development of affordable multi-storey buildings to serve as starter homes for homebuyers.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - He supports signing an economic development partnership called the Community Economic Development Initiative (CEDI), between the city, county, townships and neighbouring First Nations.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - Saunders promises to push for road maintenance, an analysis of north-south road travel, and widening Goodfellow Road at Sherbrooke Street.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - Saunders supports a police budget increase, contingent on a plan for officers to patrol the downtown 24/7.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - Saunders supports low interest loans and grants from all levels of government to help small businesses move into vacant downtown storefronts.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - He promises to “[hire] adequate staff for our building permit department.”
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - Saunders supports the creation of 484 new rent-geared-to-income supportive housing units by 2029. He would support continued funding for 24-hour programs at the overflow shelter. He supports evicting tenters from public parks.
Source: United Way Peterborough candidate questionnaire - Saunders pledges to develop an “open and transparent” city plan for homeless shelters, and to make financial requests to the upper levels of government to build new shelters.
Source: United Way Peterborough candidate questionnaire - As solutions to climate change, Saunders pledges to make sure new development includes “waste reduction, sustainability and green innovation,” mitigation of contamination left behind by industry.He also wants to ensure new business and industry don’t generate toxic side-effects and implement carbon-reduction policies at city hall.
Source: Saunders’ Facebook page - Saunders supports purchasing electric or hybrid vehicles for city use, and installing electric vehicle charging stations.
Source: Saunders’ Facebook page - Saunders promises to improve the transit system by re-configuring current bus routes to support a hybrid model where a regular “terminal fleet” is re-implemented and a “major road fleet” would be implemented to larger roads. He also would push for communication within buses about route cancellations and delays, and changes how drivers are scheduled.
Source: Saunders’ Facebook page - Saunders would support the construction of new pollinator gardens.
Source: For Our Grandchildren survey - Saunders says that the city needs to save money to deal with future damage associated with climate change, create an up-to-date recovery plan for future events, and have meetings to assess the response to the May 2022 storm and how to respond to events like it in the future.
Source: For Our Grandchildren survey - Saunders supports making the city’s artist grant program permanent and adding an arms-length peer-review to the grant process. He also supports creating programs to curb gentrification.
Source: ArtsVote Peterborough - When surveyed by P-BAC, Saunders expressed support for mixed-use developments and increasing density; improving winter maintenance of walkways; and installing bike racks on buses. He does not endorse the city’s current sidewalk plan, which mandates sidewalks on both sides of all streets nor spending $1.5 million per year on implementing the cycling network.
Source: P-BAC survey - He also agreed to pursue gold designation from the Ontario Share the Road Cycling Coalition in the next five years. He does not support increased funding for local organizations that deliver cycling education programs.
Source: P-BAC survey - He supports the implementation of the “Complete Streets” design framework, which provisions infrastructure for cyclists, pedestrians, transit riders and motorists, on all city roads, including planned reconstructions on sections of Brealey Drive and Sherbrooke Street, but he does not support reconstruction of a section on Parkhill Road.
Source: P-BAC survey - Saunders promises support for projects that aim to eliminate serious injuries, like public engagement. He does not support making 30 km/h the default speed limit on residential roads nor traffic calming infrastructure like speed humps.
Source: P-BAC survey
Don Vassiliadis
Having served eight years on city council, Don Vassiliadis is seeking re-election in Monaghan Ward. His campaign website draws attention to the many committees and boards of directors that he has served on. Vassiliadis told the Examiner that local efforts at attracting manufacturers have failed but he has not given up hope of a “regional approach” to economic development.
- Vassiliadis promises to push for making the diversity, equity and inclusion officer at the City a permanent position.
Source: Peterborough Examiner - Vassiliadis supports making the city’s artist grant program permanent and adding an arms-length peer-review to the grant process. He also supports creating programs to curb gentrification.
Source: ArtsVote Peterborough - When surveyed by P-BAC, Vassiliadis expressed support for improving winter maintenance of walkways; implementing the city’s current sidewalk plan, which mandates sidewalks on both sides of all streets but not spending on new sidewalks; and installing bike racks on buses. He does not endorse spending $1.5 million per year on implementing the cycling network nor mixed-use developments that increase density.
Source: P-BAC survey - He also agreed to pursue gold bicycle designation from the Ontario Share the Road Cycling Coalition in the next five years. He also supports increased funding for local organizations that deliver cycling education programs.
Source: P-BAC survey - He supports the implementation of the “Complete Streets” design framework, which provisions infrastructure for cyclists, pedestrians, transit riders and motorists, on all city roads, including planned reconstructions on sections of Brealey Drive and Parkhill Road, but he does not support recontrustruction of a section on Sherbrooke Street.
Source: P-BAC survey - Vassiliadis promises support for road projects that aim to eliminate serious injuries, including traffic calming infrastructure and public engagement. He does not support making 30 km/h the default speed limit on residential roads.
Source: P-BAC survey
Jeff Westlake
Profile: Jeff Westlake is running for the third time to become city councillor, having run unsuccessfully in 2014 and 2018. He told the Peterborough Examiner that his campaign priorities are to address wasteful spending, employment, safety, transportation and taxes.
Promises:
- If elected, Westlake would push for lower property taxes, with a goal of Peterborough having the lowest taxes of any municipality in the province.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - Westlake pledges to work with developers to build more housing quickly.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - Westlake would work with neighbouring municipalities to approach the issue of serviced employment lands. He sees the draft official plan as “insufficient.”
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - If elected, Westlake would not pursue reconciliation with First Nations, saying, “I don’t believe this to be the role of a ward councillor.”
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - To address the addictions crisis, Westlake believes the city should focus on providing people with an “exit strategy…so they can become productive members of society” and supports funding programs that include “counselling/therapy/rehabilitation” components.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - If elected, Westlake would re-do Peterborough’s transportation master plan to focus on moving traffic off of residential streets.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - He promises to increase the number of police officers.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - He supports buying more low-emission city vehicles and making city facilities more energy efficient, as long as it doesn’t increase taxes.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - He promises to eliminate the City’s social procurement policy.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A
Tom Wigglesworth
Profile: Tom Wigglesworth is a retired millwright, according to the Peterborough Examiner, who recently expressed interest in running as a Conservative in last year’s federal election but withdrew. His campaign priorities are: addressing homelessness and addiction, decreasing property taxes by freezing departmental budgets and promoting land development by issuing construction permits faster and speeding up zoning.
Promises:
- Wigglesworth promises to create transitional shelter beds and ensure a “defined route to recovery” including providing “job skills, social skills and a hand up” to the unhoused.
Source: United Way Peterborough candidate questionnaire - If elected, Wigglesworth would reduce property taxes by “freezing departmental budgets and finding efficiencies.”
Source: Peterborough Examiner - He pledges to encourage development by changing zoning bylaws and issuing more permits, more quickly.
Source: Peterborough Examiner - He promises to address homelessness and addiction while moving away from the city’s current emphasis on harm reduction. He would advocate to the province for “the required resources.” He does not support safe supply.
Source: Peterborough Examiner and Chamber of Commerce Q&A - Wigglesworth supports financial incentives for developers to increase the stock of rental apartments and townhouses. He also would encourage the development of smaller homes within subdivisions and “streamline” the development permit process.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - If elected, Wigglesworth would not pursue reconciliation with First Nations, saying, “I do not see the need to have ‘greater consultation and increased dialogue with our neighbouring First Nations communities; in some attempt to right the wrongs of the past.”
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - Regarding roads, Wigglesworth supports building the “less contentious” sections of the Parkway, creating more roundabouts and right-turn lanes, and not expanding “cycling right of ways if they negatively affect vehicular traffic or parking.”
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - Wigglesworth supports training for store owners to defend their businesses from crime.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A - Wigglesworth does not support initiatives to promote action on climate change by local businesses. He does support enforcing existing anti-pollution regulations.
Source: Chamber of Commerce Q&A
This article is part of Peterborough Currents’ coverage of the 2022 municipal election. We will update this tracker a few times ahead of election day on October 24. Is there something we’ve missed? Let us know. Email publishers@peterboroughcurrents.ca
