Jeff Donkersgoed

Please describe one concrete policy, program, or decision you would support to address both encampments and permanent housing.candidate's own words

Homelessness is the responsibility of the Province and the Region of Waterloo. Both jurisdictions need to do a better job of making housing affordable again and providing upstream services, such as mental health and addiction support. But housing must come first. If elected, I will support the churches, charities, and social workers who, day in and day out, help our most vulnerable residents in Cambridge. I am inspired by the helpers in our community who feel a deep responsibility to lend a hand when all levels of government and corporations have failed to find solutions. I will also advocate for the Region of Waterloo to implement a safe tenting framework, where those experiencing homelessness can set up tents and/or trailers on specifically designated lands while receiving support from community partners. This would be an interim measure until more deeply affordable housing with wraparound services is built. The desensitization to homelessness is a moral failing. But I am inspired by concrete, fully costed plans from other municipalities, such as St. Thomas, which have sought to eliminate long-term encampments through innovative shelter-to-housing models that are accountable and track the costs and success rates of their plans. This is what we need to do here.

• Reallocate space on selected streets (e.g. road diets, transit lanes, protected bike lanes)
• Adjust signal timing, curb use, or intersection design
• Prioritize active transportation improvements during routine resurfacing

1. Prioritize expanding coverage area
2. Prioritize maximizing operational efficiency
3. Prioritize lower-cost or incremental transit improvements
4. Invest in rapid transit to anchor growth
5. Use transit to shape land use

Yes, sidewalks should be cleared alongside roads as part of regular winter maintenance

Yes, for all residents

Please describe one criterion or principle that should not be compromised when making transit investment decisions.candidate's own words

I was very happy to see the Region of Waterloo Council pass a motion in August 2026 directing regional staff to identify transit connectivity gaps and service enhancement opportunities. I submitted a correspondence letter advocating on behalf of the residents of the River Mill subdivision in Ward 1 prior to this meeting, where Grand River Transit does not travel through the subdivision, despite the neighbourhood consisting of over 1200 townhouses, condos, and detached homes, with further phases of development planned in the near future. As many new developments have appeared in Waterloo Region in recent years, I suspect that the River Mill subdivision may not be alone in terms of being underserviced by public transit. We must work towards ensuring everyone in the region has access to reliable public transit to connect them better with employment, education, health care, housing, and community services.

Please name one specific street, corridor, or project where you would prioritize these changes.candidate's own words

Cambridge should continue to expand its network of bike lanes to provide residents with more transportation options, improve road safety, and encourage healthier, more sustainable ways of getting around. Within Ward 1, Cycle WR has identified Lang’s Drive from Concession Road to Conestoga Boulevard as one of their priority roads for a AAA bicycle facility based on their Cycling Route Effectiveness Model (CREM). This route would connect Preston in the west, which includes the Fairview Seniors Community, William G Davis Public School, and the new Langs Drive housing development, to various industrial/commercial areas in the east, ending at the Conestoga Boulevard multi-use path. As this road is becoming more utilized by vehicular traffic, I am in full support of prioritizing such enhancements here.

Describe one concrete policy, incentive, or decision you would prioritize to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Where possible, explain how it balances environmental goals with fiscal responsibility.candidate's own words

I would prioritize low-carbon building standards for new developments. Cambridge should require new homes and buildings to meet stronger energy-efficiency targets and encourage electric heat pumps, better insulation, solar-ready roofs, and other low-carbon technologies. We should learn from cities like Toronto that use development standards and incentives to improve building performance. Building more efficient homes today will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs for residents for decades.

1. Develop a local food strategy, including research on how land-use change affects the food system
2. Promote and support low-barrier spaces for local producers to distribute and sell food
3. Encourage and support local landowners to rent to newcomer farmers
4. Partner with other levels of government to develop local food hubs that reduce costs and barriers for small businesses
5. Leave local food livelihoods to the private market

Please describe one concrete policy, program, or decision you would support to strengthen the local food system.candidate's own words

Ward 1 is unique to Cambridge as it is one of the few jurisdictions in the City to contain farmland. However, much has already disappeared and what is left is at risk to development. A recent development proposal in Northwest Hespeler could transform nearly 500 acres of agricultural land into a new community of as many as 3800 homes. The Official Planning Amendment was rejected by City Council based on staff recommendations, but its fate now rests at the Ontario Land Tribunal. The staff report noted that the City of Cambridge has a sufficient supply of designated and available residential land for development in excess of 15 years as required by the Provincial Planning Statement. However, our fertile farmland is finite. While we need to build more housing, we must also protect our farmland to ensure food security. We must prioritize infills, brownfields, grayfields, already designated lands, and the repurposing unused commercial spaces or converting single-family lots into higher-density housing for development and protect our farmland at all costs.

1. Prioritize infill and intensification where infrastructure
2. Limit outward growth unless full lifecycle infrastructure
3. Use development phasing tied to infrastructure capacity
4. Require detailed cost and risk analysis before approving
5. Proceed with outward growth to address housing supply

Describe one concrete zoning, planning, or development decision you would support (or oppose) that reflects how you would balance these priorities.candidate's own words

I do not support high-rise towers in single family home neighborhoods. However, I am somewhat supportive of homeowners in our city looking at their existing home and adding an additional dwelling unit where it makes common sense and the infrastructure exists. This is how we can accommodate growth through gentle density, such as duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, and accessory dwelling units, while preserving the character of existing communities.

Please describe one concrete example of a growth or infrastructure decision you would support or oppose using this approach.candidate's own words

Cambridge should prioritize growth that is financially sustainable. I support building more housing through infill, brownfield and greyfield redevelopment, adaptive reuse of vacant commercial spaces, and gentle density in existing neighbourhoods. Residents should have meaningful input, new developments should respect neighbourhood character, and every project should help create inclusive communities where people of all incomes can find a place to live. I am also in favour of mixed use developments which combine residential, commercial, retail, or public spaces into a single building to help create more walkable, convenient communities.

What can the municipality/region do, if anything, about land which sits vacant for years because it is being used as an investment (land banking)?candidate's own words

Cambridge should apply a vacant house tax. Vacant housing should be used to house people. Vacancies can undermine neighbourhood quality of life and community safety. Homes bought for investment speculation, where the owner just leaves it empty, ought to be taxed differently than a home that is being used.

It should be more transparent and accessible

Please describe one concrete example of a trade-off you would support (or oppose) when costs rise faster than revenues.candidate's own words

A particular capital project within Ward 1 that should be revisited is the rebuilding of the Speed River Dam in Riverside Park, which according to the 2026 City of Cambridge Budget could cost over $20 million once construction begins in 2029. City staff, the City’s Environmental Advisory Committee, the Grand River Conservation Authority, various Indigenous groups, and other environmental organizations argued for the naturalization of the Speed River over a decade ago, but City Council voted against those recommendations. The City should revisit the proposal of the Ontario River Alliance and the Ontario Federation of Hunters and Anglers (https://www.ontarioriversalliance.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2018-05-16-ORA-Joint-RiversideDam.pdf) for the Speed River that focused only on the ‘need to have’ infrastructure to protect Riverside Park and nearby condominiums and Fountain Street residences from potential flooding rather than a full rebuild - a proposal that is good for fishing, the environment, and could save millions that can be invested in other areas.