In My Own Words: Highlights from the Ward 7 Town Hall

9/11/2026

On September 9, I joined fellow candidates Manuel da Silva and Dani Ieso for the Cambridge Elects Ward 7 Town Hall at Forward Church. Tasneem Chhadiya and John Teat were not in attendance. The moderator was Marjorie Knight, the Chair and Founder of Rhythm & Blues Cambridge.

The format was a good challenge: candidates had just one minute per response, and the discussion topics were ranked by residents themselves. We covered a lot of ground, including homelessness, taxes, housing, traffic, growth, transit, jobs, community safety, recreation, the environment, active transportation and accessibility. If you weren't able to watch the Town Hall, here are a few excerpts from my responses:

On the kind of Cambridge I want to see

Early in the evening, we were asked about our vision for the next four years.
"My vision for Cambridge is a city that is growing and prosperous, but that continues to work for the people who already live here."

I talked about the need for more housing, jobs and investment, while making sure streets, parks, infrastructure and services keep up.
I summarized that around the three priorities that have guided my campaign:
Get the Basics Right. Grow the Right Way. Deliver Value for Tax Dollars.

And I described what success would look like four years from now:
"I’m hoping residents will be able to look around Cambridge and say, ‘The city is better run, we’re managing our growth better, and I actually see the value I’m getting for my tax dollars.'"

On Property Taxes & Spending

Property taxes were one of the issues I most wanted to discuss because they come up constantly when I’m knocking on doors.

I don't think it is realistic for candidates simply to promise dramatic tax cuts while also promising better services and infrastructure.

What I said at the Town Hall was:
" I don’t think it’s responsible for councillors to promise that they’re going to be slashing property taxes, but I do think it’s reasonable for residents to expect councillors to challenge spending decisions, set real priorities and keep overall affordability in mind."

I also made the point that the discussion can't only be about the spending side of the equation. Growing Cambridge's population, businesses and investment also grows the tax base, allowing the cost of services and infrastructure to be shared more broadly.

On Housing Availability

My starting point on housing is straightforward: we need more choices.
"We need more rentals, more family homes, and definitely more deeply affordable supportive housing for those in need."

I said the City can help by making approvals clearer and faster and allowing sensible development in appropriate places, while making sure infrastructure keeps pace.

But simply counting housing units isn't enough.
"I want us to make sure that we're asking: are we creating neighbourhoods that people want to live in?"

That distinction matters to me. Growth should create complete communities, not simply more houses.

On Traffic and Infrastructure

Traffic was another issue that felt particularly close to home. As I said that evening:
"Residents are seeing this problem every day. They see new developments coming in, then traffic gets worse, and infrastructure is not there for several years."

I pointed to McQueen Shaver Boulevard as a very visible example. Its next phase has been delayed, leaving a major regional route ending at Franklin Boulevard and pushing trucks and other traffic onto streets that weren't designed for that purpose. My priority would be getting those missing connections completed.

Earlier in the evening I put my approach to City–Region issues this way:
"Less finger-pointing, more problem solving. Work together where we can and speak up for Cambridge whenever we need to."

On Ion and Better Transit

I was also clear about where I stand on public transit.
"I'm a strong supporter of having better transit connections between the various parts of Cambridge, the various parts of Waterloo Region, and the broader province and GTA."

That includes reliable local bus service and bringing ION to Cambridge.
I believe that Cambridge should benefit from the kind of development and investment that has occurred along the ION corridor elsewhere in Waterloo Region.

"Better regional transit could be transformational for Cambridge. It'll connect people to opportunity, attract investment, and make sure our city is even more appealing as a place to live and do business."

On Growth and Cambridge's Heritage

One question asked candidates to choose between accommodating growth and protecting Cambridge's historic character. I don't think we should accept that choice.
"We're often presented the choice between maintaining heritage and growth, and I think that's a false choice. I think both can happen."

Cambridge has beautiful historic areas worth protecting. But I also said we need more housing, appropriate density and better use of underused space.
"Cambridge has the opportunity here to show that growth can make a historic city even better, bringing new life, new business, and new residents to places that already have tremendous character."

That's what Grow the Right Way means to me.

On Homelessness

The highest-ranked resident-selected topic that evening was homelessness and encampments.

My perspective has been shaped by my experience helping support the overnight warming centre at Wesley United Church:
"It was eye-opening for me and gave me an entirely different perspective."

One of the most important things I learned was that people experiencing homelessness are not one homogeneous group. Some people face profound mental-health or addiction challenges. Others have experienced job loss, housing instability or another crisis and may need a very different kind of intervention.
"Approaching people with a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't reflect that reality."

On Community Safety

I said something similar when we talked about public safety:
"People should absolutely feel safe walking through their neighbourhood or running a business here in Cambridge."

But I also think we need to understand what residents mean when they tell us they don't feel safe. Sometimes they are talking about serious crime. Other times they may be talking about speeding, disorder, property issues or conditions in a particular public space. Different problems require different responses.

On Accessibility & INCLUSION

The final discussion topic was accessibility, and I admitted that I was surprised it had ranked last among the twelve topics.

"I don't think anyone should wonder if there's going to be an accessible washroom. I don't think anyone should wonder if they're going to be able to physically enter a space. And I don't think anyone should wonder if they're going to feel safe or welcome."

Accessibility shouldn't be something we think about after a building, program , or service has already been designed. It should be part of the way we design our city in the first place.