Hello everyone,
To start, I would like to let everyone know that my email has changed to dh06ja@brocku.ca. My old email address was hacked and I no longer have access to the account. Please ignore any emails from that account if you receive any, and I am sorry for any inconveniences this may cause. Now on to more positive news.
The campaigning is going great. I really have enjoyed meeting Merritton residents and listening to their views on what they want for the area.
This past October 17th, at the Westminister Church Hall in Merritton, the community group Good Neighbours allowed me the opportunity to speak to them at their 13th Annual Good Neighbours Finale. Chair, Mary Stanko, was a blessing and I enjoyed the opportunity immensely. I want to thank them for the invitation, and I look forward to working with them in the future (and other community groups) if or if not elected.
Last night (October 20th), at the Quality Inn on Ontario Street, I was invited to attend an all candidates meeting hosted by the St.Catharines and Thorold Chamber of Commerce. I would like to thank Walter Sendzik, Executive Vice President / General Manager of the Chamber, and the chamber as a whole for the opportunity to attend this event. All candidates running for election within Niagara (regionally and municipally) were invited. It was a great chance to meet the public and prospective councillors - people that I would relish the chance to work with in the future. It was a good experience.
There are only 4 days left until it is time to vote. I believe that residents are ready for change. I feel that a strong foundation has been built to start from. Win or lose (obviously the win part would be the best outcome), I will work hard for the community. Please continue to tell your family, friends, and neighbours to vote for me. Word of mouth is powerful! To recap, here is what I would work for as your representative on St.Catharines City Council for the Merritton Ward.
1) Listen to residents and community groups more. Be a REAL voice for them at City Hall. They want to be engaged, and they have a lot to offer. Currently they are an asset that is under utilized.
2) Review all current and future city expenditures to ensure that taxpayer's money is spent in an effective and sustainable way. There are numerous city projects that go on the books in the next few years (performing arts centre is one good example). We need to prioritize these projects and limit city debt. I will work hard with other councillors to achieve this.
3) Revitalize and green the Hartzel Road/Queenston Street corridor. If elected, I will work with council to have these 2 projects looked at as one interconnected project. Revitalizing efforts toward one area could be jeopardized by the state of the other. Cost efficiency could be realized if they were considered one project. Some form of help needs to be given to businesses located in these areas. Furthermore, if elected I would help develop incentives to lure new businesses to the Hartzel Road/Queenston corridor.
4) Seek historical designation for the old Welland Canal Sites. Also, clean-up of the parks located around these sites. This includes the cleaning, greening, and better maintenance of Community, Centennial, and Mountain Lock parks. I would work with community groups to bring more community gardens to city parks. This includes, strengthening the city's relationship with community groups and residents to help achieve this; while at the same time, developing more programs like the Niagara Prosperity Initiative, to help provide residents access to cheap, healthy foods. Lastly, I would help improve the urban environment by working to increase the city's tree canopy cover.
5) I would work with other councillors (including those in other municipalities) to bring FULL regional and FULL Go transit services to the Niagara Region. Something that I feel would benefit the residents of the Merritton Ward. They could live in the area AND have access to the labour market whether that market was in Thorold, Welland, Burlington, or Mississauga. Furthermore, the city is trying to boost tourism and being connected to Hamilton and the GTA would definitely help. This is what I mean when I say, "bring the residents of the area to jobs and the jobs to residents of the area." I feel that this would be a great help. It is something that groups like the St.Catharines and Thorold Chamber of Commerce have been calling for.
The opportunity to be your candidate in the 2010 St.Catharines elections has been amazing. The people that I have made connections with have been great. This experience has topped any of my pre-election expectations - easily. I want to thank all the friends (old and new), family, and local residents for being polite and generous with their time and attention.
If elected, I promise that I will work hard on any issues that come forward. I will approach every situation with a clear and open mind. I will personally research every issue, while working with YOU - local residents that I wish to represent. I will work with other city councillors to improve the local environment -including your quality of life.
Thanks again,
Sincerely,
David Haywood
YOUR Merritton Ward Candidate
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