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Stuart Beeston — Collingwood council candidate

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In Candidates / Election 2018
Aug 8th, 2018
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Collingwood Connection

My interest in being a member of town council originates, in part, from my educational background in community planning and urban studies. My early career was as a planner for the Metropolitan Toronto Planning Board, and then planner and director of public participation for the City of Mississauga official plan task force.

After leaving the planning world, I continued to have dealings with municipalities in the designing, building and operation of restaurants in many municipalities throughout southwestern Ontario (including Kelseys in Collingwood). I was an operating partner and vice-president for Kelseys Restaurants for many years, and have served as senior vice-president for the Tortoise Restaurant Group. These experiences confirmed my belief that bureaucracy had become increasingly costly in terms of time, money and productivity. It screams for improvement.

My interest is not in politics. I am not, and never have been, affiliated with any political party or special interest group. It has always been my belief that we should put the interests and benefit of the community first. Collingwood has opportunities and challenges — some unique and some similar to many other municipalities.

Collingwood has an official plan. This is the point of reference in addressing the goals and objectives; in developing and locating housing, industry, offices and shops; with services such as water, sewers, transportation, parks and schools; when and where the community will grow; as well as community initiative.

Further to the official plan, I firmly believe that, as part of an overall strategic plan, it will become increasingly important that, as with most municipalities, Collingwood deal with the issue of housing that the younger, upcoming generation can afford, as well as that of the rapidly growing elderly population, many with limited incomes. Encouraging and facilitating employment opportunities must also be high on the priority list.

Another area of concern is that of young people at risk. A community must have a strategy to address this serious issue.

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