Roads, speed and housing top priorities for two new candidates in the race for Ward 1

Two more candidates have put their names into the race for Ward 1 in this October’s election.

Jennifer Silverthorne-Litton has deep roots in the community. Her great-grandfather and his sons were involved in the building of the Trent-Severn Waterway, her father was a councillor for Eldon Township and she’s currently getting ready to retire from being a bridge master on the Trent-Severn Waterway.

Last election, a couple of people suggested she should run, but she didn’t have the time to commit to council. Now, she wants to be a voice for her community. “I know I’ve had some issues with the city and to get results I’ve had to call the mayor or email the mayor and that’s not the way it should be,” she said, promising she would be a councillor constituents would find it easy to access. “Part of my campaign mantra is ‘Litton listens.’ I’m going to be listening to my constituents, and so far, roads are the number one concern in Bolsover,” Silverthorne-Litton said.

She lives next to a bridge that snowplows can’t cross, so her road — and those of her neighbours — often ends up being one of the last to be cleared. If elected, she would work to ensure those forgotten roads are given more thought.

Like many candidates, Silverthorne-Litton said speed is something she would address if elected. “(The city) spent all this money on signage. It’s not making any difference here. Some of the residents on this road, Bolsover Road, have suggested maybe we need speed bumps.”

Vicki Taylor has lived in Norland for the last four years and is the owner of the Riverside Inn. She be lieves her ability to build teams and connections will help to get things done in Ward 1.

“The more people talk together, the more people understand each other, makes a better community. It makes it easier to help.” Taylor said she’s also heard complaints about roads, and one of her priorities would be to get more resources for the ward so they aren’t always last when it comes to maintenance tasks, like plowing roads. “We get the least of everything, the roads get plowed in the bigger areas first. Which, from an efficiency point of view makes sense.”

“I think the top priorities here are what they are for most people everywhere in the world right now, people are concerned about the cost of living, which includes taxes and property taxes. They can’t get anywhere, we don’t have transportation. Housing is a huge problem. There’s very little available housing, and certainly little affordable housing,” Taylor said.

In her restaurant she’s found that the average age of her clientele is around 60. Many of them are ready to downsize, but they can’t find smaller, affordable houses. With no political background, Taylor has been reading council meeting notes and important documents like the Vital Signs report so she can be prepared and ready for council if she’s elected in October. Silverthorn-Litton said she doesn’t promise to have all the solutions, but she will put in the time and effort to find them.

“I will do the research, ask the questions to get the answers, and I’m going to work on behalf of all the constituents of Ward 1.