Meet your Huntsville Ward candidates running for Huntsville council in the October 24, 2022 municipal election

Huntsville Doppler reached out to the thee candidates (just one will be elected) running for Huntsville Ward and asked them, in their own words, to introduce themselves and tell voters what they bring to the table.

Their answers, in alphabetical order, are below:

Liam Broad

I have been living in Huntsville for over a year with my fiancé Lizzie Allen and have lived in Parry Sound – Muskoka for since 2012. In that year I have met many great people and I would like to give back to them. I worked with former Mayor of Huntsville and MP Scott Aitchison in the 2019 and 2021 elections in various roles and with MPPs Norm Miller and Graydon Smith during the 2018 and 2022 elections respectively.

I studied Business Administration at Sheridan College. I also have public service experience as I Interned for Norm Miller in 2020. While I interned, I was responsible for reaching out to constituents and seeing if they needed help and worked with his staff to get them the help they needed.

I want to be a Municipal Councillor because I want to help the community that I love and has accepted me with open arms, and I believe that my personal skills are best used in Town Council.

My Platform Has four main pillars:

Improve Housing Affordability – by working with The Town Council, District Council, Provincial and Federal governments to help eliminate red tape and streamline the process to help get homes built.

Help You Access the Services you need – by directing you to the correct services and advocating for you to get you the help you need

Improve Government Transparency – By publicizing the discussions and decisions made by Town Council to keep the public notified and to receive input from constituents.

Improve Rural Internet access – By advocating for funding from provincial and federal governments and to direct it to Huntsville to improve internet access and speed. High speed internet has become a necessity for many jobs, and we need to make Huntsville remote work friendly.

Peggy Peterson

Thank you everyone, my name is Peggy Peterson, and I am asking for your support in my effort to represent the community of Huntsville in Ward One. My family moved to Huntsville in 1967, selling the busy family farm in southern Ontario when I was eight beginning an adventure of responsible living in Huntsville and Lake of Bays. I want to collaborate with community to ensure everyone is blessed with the same opportunities by supporting innovative ideas.

As a professional gardener and permaculture educator with years of experience engaging in responsible sustainable and respectful land use principles including watershed protection, I am looking forward to working together to support fiscally responsibility growth that is balanced, resilient and respectful. I was a candidate in 2018 election and learned so much from the experience and these are some of the issues that remain unresolved.

Economy – Many issues around truly affordable sustainable housing, addressing the local seeds of poverty and ensuring property tax accountability.

Ecology /Economy by Investing in the structural integrity of our municipal drainage structure proper stormwater management is related to a healthy watershed. If we continue compromising the watershed, we will compromise our future tourism industry.

Healthcare – We need local Hospitals.

Watershed, a full review of waterfront development including plans for Fairvern Property.

Open conversations around the safety of Highway 60 accesses and 5 G Cell towers.

Request proper testing for leachate from old Tannery Site.

What are your issues?

My goal as a Councillor is to do my best and be willing to ask the questions. My campaign is simple, no plastic signs and paid advertising. I am interested in attending small gatherings by invite and public forums with a plan to work together, addressing the genuine issues that will affect future generations

Helena Renwick

Hi my name is Helena Renwick and I am running for Huntsville Town Council in the 2022 October election.

I love this town, I’ve lived and worked here for over 26 years with my husband Cameron, raised a family and started a successful fine art business. I have volunteered for numerous organizations and committees and will continue to do so. This town is the envy of so many other small towns and I believe that we truly need leadership that will raise the bar even higher to support the residents of Huntsville and continue to work to make our town affordable, safe and liveable for everyone.

I am running for Town Councillor because I believe a clear vision is needed not just for the next four years but for the future of our town.  We need Councillors who can see the opportunities ahead through the eyes of those who live here, both seasonally and year-round, someone who can summon our collective knowledge, skill and passion for this town to build something amazing, together. A unique town like ours can’t reach its full potential without seizing the opportunity.

The challenges we face have been growing for many years, families are struggling to find affordable housing while the waiting lists get longer. Our vital infrastructure is showing its age, costing us more to maintain.

In the coming weeks my campaign will engage all parts of our town in a shared vision for Huntsville. We’re facing some tough challenges and by working together we can solve them – that’s the Huntsville way. We should allow ourselves to be creative and ambitious and be hopeful for something better. I’m asking you, the people of Huntsville, to work with me to make this town a place where everyone can thrive and realize our full potential.