Ward 7: OUR COMMUNITY AND ITS FUTURE

Growing responsibly. Building community.
  • Ward 7 is one of the fastest-changing parts of Cambridge.
  • ​It includes established neighbourhoods, growing subdivisions, local businesses, natural areas and a major new community hub taking shape around the joint school and Cambridge Recreation Complex. It is home to longtime residents, young families, newcomers and people building a new chapter of their lives in Cambridge.

I have lived in Cambridge since 1999 and in Ward 7 since 2018.
  • As I continue knocking on doors throughout the ward, I hear both excitement about what is being built and understandable concern about whether our roads, water systems, recreation facilities and other services will keep pace.
  • Ward 7 should not simply absorb growth.
  • It should become a stronger, safer and better-connected community because of it.

WHERE IS WARD 7?

  • Ward 7 extends along the eastern side of Cambridge, from the area around Shade’s Mills and Avenue Road in the north to Branchton Road and the city’s southern boundary.
  • It includes established areas around Franklin Boulevard, Myers Road, Elgin Street and Little’s Corners, as well as newer communities developing near Dundas Street South, Wesley Boulevard and Branchton Road.
  • The ward borders rural areas of North Dumfries and Puslinch, making it one of the places where Cambridge’s urban growth meets the surrounding countryside most directly.​
Municipal boundaries do not always follow the neighbourhood lines residents use in everyday conversation. If you are uncertain whether your home is in Ward 7, the City of Cambridge provides an online tool where you can enter your address and confirm your ward.

a COMMUNITY WITH DEEP ROOTS

  • Ward 7 may be a relatively new municipal district, but people have lived on this land for many centuries.
  • In 1989, archaeological work near Myers Road uncovered the remains of a pre-contact Indigenous village believed to have been occupied between approximately 1280 and 1360. The discovery included evidence of several longhouses and reminds us that the history of this area began long before the creation of Cambridge.
  • The modern City of Cambridge was formed in 1973 through the amalgamation of Galt, Preston, Hespeler and surrounding areas. We should continue to respect the distinct histories that helped shape our city while building a stronger shared identity for the Cambridge of today.
  • Ward 7 was created in 2010 when Cambridge expanded from six municipal wards to eight. Frank Monteiro served as its first councillor until his death in 2019. Scott Hamilton was elected in a 2020 byelection and re-elected in 2022.
  • With Scott now running for mayor, Ward 7 will elect a new city councillor in 2026.
  • The next councillor will take office at an important moment in the ward’s development.

ward 7 is growing

Some of the most significant growth and public investment in Cambridge is happening here!​

A New Community Hub
  • The new joint Catholic-public elementary school and childcare centre on Wesley Boulevard will bring students from both school systems together on one shared campus.
  • As a Waterloo Catholic District School Board trustee, I have had a direct connection to the planning and governance behind the Catholic portion of this project. I understand both the opportunities created by major public investments and the detailed cooperation required to turn plans into functioning community facilities.
  • Next door, the new Cambridge Recreation Complex will include a 10-lane swimming pool, gymnasiums, an indoor walking and running track, fitness and multipurpose spaces, park amenities and a new Idea Exchange library branch.
  • Together, these facilities have the potential to become a true community gathering place for southeastern Cambridge—not simply a collection of buildings.

New Homes and New Neighbours
  • New housing continues to be built around South Point and other parts of the ward.
  • These developments are bringing hundreds of new households into Ward 7, including young families, first-time homeowners, downsizing seniors and newcomers to Cambridge.
  • That growth can strengthen our community, support local businesses and expand the city’s tax base.
  • But responsible growth requires more than approving new homes.
  • It means ensuring that roads, water and wastewater capacity, schools, parks, emergency services and other infrastructure are ready to support the people moving into them.

Roads and Transportation
  • Franklin Boulevard has undergone years of reconstruction, including new roundabouts intended to improve traffic movement and safety.
  • Future extensions of McQueen Shaver Boulevard and other regional transportation projects could eventually change how people and commercial traffic move around southern Cambridge.
  • However, some of these projects have faced delays and changing timelines.
  • Ward 7 needs a councillor who will monitor these plans carefully, communicate honestly about their status and push the city and region to coordinate transportation improvements with actual development.

Jobs and Local Investment
  • Ward 7 is also home to manufacturers, contractors, professional services and other employers, including significant industrial operations along Franklin Boulevard.​
  • A strong community needs more than housing. It needs nearby employment, commercial services and opportunities for local businesses to grow. Cambridge should welcome responsible investment while ensuring that industrial and commercial development fits appropriately within surrounding neighbourhoods.​

what ward 7 residents are telling me

Every part of Ward 7 has its own concerns, but several themes are emerging in my conversations at the door:
  • Roads and infrastructure must keep pace with new development.
  • Traffic, speeding and pedestrian safety require greater attention.
  • Residents want taxes managed responsibly and city spending focused on clear priorities.
  • Families need accessible recreation, parks, childcare and community spaces.
  • Established neighbourhoods should remain safe, attractive and well maintained.
  • New subdivisions need better connections to the rest of Cambridge.
  • Residents want clearer communication about construction, planning decisions and project timelines.

​I will continue listening throughout the campaign. 
​This page will evolve as I learn more from the people who live and work in every part of Ward 7.

building the future of ward 7

I believe Ward 7 can become one of Cambridge’s strongest and most complete communities. That means welcoming new neighbours while protecting what existing residents value. It means supporting housing and economic growth while requiring infrastructure to keep pace. It means connecting new subdivisions with established neighbourhoods instead of allowing them to develop as isolated pockets.

​As your councillor, I will work for:
Infrastructure That Keeps Pace
  • Growth must be coordinated with roads, water capacity, transportation, emergency services, parks and other essential infrastructure. Development charges and other available funding should be used responsibly so existing residents are not left carrying an unfair share of growth-related costs.
Safe, Strong Neighbourhoods
  • Residents should feel secure walking their streets, using local parks and travelling through the ward. That requires attention to speeding, traffic design, pedestrian crossings, property standards and the everyday maintenance that shapes how a neighbourhood feels.
Stronger Community Connections
  • Ward 7 needs safe and convenient ways to move between neighbourhoods, schools, recreation facilities, businesses and the rest of Cambridge. Those connections include roads and transit, but also sidewalks, trails, community spaces and opportunities for neighbours to meet one another.
Responsible Spending and Honest Communication
  • Residents deserve to know what projects will cost, when they are expected to be completed and why priorities sometimes change. I will ask detailed questions, explain decisions clearly and be honest when timelines or financial realities do not match earlier promises.
A Welcoming Community
  • ​Whether someone has lived here for decades or received the keys to a new home last week, they should feel that they belong in Ward 7. Growth is not only about buildings and population figures. It is about creating a community where people can build relationships, participate and put down roots.

help shape this page - and ward 7's future

  • No webpage can fully capture a community as large and varied as Ward 7.
  • If there is a neighbourhood story, local business, historical detail, traffic concern or upcoming project you believe should be included, I would like to hear from you. You can also complete my community survey and tell me what you believe the priorities for Ward 7 should be.
  • The best decisions begin by listening to the people most affected by them.

LET'S CONNECT

The best ideas come from listening.
Whether you have a question, concern, or suggestion, I would love to hear from you.