1.
Pride has planted some amazing initiatives in Arnprior and I am happy to support them as they grow and blossom! As a council, I believe we have an obligation to listen to, to respect, and to recognize the diversity that makes Arnprior a great place to be. I support the expansion, and revisitation of, Pride initiatives with the full appreciation that representation evolves as our understanding does. The rainbow flag itself is the symbol of a progressive ethos and evolves, and will evolve, as we do and the community does. Daniel Quasar’s creation of the “Pride Progress” flag is one such example, and the UK’s inclusion of intersex in a further design is another. I am willing to listen and learn. To expand our scope of responsibility past symbolism, making events, fundraisers, and initiatives visible helps to embrace, and foster, an authentic sense of community and of belonging. It shouts “We see you! You are welcome here and you are not alone!” 2. As an educator, one of my greatest strengths is to approach situations and causes with empathy, compassion, and the willingness to listen. I am steadfast in my resolve to lift up others before myself and I believe this is a key quality in an ally. I support Pride because I support human rights and not for my own personal gain. I am one voice among many: as a collaborative and progressive member of our Council, I will work to be an example for my colleagues by being open to dialogue and progress. I can specifically strengthen my working relationship with the Pride community by committing to being educated in the field of diversity and inclusion. I’m studying online right now at the University of Guelph-Humber and my course load includes a strong focus on progressive social education. Being an ally means being mindful of the need for continuous improvement and understanding. It seems like a small thing, but even starting by learning, and using, proper terminology goes a long way and is a step that anyone can take. For my part, I am willing to make mistakes, to apologize and to learn from them, in the pursuit of being a greater ally. 3. I fully understand that some people are not ready to begin the journey of growth and acceptance but ensuring LGBTQ2S+ are safe and included in our community is an absolute priority that transcends this. Did you know, for example, that there are no current bylaws to address hateful graffiti? It took over 4 months for a large racial slur to be removed from the post of a very prominent sign on Daniel Street. This sign itself had the Town’s logo and directions to prominent locations in Town! What message does it send when we are lethargic at removing outright hateful messaging. In this case, the sign was on County property and we had no ability to demand its immediate removal. We cannot turn a blind eye to hate or be slow/unwilling to challenge it. I firmly believe that if individuals in position of privilege are hesitant to take swift and decisive action, we have failed those who are vulnerable. Specifically, to the question: we must ensure at the Town level that the services and amenities we offer in Arnprior are sensitive, and responsive, to those who co-exist as a part of our community. It means asking questions and being committed to finding out answers. Do we have private change rooms at the Nick Smith Centre? Have we developed our recreation programming with input from the Pride community? Do we partner effectively to amplify Pride messaging? Are we seeking social and financial support from the County to make the needs of LGBTQ2S+ residents and visitors a priority? Do LGBTQ2S+ seniors, who grew up in a much different social environment than ours, feel safe and welcomed in expressing who they are today? These are all the types of questions I’d like to seek answers to. 1. An emphatic yes I will continue to be a strong voice of support for Arnprior Prides initiatives. I would like to see Arnprior Prides events happen regularly throughout the year in conjunction with municipal government and other supporting groups. My family has been a proud supporter of Pflag in Renfrew County for years. We have walked in the Pride Walk in Pembroke, we have supported events put on in Renfrew, and of course all of our great events here in our town.
I followed council closely during the discussion around the trans flag crosswalk. I disagree with their decision, and I fully support a trans crosswalk. I have seen how Pride activities have grown throughout the county over the years and I would support Arnprior Pride in growing their events and initiatives to help bring more awareness and acceptance to our town. 2. I believe that Arnprior Pride is an important group and strong advocate for members of our community. The first thing the new council needs to do is to meet with Arnprior Pride and listen to their desires and goals for the organization and listen to them about what they are looking for from council. For me personally, I will ensure I will not only attend Arnprior Pride events, but fully support them. For me it’s not just about photo opportunities, but a chance to show my support and interest in what the people of Arnprior have to say. To me it just makes sense to ensure that communities with vulnerable members feel safe, supported and heard. 3. Education. Education and communication are key to helping create a safe and inclusive community for LGBTQ2S+ youth and adults. I would like to work with our local library with the creation of a human library in where we can have conversations designed to challenge stigmas and stereotypes. As a member of council, I would work with Arnprior Pride on finding and sourcing available grants to help support Arnprior Pride put on larger events during Pride Month and other events throughout the year. In Closing, I have and always will be an ally and advocate for the LGBTQ2S+ community. I have been advocating for the LGBTQ2S+ community since my early days as a social service worker, now as a father of children who are members or the LGBTQ2S+ community, my advocating has only grown louder and stronger. If elected to council, I will bring my advocacy, and listening skills to council to ensure that all of our town is properly listened to and heard. Life experience will guide my way as coach and manager of a new group, (or returnees) of 5 councillors. My position gives me the opportunity to discover and promote the strengths and passions of each individual councillor. In this great system we call democracy, the rights, wants, and needs of all citizens will be given equal consideration.
As I have noticed, candidates platforms vary, according to age and lifestyles, and all care very much for ‘our town’. In these changing times, many pressures seem to be pushing cultures towards hatred, disrespect, violence, and chaos. We must not fall into this mindset and this new council will stand for all people. Open and transparent discussion will be continuous, ideas and suggestions will be discovered, and decisions will be made in a Democratic way. I have grown up with many friends, business associates, and acquaintances from all walks of life. I respect all law abiding citizens and expect the same. Most people can hear ! The successful LISTEN ! Looking forward to making Arnprior a better place to live. Mike Defalco 1.
I support Arnprior Pride's initiatives, ie Pride month, fundraisers. The Rainbow Flag (crosswalk) are representative of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer pride, and that June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month. As you are aware Council defeated a Delegation to install a second crosswalk for the Trans Flag crosswalk. 2. This council I believe has been proactive in that an Ad Hoc Committee ('Inclusivity Diversity Advisory Committee was formed). As a result, the Arnprior Cultural Fair was created which to me was a huge success. I believe thru this committee more initiatives could be taken by the town. 3. An excellent question but I don't have a specific answer. I'm hoping that thru the Inclusivity Diversity Advisory Committee there will be ideas that provide more education as to how Council and residents of Arnprior could create a safe and inclusive community. 1. I will absolutely continue to support Arnprior Pride’s initiatives within the community! During COVID, I participated in the Pride BINGO! When the Rainbow Crosswalk was installed in Arnprior, I took my children and we walked across it together and talked about how Love is Love and why the crosswalk was so important. I am also proud to have on my front lawn an Arnprior Pride sign that says “Everyone is Welcome Here.” A few years ago I also helped with the initiative ‘River of Rainbows,’ where Rainbow Flags were raised at a number of municipalities for the first time, I also spoke at one of the council in favour of the flag raising.
I would like to see more fundraisers and events to support Arnprior Pride’s initiatives; I would like to see a Drag Fashion show or a Brunch event to help fund the instalment of the Trans Flag Crosswalk or other projects. I believe these events should run all year and not just during Pride month. 2. The outgoing council has shown some support for Pride initiatives in the past, albeit fairly passive. Our hope would be to develop a more active and transparent partnership with the incoming councillors to allow for growth of our organization and better collaboration with the town of Arnprior. How do you see yourself making this a reality, and what can you do specifically to strength your working relationship with the Pride community? Answer: If elected I would like to have a meeting with Arnprior Pride by the end of the year with the new council to listen to them and see what are their hopes and goals for the future. I would also commit to open communication with Arnprior Pride during the new council term and not just during Pride month or festivities. I would like to strike up an additional committee or include in another committee, an update from Arnprior Pride on a monthly basis or every other month. I think communication is key and the town needs to be open to learning from the experiences of members from Arnprior Pride and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. As someone, who went to high school in the early 1990s, 2SLGBTQIA+ was not spoken about in high school. I the town needs to work on developing a strong partnership with Arnprior Pride and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. With that being said, I would like to bring in different speakers to educate people of all ages. This would include small business owners and different community organizations. 3. I would like to see the Town work with local businesses and Canada's LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce to help all businesses become Rainbow Registered, which is a national accreditation for LGBT+ friendly businesses and organizations. For more information visit: https://www.cglcc.ca/ I would want to check with Arnprior Pride, but I think that we need to figure out a way to recognize and celebrate our 2SLGBTQIA+ leaders in our community. We need to make Arnprior’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community more visible in our community so they know they are in a safe space. 4. About ten years ago, someone close to our family died by suicide because they were being bullied, because they were a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. This broke my heart because I could not understand that this person did not know they were loved by so many people and my heart broke even more that people would bully someone else because of who they loved. I want to do everything possible that this does not happen ever again. Love is Love and you should be able to love whoever you want. I consider myself an ally and I want to work with the community to ensure everyone feels safe in our town. With that being said, I want to treat everyone with love, kindness and respect. To do this, I am teaching my children that we need to accept everyone and show them, love, kindness and respect. This summer I was proud to take my kids to the Drag Queen Story time, and participate in the Find the Flag Scavenger Hunt. I also took my daughter to a family friendly drag show and she loved it. She was so accepting and we had an amazing time. My daughter’s love for Drag Queens is starting to rub off, as last week we were with another family and another child said ‘Boys can’t wear dresses,’ and my seven year old daughter responded by saying ‘Boys can wear whatever they want,” the other child responded again saying ‘Boys can’t wear dresses!’ and then my daughter said ‘Boys can wear dresses just like Holli Cow, she wears dresses!’ I was so proud of her, I supported her and then reminded them both that we needed to be kind to each other no matter what. PS: My current favourite TV show is Ru Paul’s Drag Race 1. Yes.
2. I've not been aware of hate speech, and there will always be false information. To work and combat this dangerous trend, I would learn more about the community and how those affected feel I can be of assistance. 3. Yes, but you will have also understand, that learning about your community will take time and there are many issues that I will have to follow up on. I thank you for reaching out to the candidates and giving us something to think about. When one is not involved in certain sections of society, such as your community, or it could be the sporting community, or the historical community, etc., knowing about them will take time to learn. Connie Tabbert An unequivocal yes to all three questions. And should I get elected I look forward to discussing these issues with you in person. Thanks for reaching out to me. Joey
Jill, here are my answers, thanks for the questions.
1. As you are aware, (along with several other members of council) I made overtures to change the Town's Resolution #11 and positive strides were made to make amendments to the Town's Resolution #11 which states that the Town will not make any proclamations in support of any groups, days, weeks or months for any organizations. Although our first attempt was unsuccessful, we have not allowed this to deter our efforts. This will be a priority once the new council is formed. A draft flag policy has already been presented to town staff for review. This proposed flag policy is similar to one used in Carleton Place. Staff will hopefully report back soon with their version which can then be voted on by council. 2. I was a huge supporter of getting the Petawawa EDI committee formed and ensuring that it was passed. I'm looking forward to getting the EDI committee staffed with volunteer members and members of council so they can begin providing an avenue for vulnerable and marginalized members of our community to have their voices and concerns heard. We are looking forward to hearing the recommendations brought forward by the EDI committee and incorporating these suggestions into the fabric of our town so that all members of our community feel supported, welcome, safe and free from discrimination. 3. Always open to hearing from all concerned groups in the community. As an educator for 30 years, I worked closely with members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community throughout my career to ensure inclusivity and safe spaces were provided. I would welcome the opportunity to learn more about Pflag Renfrew County and the resources and training they offer. A municipality's goal should be to create a community where everyone feels welcome and everyone feels that they belong. Gary Thank you for reaching out on behalf of Arnprior Pride and providing the opportunity to engage with you directly. I am aware of the important work Arnprior Pride has been doing within our community and want to recognize the local impact of your combined efforts.
Please allow me to introduce myself, my name is Leslie Anne Hook. I relocated to Arnprior from Ottawa in 2015 with my husband David and our two children Brandon and Emma. I work in the social-impact field, supporting community organizations and helping individuals with lived experience find ways to connect and share their knowledge. My passion is human rights and social justice, I have been studying as a mature student at Carleton University and have a deep commitment to continued learning. When I don’t have an answer to something, I’m the first to admit it and will always take a consultative approach to leadership, relying on subject matter experts to help guide my decisions when needed. I’m running for town council because now is the time to embrace new voices and ideas that will move Arnprior forward with many important decisions expected of council next term that will shape the future landscape of our town 10, 20, 30 years from now. Many residents I’ve spoken with feel that their voices don’t matter and have completely disengaged with our current leadership. It is my belief that a progressive new council will unite our town and restore trust that has been lost. My vision for Arnprior is rooted in compassion, collaboration and opportunity. Unfortunately, that vision isn’t a current reality for many of our residents and I hope to lead some important conversations at the decision-making table in the coming months if elected, that breakdown local barriers and foster a sense of belonging where no one gets left behind. This conversation isn’t about me though, it is about Arnprior Pride and your desire to build more active and transparent partnerships with incoming councillors. I would be happy to learn more about Arnprior Pride’s local initiatives and can offer an enhanced level of communication with a personal commitment to compassionate, thoughtful responses to any of your future inquiries. My commitment is to play an active role in the local advancement of diversity and inclusion with a community-led, government supported approach. We need our local leadership to be approachable and willing to engage with all residents and organizations, not just some. I will be making it a top priority to spend time at community-uniting events and help our local non-profits advance their mission to serve our community. One simple way I can help would be to volunteer more with local organizations including Arnprior Pride. I hope to create a dedicated calendar of local participation in 2023 events and would welcome an invitation from your organization regardless of the election results. I am also very mission aligned with the desire to make Arnprior a safer community for all residents, this includes LGBTQ youth and adults. I personally think knowledge-sharing is the key to building safer and empowered communities. Since my personal approach to relationship building often revolves around creativity, I think it might be a neat idea to partner with local artists to create an awareness campaign that introduces the community to Arnprior Pride through art. Also, having a background in grassroots fundraising, I would be happy to share some ideas with you just as an engaged community member should you find that helpful and point you in the right direction in terms of municipal grants that are available. In closing, I want to acknowledge your question directly regarding the installment of the trans flag crosswalk that was originally proposed to council alongside the rainbow crosswalk. It is my understanding that the recommendation to council was to support both crosswalks at the same time but that didn’t happen and only the rainbow sidewalk was installed. I welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss the impact this decision had on your organization and what it would mean to the Arnprior Pride Community to have a trans crosswalk installed. As a member of our community not currently serving on council, I do not have the full background as to why we arrived at this decision as to me it is in stark contrast to John Steckly’s recommendation that council should support and approve both crosswalks. I personally do not see any reason to object to this request. My hope is that you will be able to see some immediate benefits and positive change that comes with the next council. I want to be part of the positive shift and you can expect me to always address your concerns in a compassionate and proactive manner. Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts with you. I hope to serve the Arnprior community during the 2022-2026 term. Have a wonderful weekend, Leslie Anne Hook 2022 Candidate Arnprior Town Council [email protected] www.leslieannehook.ca Good afternoon and thank you for this email.
Public safety and health is the number one reason I live in the town of Renfrew. Do I believe that painting concrete is a good idea? No, but simply because it chips and flakes and is a huge maintenance cost. Do I think that the town of Renfrew could have a flag pole with the rainbow flag, that flies daily at the front door of the Town Hall? Yes, because when I see a rainbow flag, it reminds me that “It is OK to love everybody!”. A good Mayor will promote inclusion and protection for everyone including those who can’t speak for themselves. This is a message that I would bring to any council meeting and to every school and facility where the Mayor will be asked to speak. It is great that Renfrew has a solid mix of people that work together for the betterment of all. That is what keeps me living and working in Renfrew and that is what attracts others. For over 50 years in my barbershop I have served everyone equally regardless of gender, nationality or education level. This will continue. Thank you for your continuing excellence. You have the voice of love and that is what we need to share. Sincerely, Kathryn Windle Candidate for Mayor of the Town of Renfrew
1. Would you support a rainbow sidewalk in Renfrew, the first of its kind in Canada?
Yes, I would support it. 2. How can the Town of Renfrew work with us to promote and expand the annual Pride events to attract even more participants from Renfrew and across Renfrew County? Use social media, town website and its library. 3. Do you have any other ideas or comments about how we can create a safe and inclusive community for LGBTQ youth and adults? I feel like Renfrew is safe and inclusive for all. I firmly believe everyone should respect each other. Thanks Brady Enright 1. Would you support a rainbow sidewalk in Renfrew, the first of its kind in Canada?
I would support a rainbow Sidewalk, and would work with Council to cover the initial cost of the sidewalk – ie painting eta. I would need to investigate the yearly cost to maintain the sidewalk, since I heard it is very expensive for upkeep. I have not confirmed that, I’m just going by what I have heard. If it’s not an expensive upkeep to maintain, I would recommend that the Town maintain, but if it was a big amount, I would work with council and the Renfrew Pride Committee to see if we could work together on maintaining the Rainbow Sidewalk. 2. How can the Town of Renfrew work with us to promote and expand the annual Pride events to attract even more participants from Renfrew and across Renfrew County? The Town can promote your events by adding the event to all our media platforms, including our website. I would suggest Council to sit down with Renfrew Pride to discuss ways we could work together to help promote future events. 3. Do you have any other ideas or comments about how we can create a safe and inclusive community for LGBTQ youth and adults? I believe the big piece would be though education and working with the Police and Board to see how we all could work together to make Renfrew safe for everyone. On the education piece, I must admit I wasn’t fully educated at first. I have sense taken on the lead roll with CARE BRG in Ontario and we work closely with the LGBTQ BRG, and this has opened my eyes and educated me. This type of education needs to be shared with the residences of Renfrew and surrounding area. I hope I have answered your questions, and I want to Thank You for reaching out to me. If elected I will guarantee you, I will work with Renfrew Pride, Council, and the Residences of Renfrew to make sure we are all doing the right things to make Renfrew a safe place for everyone. If elected I would love to sit down with the Pride Committee, to hear from them on how we as council could help, promote, educate, and make Renfrew a safe place. Thanks Jason Legris I agree with the Canadian Constitution and the United Nations Charter of Rights that no one should be discriminated against based on religion, race, sexual orientation
colour or creed. Thank you for your concern. Zig Mintha Mayoral Candidate Bonnechere Valley Township. 1: If this is a proven effective solution as you say it is then sure!
2: As a representative of the public I would look to an SME in this area for advice and a plan that has worked for other similar municipalities. 3: yes for sure! knowledge is power! Greetings, Jill and Jody
You have asked for my point of view on 2SLGBTQ issues. As a Christian, I believe that all people are created equal and should never be judged by who they are and what they believe. Love is Love and this should be the focus. I am with all God’s children. I have no right to judge. Treat your fellow citizens as you would treat yourself. Love thy neighbor. There is no place for hate in our society. Peace Best regards Dave Shulist 1.
I think it is very important that the Town of Petawawa fly the Pride flag during the month of June. To date, the Town has not flown the Pride flag because it is essentially a proclamation, and that would contravene the towns “No Proclamations” resolution. The Towns "No Proclamations" resolution was passed in 1998, and reads: “That the Council of the Town of Petawawa declines to declare any public proclamations save those which pertain to matters which are solely and completely within the immediate mandate of Council.” I am not in favour of this resolution. The town should make proclamations in support of marginalized segments of our community. The "No Proclamations" policy was intended to keep the Town neutral and controversy free. I feel that it is akin to sticking ones head on the sand. The Town must step into the 21st century and abandon this policy. Many other towns and cities make proclamations, and they manage quite nicely. There is no end to the list of reasons detractors will give as to why making proclamations won't work. It's easy to come up with excuses to not do something. If you want to get something done, you'll find a way. If you don't want to do it, you blame the rules. In June of 2021, I voted to change these rules. Because it is a standing resolution, It required a two thirds vote to change. Four Councillors voted to send this resolution back to the discussion table for modifications or to be repealed. Five votes were required, so unfortunately, the resolution still stands. Municipal government needs to support marginalized segments of society that have traditionally been wronged and discriminated against. 2SLGBTQ, Aboriginal Peoples, Women who suffer silently in violent environments, developmentally challenged people and many others. This discrimination is systemic. Over the years, elected officials have used the power of the state to discriminate against various groups of people, knowingly, and with intent. Police forces have been used aggressively, by elected governments, to further the ambitions of well seated people. This is wrong. If the Pride flag does not fly at the Petawawa municipal office in June of 2023, I will seriously question what I’m doing on council (if re-elected), and what the role of representation is. There's an old saying: "The sea of democracy is seldom without a storm" Politicians ought to expect that things will be messy at times. That's the nature of the arena. To support marginalized groups in our society, I will: • Fight for gender equity on boards and committees • Support an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee • Support efforts at reconciliation • Support efforts to ensure equity in the workplace I was interviewed a few times last year regarding support for marginalized communities. Links to the interviews are below. CFRA - Ottawa at Work with Leslie Roberts CBC - All in a Day with Alan Neal CBC - All in a Day with Alan Neal (additional coverage) 2. I am an early supporter of the soon to be formed EDI committee in Petawawa. I have been consistent and vocal in my support for the 2SLGBTQ community, and will continue to be. My hope is that the EDI committee will make our community a friendly and welcoming place for all. If elected, I will support PFLAG initiatives in the town, and will lobby fellow councillors to do so as well. Petawawa has really fallen behind the times in this area, and in the future, I want to see Petawawa take on a leadership role towards becoming a just society. A Town in which all residents are respected for who they are as individuals, and not judged as members of this or that social group. 3. 100%. Absolutely I will. I feel that I’ve been doing some positive things, but there’s always more that can be done. This training could be provided to all members of the newly elected council. 1. Personally, I recognize and fully support each and every individual's right to be who they are or how they identify within the 2SLGBTQ+ community. All our citizens should feel accepted and safe within Petawawa. I feel unsettled with our current position around the flying of the pride flag during June. In my opinion, the spirit of resolution 11 established in 1998 was to set a policy in place to address temporary or special requests within our community and the council of the day wished to remain neutral on Public Proclamations. It is not a resolution aimed specifically to restrict individual expression of self or at the Pride movement, but an enactment that at the time addressed how to handle frequent and numerous requests to 'support' causes, events and activities. The resolution also resulted in the denial of raising a Military Family Appreciation flag or Support for Medical causes.
Do I believe the resolution is outdated? I most certainly do. A resolution conceived a 1/4 of a century ago definitely needs to be reviewed and updated to reflect the current culture of our population. There is a process to address this required change, and the Town of Petawawa residents that feel strongly about the issue, either supporting or against, the change will express their opinions at the ballot box. The nature of the resolution requires a 12 month waiting period before it can be reevaluated and reviewed, which will bring us to June 2023. I have the utmost respect for our community and they will demand that the right thing be done. 2. Thank you for sharing the information wrt the trend of individuals not feeling safe in Renfrew County communities. That is unacceptable. One of the benefits of the Petawawa community as a whole is that a fair number of our residents are transitional, typically arriving in Petawawa from other communities. They will, perhaps, bring with them a more progressive view. Tapping into local events as well as county-wide events is an excellent venue for the Pflag Renfrew County to welcome and inform members of our community about the concerns and to raise awareness of your group's commitment to ensuring our community is safe and welcoming to all citizens. The Petawawa Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee is an excellent venue to open up the lines of communication and awareness within Petawawa and was formally recognized at the 15 Aug Town Council Meeting. Originally proposed by Ellen Wong-Gallant and Rebecca Conroy, it will ensure citizen engagement and advocacy with regards to inclusion. This committee will be an excellent resource for town leadership to ensure decisions are in line with community interests. There is always benefit when we take the time to gather information from our entire population. If elected I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with your group with the goal of increasing awareness and acceptance of all of our citizens. 3. The opportunity to grow and develop the inclusion of all our residents by increasing my awareness and understanding is a commitment I am happy to make. Please let me know if you have any more questions or comments. Thank you. Karen Donovan 1.
Yes. I have participated in Pride-related events before and will continue to do so. I participated proudly in the Pride walk this past year and prior to COVID and will continue to participate. As a PBIA board member and city council member, I fully supported the Pride cross walk downtown. I also have the Pride banner on our lawn during Pride month and kept it up after that. 2. As a member of the Pembroke Public Library board, I advocated for the Drag Queen Story Hour, while there was false information and a lack of knowledge about the actual event. As an Ontario Certified Teacher, I read the books that were being shared with the children and gave full approval to the CAO of the Library. I will continue to call out hate speech, false information, racism when I see it. I will continue to advocate for the continuation of the Diversity Advisory committee to City Council. 3. As an educator I take part in mandatory training on diversity, inclusion, and racism. I will also commit to take part in any available safe space training. I personally always reach out to PFLAG and Pride group members when I meet them. My campaign theme/message is “Building a Community For Everyone.” That means we are all equal and deserve a community that accepts everyone. Our local, provincial, national and world community. Please contact me at 613-312-6789 or [email protected] if you would like to personally speak with me or have any questions or need more information. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity. Kind regards, Brian Abdallah. 1) In answer to your question about supporting a pride sidewalk- as a town councillor I would have to look at that on behave of all residents of Renfrew including the costs for such a project which they would be paying for unless your groups plan is to partner with a private company for funds or fundraising ? Your group is also not the only one that has come forward now to be recognized and who is just as important.
2 ) In answer to your enquiry about supporting and promoting your groups events - I am president of a group who has for the past 10 years fundraised for the children of the Ottawa Valley ( Toys for Kids Ride ) We found a group to partner with, Phoenix Centre and Family Services, went out and found sponsors such as Tim Hortons, Bell Lumber , etc to help promote our event. We paid for our advertising through donations. We only asked Renfrew for the use of some space to hold the event and that was their only contribution. Our event has successfully donated funds and new toys for the Phoenix Centre to give out at Christmas to the families who might not have anything for their children otherwise. The Town of Renfrew is asked multiple times for help with numerous deserving non profit groups and unfortunately the taxpayers of Renfrew cannot support all of them so those groups need to be creative to make their events happen. Please reach out anytime if I can help. 3 ) in answer to your question of making life safer in our community for your group - Education, Education, and working closely with community police and the Renfrew Police Board. The laws we have are for everyone’s protection and I think better educating those who in the community about your group might work best. Thank you for your questions . I hope I get the opportunity to serve the people of Renfrew and to make a difference. Clint McWhirter Renfrew Town Councillor Candidate |