I support investing in Sarnia’s waterfront, parks and public spaces. They are important to our quality of life, tourism, recreation and our ability to attract families and investment. But we also have to recognize our financial reality. We cannot fund every master plan at once.
My first priority will be the basics: water and sewer infrastructure, flood mitigation, roads and the maintenance of the assets we already own. The 2026 budget itself committed $65.5 million to infrastructure renewal and improvements, including sewer separation, flood mitigation and road reconstruction.
For recreational projects, I would focus first on improvements that provide the greatest community benefit at a reasonable cost: safe and accessible washrooms, trails and pathways, playgrounds, lighting, accessibility improvements, shoreline protection and improvements that make our waterfront and parks more usable for residents and visitors.
I would also prioritize projects that can leverage outside funding. Canatara’s plan, for example, specifically positions projects so they are ready when grant opportunities become available, while Germain Park’s plan identifies approximately $7 million in phased improvements and Norm Perry’s approximately $13 million.
Where does the money come from? Not automatically from higher property taxes. I would first look for provincial and federal grants, partnerships and sponsorships, development-related funding where legally applicable, and savings identified through a detailed review of City spending. Major projects should then be phased over a realistic long-term capital plan rather than trying to build everything immediately.
Sarnia’s waterfront is one of our greatest assets, and I want to see it become more vibrant and economically productive. But my approach is simple: maintain what we have, fix the basics first, pursue outside funding, and build the future as we can responsibly afford it