My Priorities
The Blue Mountains is Growing & Changing.
The qualities that make this an extraordinary place to live deserve our care and attention.
My priorities are grounded in a simple belief: we can welcome the future while protecting what we value, strengthening our connections to one another, and making thoughtful decisions for the generations that follow.
My Focus
I believe strong communities are places where people know they belong. As The Blue Mountains grows, I want us to welcome new people and opportunities while protecting our small-town feel, our connection to one another, and the distinct character of the communities and landscapes that make this place home.
I don't want us simply to grow bigger. I want us to grow stronger and stay connected.
My focus is on four connected areas:
01 — Responsible Growth & Accountability
02 — Connected Communities & Access
03 — Protecting Our Environment & Sense of Place
04 — Economic Growth & Stability
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Every major municipal investment has two price tags: what it costs today and what it commits us to tomorrow.
Fiscal responsibility isn't simply about spending less. It's about understanding why we're investing, what value that investment provides and what it will cost to operate, maintain and eventually replace.
Can we afford to build it — and can we afford to own it?
Responsible growth means thinking beyond the next development or budget cycle. It means making transparent, evidence-informed decisions with the community we're becoming — and the community we want to remain — in mind.
The Questions I Will Keep Asking
What kind of community are we creating?
Does our infrastructure have the capacity to support the growth we're planning?
Are we getting good long-term value for public dollars — not just today, but for the generations that follow?
01 — Responsible Growth & Accountability
Growth should strengthen the community we already love.
The Blue Mountains is growing. For me, responsible growth begins with a bigger question than how many homes we build or how quickly we build them:
What kind of community are we creating?
I value the small-town feel of The Blue Mountains — knowing your neighbours, running into familiar faces, supporting local businesses, gathering at community events and having opportunities for different generations to connect.
Growth will bring change. Our responsibility is to manage that change thoughtfully so that, as we welcome new people and new opportunities, we don't lose the connection and sense of place that make people want to be here in the first place.
That means planning for a greater range of housing options and ensuring infrastructure keeps pace. It means understanding water and wastewater capacity, transportation needs and the long-term costs of the decisions we make.
It also means looking beyond the number of units being built. Are new neighbourhoods connected to existing communities? Can people walk, cycle and gather? Are there parks, public spaces and services nearby? Can young people imagine staying here, workers live closer to their jobs, and seniors remain connected as their needs change?
02 — Connected Communities & Access
Access changes everything.
A community can have excellent programs, facilities and services, but their value depends on whether people can actually reach and use them.
Transportation is part of that picture. It affects whether someone can get to work, attend an appointment, participate in recreation, shop locally, visit friends or remain independent.
For many people, driving is currently the most practical way to move around The Blue Mountains. But not everyone drives, owns a vehicle or can rely on driving throughout every stage of life.
We need to keep exploring practical options — safer walking and cycling connections, regional transit, taxi and rideshare services, accessible transportation and stronger connections between our communities and our neighbours.
What happens when you don't have access to a car?
It's a question I've heard from youth, workers, families and seniors, and one I believe deserves continued attention.
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Recreation is community infrastructure.
Our parks, trails, waterfronts, courts, fields, libraries and community centres support health, independence, social connection and belonging.
But I keep coming back to a simple question:
We built it — but who can actually use it?
Accessibility, affordability and transportation should be considered from the beginning, not added afterward.
I want young people to have meaningful opportunities to participate and lead, seniors to remain connected and independent, families to find opportunities to participate together, and people of different abilities and circumstances to see themselves reflected in our community spaces.
As we grow, creating places and opportunities for people to connect will become more important, not less.
The Questions I Will Keep Asking
Who can participate — and who is being left out?
What happens when someone doesn't have access to a car?
Are we connecting people to the places, services and opportunities they need throughout different stages of life?
03 — Protecting Our Environment & Sense of Place
We inherited an extraordinary place. Our responsibility is to care for it.
Georgian Bay, the Niagara Escarpment, Beaver Valley, our forests, wetlands, waterways and agricultural lands aren't simply the backdrop to life here.
They shape our economy, recreation, communities and sense of home.
Our natural systems also provide services we depend upon. Wetlands hold and filter water. Trees provide shade, cooling, habitat and stormwater benefits. Healthy soils absorb rainfall. Natural shorelines contribute to resilience.
Before significantly altering a natural asset, we should understand what it already provides — and what replacing those services may cost.
Protecting natural assets can be both environmental stewardship and responsible financial management.
Environmental and infrastructure planning also belong in the same conversation. Changing precipitation, extreme heat, storms, flooding and erosion affect the municipal infrastructure we're investing in today.
When we're building something intended to last for decades, we should plan for the conditions it may experience throughout its life.
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Our agricultural landscapes, mature trees, forests, waterways, shoreline, dark skies, trails and natural spaces contribute to the distinct character of The Blue Mountains.
Good planning starts by understanding what is already here.
I also believe good stewardship means being willing to learn from different sources of knowledge — including scientific and technical expertise, lived and local experience, and Indigenous knowledge. I value the principle of Two-Eyed Seeing: bringing different ways of knowing together to deepen our understanding.
What are we leaving for the generation that follows us?
That is a question I want us to keep asking.
The Questions I Will Keep Asking
What is already here, and do we fully understand its value before we change it?
How will today's decision affect our land, water and natural systems over time?
What are we leaving for the generation that follows us?
04 — Economic Growth & Stability
A strong community needs a strong, resilient local economy.
The Blue Mountains' economy is shaped by small businesses, agriculture, tourism, recreation, construction, hospitality, professional services and the many entrepreneurs and employers who invest here.
Supporting them means understanding what both businesses and workers need to succeed.
Municipal government can help create the conditions for that success through reliable infrastructure, predictable processes, thoughtful public investment, clear communication and constructive relationships.
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Tourism is an important part of our economy. It supports employment and local businesses and allows visitors to experience an extraordinary part of Ontario.
It can also create pressures involving traffic, parking, housing, infrastructure, emergency services and public spaces.
We need to be able to hold both realities at the same time.
A successful visitor economy and a strong year-round community do not have to be competing objectives.
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Businesses cannot thrive without people.
Housing, transportation, childcare, training and access to services all affect whether employers can attract and retain workers.
That's why I don't see economic development as a stand-alone issue.
Housing affects our workforce. Transportation affects access to employment. Infrastructure supports investment. Agriculture, recreation and environmental stewardship contribute to our local economy and identity.
Building economic resilience means connecting those dots and looking beyond the next season toward the long-term health of our community.
The Questions I Will Keep Asking
What do our local businesses and workforce need to succeed?
How can we support a strong visitor economy and a strong year-round community?
Are today's economic decisions building long-term resilience for The Blue Mountains?
How I Will Approach Decisions
Not every issue that comes before Council will have an easy answer.
But residents should know how I will approach those decisions.
LISTEN • QUESTION • INCLUDE • COLLABORATE • ACT
Listen to the people affected and take the time to understand the issue.
Question assumptions, ask for evidence and don't be afraid to ask the difficult questions.
Include voices and perspectives that may be missing from the conversation.
Collaborate with Council, staff, residents, community organizations, businesses and other levels of government to find practical solutions.
Act on the evidence, make decisions and follow through.
You shouldn't have to know how Town Hall works for Town Hall to work for you.
That's the kind of Council representation I want to provide.
What I'm Hearing
This campaign is a conversation.
Every conversation adds something.
People across The Blue Mountains have been talking with me about housing, transportation, affordability, infrastructure, recreation, our environment, local businesses, accessibility and community connection.
Sometimes I hear something I've already been considering. Sometimes someone gives me a completely different perspective. And sometimes the most useful thing I can do is ask another question.
What am I missing?
I'd love to hear from you.
Share an idea. Ask a question. Invite me to a conversation. Send me a message, give me a call, stop me when you see me around town or out on the Ask Meghan bike, or come say hello at a community event.
Choose what works for you.
Your Voice — Our Community
#YourVoiceOurCommunity