Orléans West-Innes: Dudas — Infrastructure, green spaces, safety and affordability are top concerns

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Le Citoyen invited candidates for the October 24 municipal election to share their thoughts:

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It has been an absolute honor to serve my community at City Hall. I have been honored by the experience of working closely with community members, business owners and local leaders over the past four years.

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Long before I was a councilor, I was a community volunteer in many capacities, including serving as president of the Blackburn Community Association for nearly a decade. Being an active member of my community, giving back in a way that helps others, is who I am, is something I am very proud of, and it has also set the tone for my tenure on the board.

Many would point out that it has not been a typical council term, with a pandemic, natural disasters and power outages disrupting our daily lives and testing our city’s resolve. Nevertheless, together we persisted and emerged stronger.

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In my own community, I have been proud of what we have achieved together despite unprecedented challenges:

• Millions have been invested in renewing the east’s aging infrastructure, including Jeanne D’Arc, Innes, Eastpark, St. Joseph, Beausejour and smaller road projects.

• I got funding for new and improved sidewalks, trail connections, crosswalks: the things that make our community accessible and functional.

• When it comes to our green spaces and parks, I’ve brought new splashpads and playgrounds to the community, as well as upgraded old ones, helped plant hundreds of trees, and extended winter maintenance to sidewalks and driveways. community trails.

We have made significant investments in community projects such as the upgrade and expansion of the Lois Kemp Arena in Blackburn Hamlet in partnership with the federal government. Many small projects have improved the livability of our community. I brought new public bike repair stations, new crosswalks, multiple public electric vehicle chargers, and introduced naturalization projects on city property, while advocating for residents who want to do the same on the rights of way.

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Over the past four years, as I’ve gone door to door, I’ve constantly heard about community safety, whether it’s speeding on our streets, walking our children at school or problems with theft. It is imperative that we all feel safe in our homes and in our neighborhoods. I am proud to have supported new and improved traffic calming measures on our streets; the return of police officers and local and community resource teams; and personally introduced the motions that expanded the school crossing guard program – ensuring that every warranted location in the city received a school crossing guard.

Throughout, I have fought to maintain affordability and fiscal responsibility, knowing that the city has a duty to respect ratepayers and residents, and to invest in the services and projects the community prioritizes. As a councillor, I will continue to focus on the bottom line and fight to keep city services affordable for everyone.

My greatest honor has been to serve our community as a city councilor and I ask for your support on October 24 to continue to fight for us.

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