All topics Housing Getting Around Climate Food Growth & Planning Budget & Taxes

Waterloo — Ward 5

4 candidates responded

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All topics Housing Getting Around Climate Food Growth & Planning Budget & Taxes
Eda Dede See responses
In the context of growing pressure for economic development and the connected loss of farmland, what role do municipalities and the Region hold in promoting local food livelihoods, production, and processing?ranked from highest to lowest importance
  1. Promote and support low-barrier spaces for local producers to distribute and sell food
  2. Partner with other levels of government to develop local food hubs that reduce costs and barriers for small businesses
  3. Encourage and support local landowners to rent to newcomer farmers
  4. Develop a local food strategy, including research on how land-use change affects the food system
  5. Leave local food livelihoods to the private market
How should municipalities and the Region approach food insecurity and affordability?select up to 3 per part
A. Access to food
  • Partner with local charities, non-profits, and other organizations to strengthen access to food and redistribution of surplus food and produce for low-income residents
  • Support local food procurement for school food programs, including processing/preparation infrastructure, food literacy, and youth learning opportunities
  • Support programs to prepare food for those who are unhoused or unable to cook
B. Access to land for growing food
  • Make public lands (Regional and municipal) available for sustenance food provisioning, including in urban and peri-urban spaces as cities expand
  • Enable access to land and resources for local people who want to grow their own food (e.g. the community-garden model)
  • Encourage and support private landowners to make lots available for food provisioning
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Marty Rempel See responses
In the context of growing pressure for economic development and the connected loss of farmland, what role do municipalities and the Region hold in promoting local food livelihoods, production, and processing?ranked from highest to lowest importance
No response
How should municipalities and the Region approach food insecurity and affordability?select up to 3 per part
A. Access to food
  • Partner with local charities, non-profits, and other organizations to strengthen access to food and redistribution of surplus food and produce for low-income residents
  • Support the development of community buying clubs or municipal grocery stores
  • Use municipal land and planning powers to improve food access This is an area where municipalities can make a meaningful contribution without creating a large new tax-funded program.
B. Access to land for growing food
  • Enable access to land and resources for local people who want to grow their own food (e.g. the community-garden model)

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

The Region would work with local farmers, municipalities, community organizations and food businesses to identify gaps in the local food chain—particularly processing, storage, distribution and neighbourhood access—and use existing public facilities and land where practical to help fill those gaps. The objective would be to make it easier for local farmers to get their products to local consumers. This could include supporting seasonal farmers’ markets in underserved neighbourhoods, community gardens, local food hubs, shared cold-storage or processing facilities, and improved distribution networks connecting local producers with schools, community organizations and local institutions.

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

Too complex for a local council this is a joint effort with regional and provincial inputs

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Scott Piatkowski See responses
In the context of growing pressure for economic development and the connected loss of farmland, what role do municipalities and the Region hold in promoting local food livelihoods, production, and processing?ranked from highest to lowest importance
  1. Develop a local food strategy, including research on how land-use change affects the food system
  2. Partner with other levels of government to develop local food hubs that reduce costs and barriers for small businesses
  3. Promote and support low-barrier spaces for local producers to distribute and sell food
  4. Encourage and support local landowners to rent to newcomer farmers
How should municipalities and the Region approach food insecurity and affordability?select up to 3 per part
A. Access to food
  • Partner with local charities, non-profits, and other organizations to strengthen access to food and redistribution of surplus food and produce for low-income residents
  • Support local food procurement for school food programs, including processing/preparation infrastructure, food literacy, and youth learning opportunities
  • Support programs to prepare food for those who are unhoused or unable to cook
B. Access to land for growing food
  • Make public lands (Regional and municipal) available for sustenance food provisioning, including in urban and peri-urban spaces as cities expand
  • Enable access to land and resources for local people who want to grow their own food (e.g. the community-garden model)
  • Encourage and support private landowners to make lots available for food provisioning

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

Ensuring that all public events run by the City of Waterloo make provisions for how to get leftover food to those who are hungry.

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

While the Wilmot land acquisition is a Region of Waterloo issue (spurred and funded by the province), I will advocate that Waterloo's representatives on Regional Council (including the Mayor of Waterloo) withdraw their support for proceeding with the destruction of farmland in favour of an unspecified major industrial use.

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Victoria Richardson See responses
In the context of growing pressure for economic development and the connected loss of farmland, what role do municipalities and the Region hold in promoting local food livelihoods, production, and processing?ranked from highest to lowest importance
  1. Partner with other levels of government to develop local food hubs that reduce costs and barriers for small businesses
  2. Develop a local food strategy, including research on how land-use change affects the food system
  3. Promote and support low-barrier spaces for local producers to distribute and sell food
  4. Encourage and support local landowners to rent to newcomer farmers
  5. Leave local food livelihoods to the private market
How should municipalities and the Region approach food insecurity and affordability?select up to 3 per part
A. Access to food
  • Public access to food is primarily a provincial/federal and charitable-sector responsibility
  • Partner with local charities, non-profits, and other organizations to strengthen access to food and redistribution of surplus food and produce for low-income residents
  • Support local food procurement for school food programs, including processing/preparation infrastructure, food literacy, and youth learning opportunities
B. Access to land for growing food
  • Enable access to land and resources for local people who want to grow their own food (e.g. the community-garden model)
  • Encourage and support private landowners to make lots available for food provisioning

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

Increase access to community garden plots and run a youth growing program alongside

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On the ballot but have not responded to survey (1)

  • Andrew Portwine

Full candidate list: CBC Waterloo Region election coverage ↗