Simon Guthrie

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

I support creating more indoor overnight spaces like the one at 97 Victoria St. We know they are valuable at all times of the year, and not just during extreme weather. They provide a much stronger sense of security compared to tent encampments. They are also a way to build community that can then be used to provide more effective and efficient services to the unsheltered. This provides a reliable bridge in between encampments and permanent. In fact, they can be imagined as a large step to a future where encampments are largely obsolete.

Would you like to provide any additional context for your views on housing?candidate's own words

I have worked professionally with unsheltered and newly-sheltered communities twice in recent years. At MCC Ontario, our Circle of Friends program supported newly-sheltered participants as they rebuilt social connections. At The Working Centre, we provided 11 hours of indoor shelter during Feb/Mar/Apr of this year. It was well-used by the unsheltered.

• Prioritize active transportation improvements during routine resurfacing
• Focus improvements around schools, transit corridors, and commercial areas
• I would support the first option "Reallocate..." except that I know the province has made that close to impossible. Finding ways to work in that context is a priority of mine.

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

No, maintain the current system where property owners clear adjacent sidewalks

Yes, for specific groups

If you selected "Yes, for specific groups" above, which groups?candidate's own words

People with disabilities, Youth (age 12 and under)

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

equity of access, both for users of different ability but also for different areas of the region.

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

The Downtown Kitchener area has some notable connectivity gaps, particularly along Victoria St. With ION as a natural destination, we have to prioritize active transportation links to the central corridor. We must understand that infrastructure must be built with occasional and inexperienced users in mind.

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 energy-efficiency and low-carbon standards for new regionally-supported housing and buildings. Buildings last for decades, so it is far cheaper to design efficiency in from the beginning than to retrofit later. Higher standards can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also lowering long-term energy and operating costs. Where the Region funds, owns or helps enable development, we should use that leverage to favour projects that reduce both emissions and lifetime costs rather than focusing only on the lowest upfront price.

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

I would support the development of food hubs in the core urban areas, making healthy and low/no-cost food accessible to more of the Region.

1. Prioritize infill and intensification where infrastructure
2. Require detailed cost and risk analysis before approving
3. Use development phasing tied to infrastructure capacity
4. Limit outward growth unless full lifecycle infrastructure
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 would prioritize **growth where existing Regional infrastructure can support it, particularly along major transit corridors, before extending expensive infrastructure outward**. The Region still plans and pays for major systems such as water, wastewater, transit and Regional roads. When evaluating development proposals and planning those investments, I would favour growth that makes better use of existing capacity and supports transit, walking and cycling. This can accommodate more housing while limiting the financial and environmental costs of continually extending infrastructure to new areas.

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

I would **condition new growth on demonstrated water and wastewater capacity, while prioritizing developments that reduce their demand on those systems**. In particular, I would support Regional incentives or servicing policies that encourage **greywater reuse, rainwater storage, and other water-conservation systems** in new developments. Waterloo Region is facing real constraints on water capacity, so the most sustainable growth is not simply growth that can be serviced today, but growth designed to use less water over its lifetime. This can defer costly infrastructure expansion, reduce pressure on groundwater supplies, and help accommodate more housing without placing the full cost of growth on existing taxpayers.

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

I do not think scarce public infrastructure should be tied up indefinitely by land that is being held primarily for investment. At the Regional level, I would support time-limited water and wastewater servicing commitments tied to clear development milestones. If an approved project does not proceed within a reasonable period, unused servicing capacity should be eligible for reallocation to developments that are ready to build. I believe that Ontario’s Planning Act already allows development approvals to lapse if conditions are not satisfied within the specified period.

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

If costs are rising faster than revenues, I would **defer lower-priority infrastructure expansion before cutting essential services or allowing existing assets to deteriorate**. For example, I would rather postpone a road-widening project than reduce transit service or defer necessary maintenance to water, wastewater, roads, and other existing infrastructure. New capital projects create not only an upfront cost but decades of operating and maintenance obligations. Financial sustainability means maintaining what we already have, scrutinizing expansion carefully, and being willing to say “not yet” when a project would create costs we cannot responsibly sustain.

If you chose "It should be more transparent and accessible", please describe how.candidate's own words

I would like more of the process to take place outside working hours, ensuring that more people can participate.

1. Prioritize immediate investment in water conservation programs and demand management
2. Commission an independent technical review of all options before committing to major new infrastructure
3. Accelerate exploration of alternative water sources (wells, treated wastewater reuse, inter-municipal supply)
4. Pursue a Lake Erie pipeline connection with provincial and federal cost-sharing
5. Approve developments now and resolve water supply constraints in the future

Describe your position on how the Region should resolve this issue and what timeline is realistic.candidate's own words

We have to immediately admit that growth will be limited by water availability. In the medium term, we will build standards (with provincial participation whenever appropriate) to allow and encourage water conservation systems including greywater reuse and rainwater storage. In the longer term, we will either: -need another source of water given the limitations of our groundwater systems. -need to limit growth permanently.