Wilmot — Mayor
2 candidates responded · 0 of 0 section answers were “did not respond”
Clive Woolner See responses
Stephanie Goertz See responses
- Promote and support low-barrier spaces for local producers to distribute and sell food
- Encourage and support local landowners to rent to newcomer farmers
- Partner with other levels of government to develop local food hubs that reduce costs and barriers for small businesses
- Develop a local food strategy, including research on how land-use change affects the food system
- Leave local food livelihoods to the private market
- 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
- 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
Wilmot’s zoning and municipal bylaws should be reviewed to remove barriers to small-scale local food production and sales. This would include rules affecting farm-gate and roadside stands, small-scale food-producing animals, and other ways residents and farmers can grow, produce and sell food locally.
Would you like to provide any additional context for your views on food systems?candidate's own words
My views on food systems come from years of hands-on community and environmental work. I have served as Chair of the Food System Roundtable of Waterloo Region and have been involved with Citizens for Safe Ground Water, Gravel Watch Ontario, 50by30WR, Nith Valley EcoBoosters, Let’s Tree Wilmot and the Wilmot Horticultural Society. I have been involved in conversations and advocacy around farmland protection, groundwater, aggregate extraction, climate change, local food and the health of our rural communities.
Other priority not listed abovecandidate's own words
Support small-scale local food production and protect farmland. I would review our zoning and bylaws to identify unnecessary barriers to agriculture and small-scale local food production. This includes supporting agri-tourism, making it easier for farmers and residents to sell food and other products at roadside stands, and reviewing our rules around backyard chickens and other small-scale animals. I also want to look at opportunities for local food processing and farm-related businesses so that more of the economic value created by agriculture can remain in our community. At the same time, we should track how much farmland is rezoned or developed, recognize the value of the ecosystem services farmland provides—including carbon sequestration, water cycling and green space—and explore the role conservation land trusts can play in protecting farmland.
On the ballot but have not responded to survey (2)
- Natasha Salonen
- Kristopher Wilkinson (current Ward 2 councillor)
Full candidate list: CBC Waterloo Region election coverage ↗