Ward 13

“Running businesses taught me that agreement rarely comes from getting everything you originally wanted. I have managed situations where owners, employees, suppliers and customers wanted different outcomes and I still had to get a decision made. My approach became: find out what people are actually objecting to, separate the result I need from the method I prefer, and change the method when that gets everyone closer to a workable answer. What did I give up? Often, my preferred way of doing it. I don't want to manufacture a dramatic story for a political questionnaire and pretend one ordinary management decision changed my life. The lesson came from doing it repeatedly: listening is not surrender, compromise is not abandoning your principles, and being right is not very useful if you cannot bring anyone with you. On Council, I would be one vote. I understand what that means.”

“People will ask me for more addiction-treatment and mental-health capacity. My first responsibility is to tell them the truth: City Council cannot order Ontario's healthcare system to create treatment beds. But "not our jurisdiction" cannot become "not our problem." I would document where the system is failing locally, formally press the Province and health-system partners, use Council's advocacy and convening power, and make sure municipal housing, shelter and public-safety decisions expose rather than conceal those gaps. I have already applied that principle. In August, I wrote to the London Police Services Board asking what results our enforcement, discretion and referral approaches are producing and what happens when policing reaches the limits of its role. A councillor should know where municipal authority ends. Then he should know whose door to knock on next—and keep knocking.”

“I want to be known for refusing the false choice between public safety and helping people recover. This is where I am genuinely torn. Residents, workers and businesses deserve safe streets and enforceable boundaries. But enforcement without treatment can simply move a person in crisis from one block to another. Compassion without boundaries can leave an entire neighbourhood absorbing the consequences indefinitely. The strongest argument against my position is that stronger enforcement can criminalize or displace people whose underlying problems are addiction, mental illness or homelessness. That's a serious argument. My answer is that enforcement cannot be the destination. London needs a path from crisis to treatment, recovery, housing, skills, employment and greater independence. But the reverse is also true: someone's need for help cannot mean everyone around them loses the right to safety. Good government has to be capable of holding both truths at the same time.”

“Throughout my years operating food businesses in London, I had a rule: if someone was hungry and couldn't afford to eat, I fed them. At my downtown hot dog cart alone, I gave away thousands of hot dogs over the years. Through my businesses, I also donated food, products and support to charities and community efforts whenever I could. There wasn't a program attached to it. There wasn't a press release. And there certainly wasn't a political campaign. It was simply how I believed a business should behave toward the community that supported it. Working downtown also meant knowing people in very different circumstances. Problems that look simple from a distance become much more complicated when you know the person standing in front of you. That's probably the best example I can give of how I would approach this job: see the person, understand the problem, know what you can actually do—and then do it.”

“I struggled with this question because I cannot honestly think of a clean example where I forced a room of people who disagreed with me to choose my preferred outcome. My leadership style is different. I try to make enough small decisions together along the way that, by the time the major choice arrives, the best path has become obvious to the group. When I have found myself alone with an idea and unable to build that coalition, I have sometimes continued alone rather than manufacture agreement. On Council, I would bring the same approach: build coalitions around outcomes, listen carefully, change the path where necessary. I will not abandon an important objective simply because consensus is difficult.”

“People regularly ask City Council to solve severe addiction and mental-health problems on our streets. I would tell them plainly that City Hall cannot create the detox beds, psychiatric hospital capacity or long-term treatment system London needs. Those are primarily provincial healthcare responsibilities. However, “that’s provincial” cannot become an excuse. I would use Council to build a coalition with health providers, police, community organizations and other municipalities. We would document the gaps, pass clear resolutions and bring a united case to Queen’s Park. Then I would publicly track what we requested and what response we received. To me, jurisdiction does not eliminate responsibility. It simply divides authority. We are citizens of London, Ontario and Canada at the same time. I will not forget that, and neither should you.”

“I want to be known for helping restore confidence in downtown London. Where I feel torn is homelessness and addiction. I believe public spaces must be safe, clean and usable, and that persistent disorder cannot simply be normalized. The strongest argument against that position is that enforcement without treatment, shelter and housing can merely push vulnerable people from one place to another without solving anything. I agree. The opposite failure is compassion without boundaries, where harmful conditions become permanent. I believe good leadership has to hold both truths at once. Protect public spaces while creating real pathways toward treatment, recovery, housing and stability. That requires councillors who witness conditions directly, listen before deciding, explain their choices and accept responsibility for the results. The strongest argument against my position is from someone that believes status quo is sustainable as-is. They will deny my positions and ideas as inverted. This is why voting matters.”

“For two decades I have worked in London real estate, and in 2012 I launched PC275 Realty around a simple idea: make an expensive, confusing transaction more transparent and understandable for ordinary families. That meant challenging an established business model, building systems from scratch. My signs got destroyed then too 😊 Readers can judge the result at PC275.com and searching our reviews. Running a brokerage is not the same as running a city, but the habits transfer. If you have read this far, I also wrote The Scrooge Dilemma, which explores many of the ideas that shape how I think about stewardship: gpds.com/scrooge/”

“When I became President of Pride London, several members of our seven board opposed bringing London Police back into Pride after the organisation’s very public separation from them. I believed rebuilding that relationship was possible. I brought both sides into repeated conversations, including meetings with senior police leadership. The ask changed from simply “bringing police back” to determining what a respectful relationship should actually look like and what concerns needed to be addressed first. Those discussions included policing practices affecting racialized and Indigenous communities, as well as concerns about discrimination within policing itself. The result was a phased return, community consultation and voting, starting with the virtual festival in 2021 and continuing with the return of LPS to the in-person festival in 2022. That experience taught me that changing someone’s vote often starts with understanding why they are saying no.”

“One thing I often hear is, “Why can’t you keep repeat or dangerous offenders in jail?” My answer is and has always been straightforward: City Council cannot make that decision. Bail and sentencing are governed by federal law and individual decisions are made by the courts. The Province also has responsibility for much of the justice and corrections system; however, London already has a Bail Compliance and Warrant Apprehension Unit. I would work with the Police Service Board to ensure it has the resources it needs and push for regular public reporting on whether those investments actually reduce repeat offending. I would also press the Province for stronger coordination between police, Crown prosecutors and the courts while investing locally in prevention and pathways for Londoners to enter policing and public-safety careers. I cannot promise council will decide who stays in jail. I can promise we will use every tool we control to make it harder for dangerous repeat offenders to continue cycling through our community.”

“I want to be known for helping turn downtown London around by investing in Londoners. I see the challenge of balancing City attention and funding for the core when every neighbourhood has real needs. The strongest argument against my position is that downtown has changed permanently and public money cannot recreate what it once was. I agree we should not try to recreate the old downtown. We should invest in the people who can build the next version of it—local entrepreneurs, residents, artists and community organizations—while creating more reasons to live, work and spend time there. If we invest in downtown, the benefits should remain in London and the results should be visible.”

“When I was President of Pride London during COVID, cancelling everything and waiting for normal to return would have been the easy option. Instead, I worked with our Board and community partners to find new ways to keep people connected and keep local talent visible. One example was Pride Live, created in partnership with Pepsi, Canada Life Place and others. This was a livestream that showcased local LGBTQ+ artists during a period when traditional events were not possible; this also broadcasted on the digtal Pride London Network streaming platform. That experience reflects how I would approach Council: understand the problem, bring the right people together, adapt when circumstances change and find a way to deliver rather than simply explaining why something cannot be done. Tourism London: Pride Live, June 2021.”

“A good example is the work I did on renovictions. I sought out a broader program to prevent bad-faith N13 evictions, including relocation, replacement housing and compensation protections for tenants. I knew I did not have the votes on Council for the entire package and there was a real possibility that would result in no protections at all. So, I focused on what we could achieve first, which was a licensing regime that required documentation, giving the City a way to act against abuse. I also crafted a progressive administrative monetary penalty structure so that non-compliance would carry real consequences. That was the compromise. I brought colleagues along who were not prepared to support the broader package, and I gave up some of the additional protections at that stage so we could get the core system in place. I still intend to pursue those protections.”

“People regularly ask, “If London has rehoused 1,500 people and expanded supportive and affordable housing, why does the problem still persist?” The truth, more people are being pushed into housing insecurity and homelessness faster than we are able to rehouse them. The upstream pressures go beyond municipal boundaries as housing affordability, inadequate income and social supports, and gaps in mental health, addictions and health care are at crisis levels. Addressing those requires provincial and federal action, investment, prioritization and political will. We also need a framework that reaches communities across Ontario and Canada. We cannot have supports in larger cities while smaller and rural communities lack them, forcing people to leave home to get help. My role is to use every tool London controls, bring our evidence to other governments, and keep pushing for the funding and policy changes needed to strengthen the social safety net and prevent homelessness upstream.”

“I don’t want to be known for one issue. Issues belong to Council as a whole, and my responsibility is to be engaged and accountable to move things forward. What matters most to me is knowing that I gave everything to this role and made the most of the opportunity. I want to be known for being a true and honest councillor, someone who takes your concerns seriously and someone who really cares. At times, I have felt torn about how public life can impact you, but I have remained grounded and principled in working for the people and not myself. There is also pressure to become more guarded, but this role is one that must remain open to criticism. It is up to us to be open to everything; so, when something does come up that is valid, we can recognize it and change course when required.”

“Early in my term, I brought forward a motion to develop a new direction for downtown. Downtown had become too reliant on office activity, leaving the core vulnerable to major shifts in how people work and use the city. The pandemic exposed that vulnerability and reinforced the need for a more diverse, vibrant and resilient downtown. My motion also called for identifying what remained relevant in previous downtown plans. Council supported the work, funding was secured, and the Canadian Urban Institute developed Downtown Reimagined, with 58 actions and four Big Moves. The plan sets a path toward a mixed-use, complete downtown neighbourhood, with residents, businesses, employment, culture and public spaces all contributing. It also calls for a dedicated Downtown Office and concierge service to coordinate implementation, which creates ongoing responsibility within City Hall, with staff and resources focused on downtown beyond any single Council term or councillor. Council Agenda, check page 83 - 2.4 2023-2027 City of London Strategic Plan: Core Area https://pub-london.escribemeetings.com/FileStream.ashx?DocumentId=105041 Council Agenda, check page 116 - 4.2 Downtown Reimagined: City of London Downtown Plan https://pub-london.escribemeetings.com/FileStream.ashx?DocumentId=124714”