Editor’s note: As residents of Kingston gear up to vote in Ontario’s municipal elections on Monday, Oct. 26, The Whig will provide extensive coverage and insights into the candidates aiming to lead our community and the challenges our city and region face. In no particular order, today we feature Elliot Ferguson’s overview of the candidates running in Loyalist-Cataraqui.
Issues surrounding roads and taxes dominate discussions in this western district.
Paul Chaves
Loyalist-Cataraqui incumbent candidate Paul Chaves expressed his desire to complete projects he started four years ago during his next term.
“Roads are my top priority. That’s why I ran last time, and I want to ensure it stays a focus for the next term,” Chaves stated.
A significant road project planned for the upcoming year includes rebuilding the road outside Cataraqui Woods Elementary School, incorporating parking bays and measures to calm traffic.
Chaves also wants to ensure that plans for a new pool at the Invista Centre move forward as scheduled.
“I knew it would take some time. The financial aspect was going to be the biggest hurdle,” he noted. “Not everyone agreed initially, so I had to persuade them.”
“With around 1,200 or 1,400 swimming lesson spots filling up within seconds online, it’s clear there’s an issue.”
Additionally, he mentioned that developing a new park in the Woodhaven area is expected to be a key focus in his next term.
Soon after Chaves was elected to council early last year, he managed to convince city council to expedite a four-year plan for hiring more firefighters so that it could be completed within two years.
“The west end has expanded significantly without an increase in staffing levels,” he remarked. “They were replacing personnel due to retirements but hadn’t actually increased staff numbers. It was concerning because response times were higher.”
In November 2024, midway through his term, Chaves had to apologize for remarks made about female victims of intimate partner violence while discussing a motion declaring it an epidemic.
Chaves acknowledged he misspoke when suggesting that female victims sometimes engaged in violent acts within their relationships.
Dorian Harley
Dorian Hartley aims to represent everyday citizens at Kingston’s city council table.
The Loyalist-Cataraqui candidate decided to run after discussing with friends and neighbors about the current direction of council decisions.
“Politics has become increasingly interesting to me over time,” he shared.
“Now that I have a family, decisions made at City Hall impact me directly-not just as an individual but also regarding future plans for my kids and what happens in my neighborhood.”
The west-end district consists of four unique neighborhoods: Westbrook, Woodhaven, Cataraqui Woods and Cataraqui North.
“Each neighborhood has its own vibe,” Hartley explained. “However, property taxes and driving concerns are dominant issues-parking is particularly significant.”
Hartley mentioned that he aimed not come into this election with his own agenda but rather tailor his campaign based on what residents were expressing during door-to-door visits.
“In municipal elections we’re elected officials-not quite civil servants-but many people arrive with predetermined platforms before they’re voted in,” Hartley observed.
“Through conversations with friends and neighbors-and now from canvassing-people feel their needs aren’t being addressed adequately,” he added.
“Many folks are saying they don’t mind paying taxes; they just want clarity on where their money is going since they aren’t seeing any improvements compared to ten years ago.”
Hartley supports implementing zero-based budgeting by the city-a method where budgets reset annually-and department heads must justify their funding requests each year.
“It needs to make sense financially , ” he said. p >
Hartley works as a real estate agent , which can pose challenges for city councillors who need to declare conflicts of interest when real estate issues come up. p >
However , Hartley emphasized that he doesn’t collaborate with developers directly linked to the city , highlighting Kingston’s pressing need for more housing. p >
“I’d prefer if things operated more like a business ; creating more homes benefits Kingston overall ,” he stated. p >
“High home prices hinder my business personally , along with others too. ” p >
Jeff Pearce h2 > Winning a spot on Kingston City Council would mark Jeff Pearce’s third career chapter. p > Raised in Amherstview , Pearce studied film studies at Queen ’ s University before playing bass for Moist , which won a Juno award. p > After music , Pearce transitioned into corporate team-building before returning home to Kingston where he retrained as an electrician. p > “I think every job I’ve held has somehow prepared me for this role,” Pearce remarked. p > “The band experience taught me creativity and communication skills; working corporate team-building gave insights into leadership collaboration; plus learning permits codes building practices project management-all crucial aspects when constructing homes,” he noted. P >
“I’ve definitely lived multiple lifetimes.” P >
Those experiences enable him connect residents feeling detached from local government decisions.
“It’s frustrating when taxpaying citizens believe they lack input regarding how funds are allocated or feel unheard by council members,” said Pearce.
“So many individuals have grievances yet frequently feel ignored.”
Some instances illustrate how unresponsive city council can be regarding resident complaints.
“There’ve been instances I’ve heard about especially from Westbrook Cataraqui North-residents reached out concerning dying trees needing mulch yet received no acknowledgment from council,” added Pearce.
“Eventually they contacted someone else at City Hall who acted quickly once aware there was an issue sending over mulch promptly.”
The long-awaited park construction on Holden Street located within Woodhaven further frustrates him too.
“I walk past daily with my dog having seen signs stating ‘new park coming’ five years ago,” commented Pearce.
“Numerous meetings plans still leave it as merely rubble.” He concluded saying : “If planning occurred then please let’s follow through!”
Charanjeev Sekhon h2 >
The concerns surrounding taxes alongside services provided rank high among Loyalist-Cataraqui candidate Charanjeev Sekhon’s priorities. P >
Sekhon reported many neighbors share worries regarding property tax amounts versus available services received back. P >
“Tax increases occur often yet budget allocation could improve alleviating pressure off residents here,” Sekhon claimed. P >
“This tops complaints flooding my inbox -taxes taxes taxes!”
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