“Good Green Questions” Written Survey

Responses from Mayoral candidates, organized by candidate

October 4, 2010

Click on a candidate’s name to link directly to their answers lower in this document.

Mayoral Candidates
Ted Callaghan
Zack Gauthier*
Dennis Gorman*
Marianne Matichuk*
Ed Pokonzie*
David Popescu**
John Rodriguez
Derek Young

*No response received. We were unable to contact Dennis Gorman, as no contact

information was available.
**Note that David Popescu hand-wrote his responses. For those interested, his
responses can be clicked on as a separate file.
Ted Callaghan

1. What are your top environmental priorities, what do you see as the main barriers to implementing
these priorities, and what will you do to overcome these barriers?

Maintenance of water quality

The Living with Lakes Centre
Source Water Protection
Storm Water management
Lake Stewardship initiatives
Bio-solids Project
Landfill Management and maximizing the Blue and Green Box programs

Barriers to implementation include cost; public will and understanding. As Mayor, I would continue
the City's work with these important projects/programs in order to continue strong Council and
public commitment to them.

2. What is the biggest gap you see in the City’s policies or activities, related to the environment?

Funding issues centered for the most part on communicating an understanding of the complexity of
issues, expense related to implementing viable local solutions and how difficult it is to finance
environmental projects from property taxes which is a very regressive form of taxation.

3. In your opinion, what are the most important objectives and actions in EarthCare Sudbury’s Local
Action Plan, and how would you, and the city, accomplish them? Which would you personally
champion?

From Earth Care Sudbury's Local Action Plan the more important objectives for our community is
to "Enhance the environmental health of Greater Sudbury – to improve the quality of our air, land,
water and living systems – and in so doing, improve the social and economic well-being of future
generations". I would see to it that the Earth Care Committee continues its good work and would
monitor their work and recommendations closely.

4. (a) Which of the following City documents have you read and are familiar with (please highlight
those that apply):

As Councillor, I have drawn on all of these documents as necessary.

(b) What are some specific actions arising from these plans that are a priority for you?

Affordable housing, clean air and water, and Sustainable Mobility are priorities.

Green Jobs

5. Would and how would you champion reliable funding and support for: (a) growing our green
economy; and (b) success of local businesses? Which specific green job projects would you help
make happen?

Funding for growing the green economy is going to be difficult to fund and implement without
private sector involvement and funding. The Provincial Green Energy Act could create
opportunities that the City may wish to examine and possibly support.

Refer to Question #1.

 6. Bearing in mind the provincial Green Energy act, and EarthCare Sudbury’s Local Action Plan: (a)
what specific actions should the city take to conserve energy and produce renewable energy on
city properties; (b) how can city policies encourage property owners to add energy efficiencies,
and facilitate renewable energy production on private property?

Council and city staff should be open minded to new ideas related to energy savings and the
production of renewable energy.

Our professional Planning Staff should remain supportive of new ideas put forth by owners of
private property.

7. Would and how would you champion reliable funding and support for: (a) improving walkability;
(b) safe cycling infrastructure; (c) increasing transit ridership?

I would support recommendations made in the Sustainable Mobility Plan on page 80.

8. What will you do to ensure that the objectives of the Sustainable Mobility Plan and the Bicycle
Master Plan are implemented?

I would support the creation of a staff position to oversee and assist with implementation of the
Sustainable Mobility Plan.

9. Roads is a perennial topic in Greater Sudbury. The roads budget is currently a very large
proportion of the City budget, yet needs for road maintenance still often go unmet. In your
opinion, how should the roads budget be managed in terms of: increased or reduced spending;
creating new roads versus maintenance of existing roads; the amount relative to spending on other
municipal services; and budget allocations for pedestrian and cycling infrastructure?

Defining and establishing road budgets and road spending priorities continues to be challenging for
any municipal City Council to deal with, including the CGS. Opinions and solutions vary and are
resolved thought debate and policy directives established by a combination of community demands,
municipal staff’s professional and educated directives and Council’s final decisions.

10. Explain how you view the balance between growth/private interests, and the protection of
agricultural lands and the natural environment, including our many lakes. What changes, if any do
you believe are necessary in terms of protecting natural areas in the City of Greater Sudbury?

I concur with the recommendations made in the Earth Care Sudbury Action Plan (2010) that states:
The City of Greater Sudbury will:
• Lead the development of a Greenspace Strategy for Greater Sudbury
• Uphold the municipality’s Natural Environment policies as stated in the Official Plan
• Enforce the new Topsoil Removal and Site Alteration By-Law

11. How have/will you support local agricultural and the local food supply chain/distribution?

Encourage increased investment in local food systems.

Continue to support local programs like Sudbury’s Farmer’s Market.

12. In your view, what is the role of the Official Plan and the Provincial Policy Statement in municipal
planning decisions? What changes, if any, would you like to see put in place in the upcoming
Official Plan review?

The Official Plan guides all development activity in the City, and its policy and directives require
final authorization from the Province.
Nothing yet, CGS just completed a full review of its Official Plan.

13. Urban planning affects how citizen’s needs for housing (including affordable housing and seniors’
housing), parkland, transportation, and goods and services are met. One view of urban planning is that
market forces best direct growth to meet these needs. Another view is that urban planning should be
more ‘hands-on’ in anticipating and meeting community needs. Which of these views make the most
sense to you, and why? How do you see Council and the City’s role in guiding new development, and
what form(s) of development do you think would be most beneficial to our community?

As Mayor, I would ensure the creation of a Community Housing Needs Work Team in order to
prepare the necessary recommendations needed to engage and lobby other levels of government, to
identify the potential for innovative public-private housing development partnerships and solutions
for making Greater Sudbury more livable and affordable for all its citizens. For further
information, see my website concerning affordable housing.
I also concur with the recommendations made in the Earth Care Sudbury Action Plan (2010) that
states:

The City of Greater Sudbury will:

• Develop an urban design policy that reflects ‘Smart Growth’ principles

• Support new developments that feature a range of housing types and are mixed-use
• Complete a Brownfield Community Improvement Plan by 2010 by 2010
• Attract developers to appropriate locations ( ie: in-filling ) in established urban areas to offset
sprawl

14 I n the next 4 years, what do you believe the impacts of climate change and rising energy costs
will be on the City of Greater Sudbury and its residents? Given that the largest living expenses are
food, transportation and housing, what actions should be taken to protect those citizens of Sudbury
who will be most impacted?

Council will need to continue to be sensitive to struggles and challenges faced by all residents of the
community and ensure city policy, planning and decisions are flexible enough for adapting to ever
changing financial and socials conditions of all residents in all income brackets.

15 How will you make decision making by Council and city staff more transparent, and engage
citizens in municipal decisions?

There are over five hundred thousand interactions between citizens and City Hall every year,
including personal visits and phone inquiries to the Greater Sudbury 311 phone service. To improve
cost effective delivery of City Services, there must be improvements in communication. There must
be better communications between staff working together; better coordination between management
and staff; more liaison between departments. Finally, there should be more contact between you the
Voters, and your elected Mayor and Council.

I will foster a program of open communications to improve taxpayers’ interactions with staff
through improvements in 311 Service. These improvements will focus on garnering data to support
decision making processes and improvements to operations that address questions, concerns and
suggestions. Throughout my career as an elected official, I have understood the importance of
identifying and correcting problems and concerns before they develop into bigger issues. As a
Councillor with 16 years experience I have learned the importance of resolving problems in a timely
manner.
 16 Describe how you have worked with residents and community groups (including, but not limited
to CANs) in the city. How have/will you empower residents in revitalizing their community,
including securing the resources needed to achieve their goals?

Listen to ideas and suggestions put forth by community and assist where possible. Believe City
councils can play an important role in moving community goals forward.

Examples of some of my community involvement include the following:

• Pioneer Manor Redevelopment

• Greater Sudbury Public Library Expansion
• Finance Chairperson
• ParkSide Older Adult Centre Development
• Diversity Committee Formation
• Millennium Committee Leadership

17 Collaboration among different departments is recognized as crucial in achieving goals of

sustainability and efficiency. What changes do you believe are needed to improve collaborative
decision making within the City?

I will work hard to foster mutual respect for the ideas, needs and hopes of citizens and respect for the
capacities and capabilities of city staff to develop a culture of teamwork and transparency to address
concerns and problems as they arise. I understand that it is the Mayor that sets the tone regarding
public accountability and positive corporate responsiveness to decision making processes.

===============================================================

John Rodriguez
Introductory questions

1. What are your top environmental priorities, what do you see as the main barriers to implementing these
priorities, and what will you do to overcome these barriers?
For me personally, the top two environmental issues in Greater Sudbury are lake water quality and
reducing the city’s carbon footprint, particularly our reliance on the automobile. We have more
lakes within our municipal boundaries than any other city in the world, at least any city that I am
aware of, and I believe that we must develop an exemplary reputation for stewardship of these bodies
of water. I am looking forward to the opening of the Living with Lakes research centre at
Laurentian University because I am certain that the research work here will be focused on our local
lakes and will lead to innovations that will help us maintain water quality and enhance our city’s
reputation. As a municipality, we have initiated several programs to protect our lakes, including the
installation of storm water treatment facilities for Ramsey Lake and Lake Nepahwin. We are
working with the Nickel District Conservation Authority and the Source Water Protection Program
to identify sensitive areas for drinking water and develop programs to reduce salt use and educate
the public about the importance of protecting these areas from contamination. The biggest obstacle
to overcome in protecting lake water quality is a lack of public commitment. Despite our best efforts,
people continue act in ways that are detrimental to the health of our lakes. Along the shore, they
clear weeds and dump sand, reducing fish habitat. They allow boats to leak oil and gas or put the
same material down storm drains along the road. We need to increase our public education efforts
and make it socially unacceptable to cause negative impacts on our waterways.
In terms of reducing our city’s carbon footprint, we have led by example by buying a significant
number of hybrid vehicles for the city fleet. I have noticed a substantial reduction in fuel
consumption in using my personal Camry Hybrid and our fleet will amplify these kinds of results.
We continue to review the energy use in all of our buildings and implement changes to reduce usage
or to do minor renovations in order to achieve energy savings. In the broader community, I am
encouraged by initiatives like rethink Green’s energy renovation advice for homeowners, and the
hundreds of inniovative ideas I have seen in my visits to industries as small as a welding shop and as
large as Vale. In the long term, we need to continue to build our city through infill growth and
support both smaller workplaces closer to residents and clustering of development so that it can be
more easily served by transit. Our city is very spread out and cars are naturally our most important
form of transportation. There are things we can do to better prepare for the future and to encourage
alternate forms of transportation, however, and these are discussed in later questions.

2. What is the biggest gap you see in the City's policies or activities, related to the environment?
I think there has been a slow but steady increase in this city’s environmental awareness and we are
acting in a more responsible fashion than ever before. I think that there is still a disconnect between
those directly connected with environmental initiatives and some of the city’s operational
departments. Initiatives like our Healthy Community project are helping to bridge this gap but it is
important to maintain the momentum we have generated and find ways to make connections across
the municipal organization. In the next term, I believe we can explore ways to bring the
environmental or healthy community lens to Council’s decision-making process and I will be looking
for support to do this, at least on a pilot basis.

3. In your opinion, what are the most important objectives and actions in EarthCare Sudbury’s Local
Action Plan, and how would you, and the city, accomplish them? Which would you personally champion?
The Local Action Plan contains a large number of important goals and objectives and all are worthy
of support. There are several objectives and action items, however, which are a priority for the city
to address. First, we need to continue efforts to encourage smart growth in the community.
Reducing sprawl and encouraging infill development increases the utilization of existing services and
saves in the long term. Rehabilitating brownfields creates more vibrant neighbourhoods and fills in
existing gaps. Second, we will focus on reducing municipal energy use. We have already brought
more hybrid vehicles into the fleet and adopted strong energy standards for new construction. We
need to continue a comprehensive review of energy use and reductions strategies. Third, we must
build on our success in solid waste diversion and achieve the 65% diversion target. The
environmental reasons for recycling and reuse are bolstered by the staggering cost of developing a
new landfill. Increased diversion puts the needs for a new landfill site further away and the savings
are tremendous. Increased education and expansion of the program into additional sectors will help
us reach this worthy goal. Fourth, I want to continue to increase transit ridership and get more
people out of their vehicles. The rising cost of gasoline may assist this effort but I believe we can also
make schedule and service improvements and work on educating the public to improve their
perception and interest level in the bus as an alternative. The transit service that exists now in
Greater Sudbury is very effective and cost competitive when compared to cost of owning and
maintaining a car.

4. (a) Which of the following City documents have you read and are familiar with (please highlight those
that apply):
- Official Plan
- Sustainable Mobility Plan
- Final Report of the Greenspace Advisory Panel
- Community Improvement Plans
- Downtown Streetscaping Plan
- Sudbury Climate Action Plan
 - EarthCare Local Action Plan
- Social Planning Council Community Poverty Reduction Strategy
- Arts & Culture Charter & Strategy

I want to assure you that I have read and am familiar with the basics of all of these documents but I
would not pretend to be an expert on all of the subject matters or all of their recommendations.
Each of these documents has been adopted by City Council and is useful in guiding decision-making
and initiative development.

(b) What are some specific actions arising from these plans that are a priority for you (please
identify the plan(s))?

I am personally committed to advancing the third goal of the Arts & Culture Strategy by helping to
create A Community that Values the Economic Potential and Social Contribution of the Arts. I try to
share this view in my daily work as Mayor and encourage others across Greater Sudbury to do the
same.

The Official Plan recommends that our downtown core be developed and sustained as the vibrant
hub of a dynamic city. I have supported this recommendation by advancing the School of
Architecture as a foundational project in the transformation of the downtown. I lobbied hard and
successfully for provincial and federal funding to undertake the development of a Downtown Master
Plan and this process is now underway.

The Poverty Reduction Strategy emphasizes the need for the city to actively work to expand the
availability of affordable housing. Council has certainly done this over the past four years with new
developments on Copper and Mountain Streets in Sudbury and another development in Capreol.
There is more work to be done in this area and I am also committed to advancing the concept of
supportive housing to make it a realistic option for lower income seniors who need minimal
assistance to stay out of hospitals and long term care facilities.

=======================================================================

Green Jobs

5. Would and how would you champion reliable funding and support for: (a) growing our green economy;
and (b) success of local businesses? Which specific green job projects would you help make happen?
I have already championed support for green jobs projects at the Board of Greater Sudbury Utilities
and through the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation. The GSDC has funds allocated by city
council each year to assist in business development and we have targeted several green jobs projects
over the past several years. We continue to pursue opportunities for wind and solar power
generation within the city and have worked hard to attract wind turbine component manufacturers
to Greater Sudbury. The GSDC Strategic Plan calls for our city to become a leader in advanced
education, innovation and research, and also proposes that we embrace emerging technologies. Our
staff have positioned the city well for growth in this area and I am certain that positive development
will come in the near future. I am personally interested in seeing small scale solar developments
installed on city buildings and I will push for new or renovated municipal facilities to incorporate
advanced energy saving features.

6. Bearing in mind the provincial Green Energy Act, and EarthCare Sudbury’s Local Action Plan: (a)
what specific actions should the city take to conserve energy and produce renewable energy on city
properties; (b) how can city policies encourage property owners to add energy efficiencies, and facilitate
renewable energy production on private property?
As indicated above, I am very interested in seeing alternate energy generation projects take place in
Greater Sudbury. I am pleased with the landfill gas generation project at our main Sudbury
Landfill. This initiative produces 1 megawatt of electricity and was a partnership of the city,
Toromont and Greater Sudbury Utilities. I have already begun to advocate for more projects like
this, whether it is solar panels on the roof of Tom Davies Square, or joint efforts with multiple
partners to establish wind turbines within the city. I was a strong supporter of introducing Hybrid
vehicles to the municipal fleet and we have now expanded on this successful pilot project. I believe
that building standards already require attention to energy efficiency but I will commit to a review of
our regulations and a discussion with industry to determine if there is more that we can do in this
area. There are programs through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal
Fund that could be explored for support for pilot and demonstration projects in this area. I am not
aware of any impediments to renewable energy production on private properties, especially with the
new provincial planning regulations on these projects. In areas served by Greater Sudbury Utilities
at least, we are well positioned to support such initiatives.

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Transportation

7. Would and how would you champion reliable funding and support for: (a) improving walkability; (b)
safe cycling infrastructure; (c) increasing transit ridership?
This city already expends resources in all three of these important transportation areas. I would
support a consolidation of these funds so that a strategic plan for their investment could be developed
based on community priorities.

Support for Rainbow Routes has resulted in projects like the Ramsey Lake Road Path and the
Copper Cliff Pathway, which have benefits for both pedestrians and cyclists. Some of the funds
allocated to the current arterial roads rehabilitation program will be used to move lamp posts and
pave boulevards to provide a safe riding path separate from the sidewalk. The sidewalk network
itself has been expanded over the past few years and a lot of work has been done to repair broken
pavement to enhance safety. New pedestrian traffic signals on Paris Street make crossing safer and
the countdown timers on many walk signal also assist pedestrian safety.

Greater Sudbury Transit now offers audio and visual stop announcements and they will soon be able
to provide more accurate estimates on bus arrival times. Council has approved several pilot routes
and enhancements and we will continue to experiment with route and schedule changes to enhance
services. Transit fares are competitive and the quality of service has improved dramatically in the
past five years. I am particularly proud of the transit bike rack program and I look forward to
expanding this program when we can accommodate the rack-equipped buses in a new garage.
ommitted to working with the community to raise the profile of public transit and convince more
people to ride.

8. What will you do to ensure that the objectives of the Sustainable Mobility Plan and the Bicycle Master
Plan are implemented?
Although the process to develop the 2011 municipal budget will be constrained because of the timing
of the election, the process for the 2012 budget will begin this spring and will allow Council the
opportunity to bring a lot of strategies and issues to the fore. Sometimes we are too quick to look for
new ideas when we have excellent reports and recommendations already in hand and adopted by
Council that are simply waiting for implementation. I have already discussed the need for council
and staff to bring forward plans such as the Sustainable Mobility Plan and the Bicycle Master Plan,
along with other major plans like the various Community Improvement Plans, the Economic
Development Strategic Plan, and the Greenspace Plan. These documents and recommendations
should form the context for our decision-making in the budget process. With the work that has been
done by a number of community groups in recent years, including the Bicycle Advisory Committee
and the Rainbow Routes Association, as well as the recent creation of new associations, we are poised
to make major advances over the next four years. I believe that council should consider the creation
of a new Advisory Committee on sustainable mobility to look at ways to make our community more
pedestrian friendly and accommodate cycling as a viable alternative mode of transportation.
Modelled on the work done by the Greenspace Advisory Committee, this new Sustainable Mobility
Committee would work closely with all stakeholder groups throughout Greater Sudbury to create an
inventory of all public trails and generate a list of priorities for strategic expansion of our cycling
infrastructure.

9. Roads is a perennial topic in Greater Sudbury. The roads budget is currently a very large proportion of
the City budget, yet needs for road maintenance still often go unmet. In your opinion, how should the
roads budget be managed in terms of: increased or reduced spending; creating new roads versus
maintenance of existing roads; the amount relative to spending on other municipal services; and budget
allocations for pedestrian and cycling infrastructure?
With the lowest population density of any large city in Ontario and enough roads and lanes to stretch
from the Four Corners to Atlanta, Georgia, it is easy to understand why the challenge of roads
maintenance is an ongoing priority for this municipality. While we have made significant progress in
the past two years, this has been achieved with the support of the federal and provincial governments
and I do not expect this type of funding to be available for 2011 and beyond. I am committed,
however, to continuing to increase our spending on roads in the future. We will work hard to ensure
that these funds are spent efficiently and effectively but the reality is that for the short and medium
term, we need to continue to increase our commitment to roads. I am committed to pursuing the
construction of the Maley Drive Extension and the expansion of Municipal Road 35 to Chelmsford.
These new roads are required to deal with the challenges of increased traffic and to allow for safe
transport of mining ores on routes that avoid some of our most densely travelled routes. I believe
that we can increase our commitment to roads over time without causing it to crowd out spending on
other important municipal services and I will not support the expansion of the roads budget at a
consistently higher rate than other services. Finally, I will be asking staff to break out our current
spending on pedestrian and cycling infrastructure so that we can see this figure and monitor it over
time. I believe that we have laid the groundwork for strong advances in these areas over the next
several years.

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Natural environment, land use planning, policy, and climate change

10. Explain how you view the balance between growth/private interests, and the protection of agricultural
lands and the natural environment, including our many lakes. What changes, if any do you believe are
necessary in terms of protecting natural areas in the City of Greater Sudbury?
Given our history, the natural environment in Greater Sudbury is in better balance now than at any
other point since the city was established. Environmental considerations are often put forward
during development approvals and I believe the city has done a good job of ensuring that
appropriate protection systems and mitigation strategies are implemented. I supported the
establishment of the Greenspace Advisory Panel and this group’s initial report on areas of
importance will form the basis for additional work in the new term. The panel’s findings have
already had an impact on a planning matter where they were used to encourage a developer to create
a buffer zone along the side of his property which would also serve as a connecting link for access to
existing greenspace. I have been pleased with the work of the local office of Fisheries and Oceans
Canada, who have now taken a lead in enforcing shoreline development regulations. I am aware of
several instances where significant charges have been laid and also where swift interventions have
prevented permanent damage to habitat. I am also pleased that the city has constructed diversionary
tanks for storm water treatment on Ramsey Lake and Lake Nepahwin. These facilities significantly
enhance water quality by reducing silt deposition. In the future, I want to see our city take a more
active role in lake water quality initiatives and work to get the public to better understand the
impacts of their activities on our lakes. The model of the Greenspace Advisory Panel and the Top
Soil By-law are both good examples of how we should proceed to protect natural areas. In both these
cases, citizen input assisted in the determination of what areas should be protected and what areas
should be left for development. We need both protection and development to make a great city and I
think we are on the right track.

11. How have/will you support local agricultural and the local food supply chain/distribution?
I am very supportive of the revitalization of our agricultural sector. Market Square is run by the
municipality and provides a venue for local food producers to sell produce to people each weekend
during the harvest season. I have helped promote the market and assisted staff in their efforts to
secure funding for enhancements to make the building more economically sustainable. I am very
proud of my role in bringing in a top soil protection by-law to ensure that valuable farmland is not
destroyed simply to remove the top soil. I believe we have created a law that allows the top soil
market to survive but protects our most valuable agricultural land for future generations. I enjoy
promoting the eatLocal initiative whether by visiting the market or getting out to Spill the Beans
Farm.

12. In your view, what is the role of the Official Plan and the Provincial Policy Statement in municipal
planning decisions? What changes, if any, would you like to see put in place in the upcoming Official Plan
review?
Greater Sudbury’s Official Plan should be the basis for our municipal planning decisions. The plan
lays out what our city is and what it could be, it determines where we can best locate different
residential and business activities and what our priorities should be for future growth. The
Provincial Policy Statement is a more general set of principles that overlays the Official Plan and
provides broad goals for good planning decisions. I believe that most decisions by our Planning
Committee and Council should, and do, conform to the OP and the PPS. Every situation is different,
however, and I believe that local councillors are in the best position to evaluate proposals in the
context of these documents and make the decisions that are best for our community.

13. Urban planning affects how citizens’ needs for housing (including affordable housing and seniors’
housing), parkland, transportation, and goods and services are met. One view of urban planning is that
market forces best direct growth to meet these needs. Another view is that urban planning should be more
‘hands-on’ in anticipating and meeting community needs. Which of these views make the most sense to
you, and why? How do you see Council and the City’s role in guiding new development, and what form(s)
of development do you think would be most beneficial to our community?
The success of Greater Sudbury as a community is that we have never believed that market forces
are the only, or even the best, guidance for growth. As a people, we have consistently intervened in
the marketplace to write our own story and that is what has made us the undisputed Capital of
Northeastern Ontario. We are doing this again with the development of the School of Architecture in
the city core. I believe that it is important for the community to be in control of urban planning and
to guide development in the best interests of the overall community. As our city matures, there is
opportunity to discuss long term objectives and set goals for specific development across the city. In
the near term, I am interested in encouraging infilling to make the most use of existing services. I am
also actively supporting efforts to establish supportive housing for seniors at risk, as well as
expanded opportunities for affordable housing.

14. In the next 4 years, what do you believe the impacts of climate change and rising energy costs will be
on the City of Greater Sudbury and its residents? Given that the largest living expenses are food,
transportation and housing, what actions should be taken to protect those citizens of Sudbury who will be
most impacted?
I am hesitant to predict the effects of climate change on Greater Sudbury, especially over such a
short time frame. At the moment, I believe that we are in a transitional period and variability in
climate may become the norm. I am concerned that we may face an increased number of severe
weather events of all types and it is important that we continue to learn from our recent experiences
to be better prepared for the future. Energy costs are likely to continue to rise and they will indeed
have a disproportionate impact on those who can least afford them. There is much evidence that
energy retrofits to privately-owned low income housing can have enormous benefits for residents and
for overall energy use. The challenge is to create incentives for private owners to make
improvements. For the most part, as with food and transportation, the municipality has limited
resources and policy options to assist in these areas. We will continue to support initiatives that
bring citizens together to share information and best practices and we can encourage the provincial
and federal governments to establish programming to address these inequities. We will also continue
to support grass roots efforts to expand local food production through farms and community gardens
and seek to connect vulnerable citizens with these initiatives.

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Transparency and citizen engagement

15. How will you make decision making by Council and city staff more transparent, and engage citizens in
municipal decisions?
Decision-making by Council is already conducted in public and, for the most part, during televised
meetings. In addition, we have many municipal advisory bodies and sub-committees that have
citizen appointees who bring different perspectives to the table. I believe that there are immense
opportunities to use new technology to allow citizens to see into municipal processes and be more
engaged in determining outcomes. By the end of 2011, I am committed to setting up a subscription
service so that citizens can sign up for municipal information alerts. I understand that some
municipalities are streaming all public committee meetings and I believe that this is something we
should consider as well. Finally, I want to work with the incoming council to explore options to
connect with the community on a more regular and consistent basis to share information and seek
feedback.

16. Describe how you have worked with residents and community groups (including, but not limited to
CANs) in the city. How have/will you empower residents in revitalizing their community, including
securing the resources needed to achieve their goals?
Community groups and CANs are an important part of the life of this city and I have been fortunate
to work with many dynamic individuals as they endeavoured to improve their community and
Greater Sudbury as a whole. I assisted the Roxborough Greenbelt group in their negotiations with
Dalron and secured a municipal land swap to ensure that this group could go forward with their
purchase and preservation of the new parkland. I supported the initial funding of CANs and I want
to work with CAN volunteers across the city to review the CAN program and determine how we can
ensure their organizational success in the future. I am committed to assisting non-profit groups and
I am proud of the role that I played in securing a new theatre space for Theatre Cambrian and
assistance for the YES Theatre Group’s production of Hair. In both of these cases, and many more, I
was able to help to negotiate support from others in the municipality. I look forward to continuing
these efforts in the future.

17. Collaboration among different departments is recognized as crucial in achieving goals of sustainability
and efficiency. What changes do you believe are needed to improve collaborative decision making within
the City?
When I became Mayor in 2006, I championed the need for a change in culture at City Hall and I
identified the need to break down silo mentalities and increase collaboration between departments.
A great deal of change has already taken place, though there is much more to do. One of the
mandates for the city’s new Chief Administrative Officer is to create a more dynamic and efficient
team of employees who can work together to solve problems and deliver services. Some positive
changes have already taken place and more will come as we encourage departments to share
resources and work together.
===============================================================

Derek Young
Introductory questions

1. What are your top environmental priorities, what do you see as the main barriers to implementing these
priorities, and what will you do to overcome these barriers?
- Protecting our green space and parks as identified in the official plan
- Promote mobility and sustainability through the use of bike paths and walking trails etc
- Advocate for a downtown recycling program
- Review the existing green box and blue program to consider options which would be more
effective and stricter such as the City of Guelph waste diversion through the use of green,
blue, and transparent bags
- Respect and empower our Lake Stewardship committees
- Water source protection programs
- Support groups such as the Downtown Sudbury, DVDC, and Imagine Sudbury to remove
the rail tracks
- We must have open dialogue with our stakeholders and have the political will to put an
environmental action plan in place. Budget should not be an issue. David Suzuki said
environment and economy must go together. Environment is the home and economy is the
financial management of the home
- We should look at the best practices such as www.livecityfree.ca and www.greenbiz.org two
program, which caught my eye in Toronto.

2. What is the biggest gap you see in the City's policies or activities, related to the environment?
- Maybe a lack of understanding and awareness of the real issues
- A better respect for the environment
- A coordinated effort with local environment group, Earthcare, Rainbow Routes, Lake
Stewardship Committees etc. More open communication and dialogue
- Perhaps we should look at developing a new Environment Department at the city.
- Through out internationally renowned regreening efforts we have proven we have the talent
and resources.

3. In your opinion, what are the most important objectives and actions in EarthCare Sudbury’s
Local Action Plan, and how would you, and the city, accomplish them? Which would you
personally champion?
-

4. (a) Which of the following City documents have you read and are familiar with (please highlight those
that apply):
- Official Plan familiar
- Sustainable Mobility Plan
- Final Report of the Greenspace Advisory Panel
- Community Improvement Plans
 - Downtown Streetscaping Plan sat on board
- Sudbury Climate Action Plan
- EarthCare Local Action Plan
- Social Planning Council Community Poverty Reduction Strategy
- Arts & Culture Charter & Strategy developed it sit on committee
*Through your survey you have made us aware of these issues

(b) What are some specific actions arising from these plans that are a priority for you (please
identify the plan(s))? In the official plan a respect for land uses such as the St. Joe’s site and
the preservation of the East of Lake Ramsey and Frenchmen’s Bay. Beautification
initiatives and façade improvement in the Streetscape plan. A public art policy and
Artsvest Sudbury program in the Arts and Culture Strategy. I would use the Poverty
Reduction strategies to issues we are proactively dealing with many issues such as mental
health, vagrancy, prostitution, loitering, panhandling, affordable housing, and the delivery
of social services.

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Green Jobs

5. Would and how would you champion reliable funding and support for: (a) growing our green economy;
and (b) success of local businesses? Which specific green job projects would you help make happen?
- (a) Organization such as Cambrian College through its new Sustainable Energy Centre,
Laurentian University’s Living with Lakes, Science North and events such as the recent Green
Expo help us to understand the importance of the green economy and its opportunities. We
should take example and follow the lead from organizations such as NORCAT, and Penguin
System etc who work daily with research and innovation. We can learn from best practices of
other organizations and communities. www.greenbiz.org was a great resource I found.
- (b) We need to look at restructuring the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation to meet the
needs of new green economy and ensure through our colleges and universities we are training
students with the right skills and knowledge to address the issues. There should be incentives/tax
relief for businesses that retrofit buildings, use solar thermal, etc. www.next10.org is another
best practice of how we can focus on innovation, and the intersection between Economy,
Environment, and Quality of Life. The report on commercial building efficiency examines the
untapped energy potential of commercial buildings, analyzes obstacles, and explores approaches
to removing these barriers. I would also advocate for a business-recycling program to be piloted
in the downtown core and potentially expanded into other communities to become citywide.

6. Bearing in mind the provincial Green Energy Act, and EarthCare Sudbury’s Local Action Plan: (a)
what specific actions should the city take to conserve energy and produce renewable energy on city
properties; (b) how can city policies encourage property owners to add energy efficiencies, and facilitate
renewable energy production on private property?
- (a) we can simply start by turning off the lights at night; increase education and awareness on
the need to recycle and conserve; lead by example i.e. not using the Moonlight Camp and Trailer
Park as a dumping ground for parks; continue to purchase a new fleet of hybrid vehicles;
promote bicycle and pedestrian friendly initiatives; solar power to power our street lights, transit
shelters, etc; continue and expand waste diversion programs; look at recycling products such as
construction/roofing waste and tires to build new road technologies;
- (b) explore replacing green boxes and blue boxes with a transparent bag system similar to the
City of Guelph; incentive programs/tax relief to ensure retrofits, new construction of energy
efficient windows, doors, water tanks, water consumption, and use of geothermal energy; expand
waste diversion program and number of free days residents can dump at landfill sites
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Transportation

7. Would and how would you champion reliable funding and support for: (a) improving walk ability; (b)
safe cycling infrastructure; (c) increasing transit ridership? (a) look at new technologies in building
sidewalks that are pedestrian friendly and ensure we have adequate maintenance and response times.
(b) when possible include bike trails and lanes in any and new construction. (c) We must make
transit more user friendly and ensure our bus service is timely and accessible. There are many issues
at the main transit terminal that are not transit issues and from a city planning perspective must be
dealt with. I would advocate for a central transit terminal with express buses serving the other
Greater Sudbury communities. Friendly to Senior’s suggested at one time we offer free transit for
seniors at peek times to increase ridership and transfer payments. We should also expand on the U-
Pass at Laurentian University to include all post-secondary institutions.

8. What will you do to ensure that the objectives of the Sustainable Mobility Plan and the Bicycle Master
Plan are implemented?
- Read the plans, engage and dialogue with these stakeholder groups.
- Develop and action plan and assign the adequate resources required
- Invite participation from these groups for public education and awareness
- Work with council to build a case for support and ensure the political will is there to implement
these action items

9. Roads are a perennial topic in Greater Sudbury. The roads budget is currently a very large proportion of
the City budget, yet needs for road maintenance still often go unmet. In your opinion, how should the
roads budget be managed in terms of: increased or reduced spending; creating new roads versus
maintenance of existing roads; the amount relative to spending on other municipal services; and budget
allocations for pedestrian and cycling infrastructure?
- 25% of our capital budget goes to roads
- I would encourage reducing some this and reallocating it to more services and enhancements to
emergency services, health care, and the arts, sports and recreation sectors
- Politicians generally focus on police, pipes and pavement
- We must balance our infrastructure priorities with quality of life issues so we can continue to
grow and attract new industries and residential development.
- We should like a new road technologies such as rubberized asphalt
- Ensure quality workmanship and value for dollar on these projects
- Sometimes you get what you pay for

Natural environment, land use planning, policy, and climate change

10. Explain how you view the balance between growth/private interests, and the
protection of agricultural lands and the natural environment, including our many lakes.
What changes, if any do you believe are necessary in terms of protecting natural areas
in the City of Greater Sudbury?
- We should value our land uses and respect the official plan and our zoning by-laws
- Respect the work and recommendations of our Lake Stewardship Committees
- Work closely with our post-secondary institutions. Laurentian University Living with Lake
Centre and Cambrian College’s New Sustainable Energy Centre and environmental programs
- We should be open for business however, we must have an understanding of our history with a
vision for the future

11. How have/will you support local agricultural and the local food supply chain/distribution?
 - First have an understanding of the designated farm lands
- It might be a good idea to explore a local agriculture department
- Form a co-op/board of management to operate Market Square and for that board to hire
their own Market Manager who has the knowledge of the industry
- Support and build on the work of the Eat Local Coop, Greater Sudbury Food Restaurant
Services Association
- Promote culinary tourism as a new tourism growth opportunities (Prince Edward County)
- Encourage local business to purchase local food products
- Build on best practices such as Coop Boreal the food services/cafeteria at College Boreal
- Work with local farmers and food producers to ensure they have financial resources and
supports for things such as food labelling which can be very costly to independent business
- Encourage larger food chains to carry local food product
- Explore the opportunities to use geothermal and solar energy to produce local food in
abandoned mine shafts.

12. In your view, what is the role of the Official Plan and the Provincial Policy Statement in municipal
planning decisions? What changes, if any, would you like to see put in place in the upcoming Official Plan
review?
- I see the official plan as an important tool in guiding our decision making and providing us
with a reference and tool for future growth
- It is important to respect the plan and support it
- I am currently not pursing any changes to the official plan however it has been suggested
that certain land uses be reviewed to allow for new growth
- If we do not follow the plan its important to understand the cause and consequences of our
decision making which could set dangerous precedence such as rezoning the current St.
Joseph’s site from institutional to multi-use residential and what impact that would have on
Lake Ramsey (a source of drinking water) and the potential to bulldoze history
neighbourhoods for new commercial development
- There is something to be said for respecting our community’s heritage and character at the
same time maintaining a balance with new growth

13. Urban planning affects how citizens’ needs for housing (including affordable housing and seniors’
housing), parkland, transportation, and goods and services are met. One view of urban planning is
that market forces best direct growth to meet these needs. Another view is that urban planning
should be more ‘hands-on’ in anticipating and meeting community needs. Which of these views
make the most sense to you, and why? How do you see Council and the City’s role in guiding new
development, and what form(s) of development do you think would be most beneficial to our
community?
- I agree that urban planning should be hands-on
- This is why we have an official plan, zoning by-laws etc
- We must build on strengths and identify new growth opportunities
- Council should ensure that our by-laws reflect that growth and any by-laws deemed as
barriers or redundant should be reviewed (i.e. residential units require 1.5 parking spaces is
a barrier to developing downtown living)
- New green jobs that build on our industrial knowledge. We have the talent.
- Affordable and accessible public transit with Downtown as the central transit terminal with
express buses to other communities within with in the municipality serving dedicated routes
in those areas
- We should respect our parkland and not use it as a dumping ground and implement the
Eastend Ramsey Lake Plan that was developed by the Ramsey Lake Economic Development
Corporation
- Promote and support student and senior’s housing Downtown
- Try and curb urban sprawl
14. In the next 4 years, what do you believe the impacts of climate change and rising energy costs will
be on the City of Greater Sudbury and its residents? Given that the largest living expenses are food,
transportation and housing, what actions should be taken to protect those citizens of Sudbury who
will be most impacted?
- This is and will be a huge issue
- The 100 year flood in the Flour Mill and Donovan areas is an example of what mother
nature and dish out
- We need to be proactive in building and rebuilding our infrastructure
- We must work to find efficiencies in the delivery of these services because we know the result
of tax cuts and freezing. They are the reason we are in this problem now
- We need to ensure we have affordable housing and better infrastructure which is why I am
proposing a Building Sudbury Fund with matching dollars from the Provincial and Federal
government
- We need to be able to attract new business, new industries and residents to our community
- It has been suggested that we could raise money through the sale of carbon tax credits
- We can take Toronto’s lead and encourage the $0.05 bag tax at grocery stores support local
environmental initiatives.

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Transparency and citizen engagement

15. How will you make decision making by Council and city staff more transparent, and engage citizens in
municipal decisions?
- Civic engagement is the number one pillar in my platform
- I am promoting a 2020 Vision a 10-year action plan of the community’s priorities through the
largest and most comprehensive collaborative civic engagement to date. Time to put vision into
action
- I will establish a new Mayor’s Youth Cabinet to ensure we have input and supports our next
group of young leaders
- Cancel the My Sudbury program to create a new department of Civic Engagement with support
from community development
- Form community integration networks through partnerships with business, service clubs, city
departments, and volunteer organizations to identify efficiencies in the delivery of services
- Council does have an open book policy
- Open communication
- Engage people through empowering and expanding the Community Action Networks
- Engaging in dialogue with various stakeholder and special interest groups and take their
recommendations seriously
-

16. Describe how you have worked with residents and community groups (including, but not limited to
CANs) in the city. How have/will you empower residents in revitalizing their community, including
securing the resources needed to achieve their goals?
- Past board member and marketing chairperson for Downtown Sudbury Business
Improvement Area
- Past staff/coordinator Flour Mill Business Improvement Area
- Past President, Chairperson, Vice President, and Director Finance Cambrian College
Students’ Administrative Council, also a member of the Student Services Advisory Panel,
Academic Divisional and Cambrian Foundation
- Past Northern Vice-President Ontario Community College Student Parliamentary
Association
- I was President of the Sudbury Arts Council and a member of the Greater Sudbury Arts &
Culture Charter Steering Committee
- Member of the Community Champions Committee to plan the 2008 125 Anniversary
Celebrations
 - Promoter and Director for the Greater Sudbury Celtic Festival & Highland Games working
directly with tourism, culture, marketing and the Federal Government
- Worked with the Ward 12 councillor on programs such as the revitalization of O’Connor
Park through KABOOM, Percy Park, Ridgecrest and Red Fern parks
- Currently employed by the Alzheimer Society Sudbury-Manitoulin
- Member Sudbury Kinsmen Club
- We empower residents through leadership, vision, and leading by example
- We understand the role of municipal government and your role in it
- We empower residents by engaging in dialogue, being solution driven, and putting vision
into action
- We go through a budgeting process and engagement process to ensure they have the
resources.
- We also need to be creative and proactive to ensure they have the resources ( i.e. ward
councillor sourced a grant opportunity to build a new accessible park and worked with a
volunteer committee to apply for funding given a short turn around time)
- We empower and provide resources by matching the skills and mindsets to the job/task at
hand
- We empower citizens by respecting their work and appreciating their knowledge and efforts.
As elected officials we should not be afraid to humble ourselves.

17. Collaboration among different departments is recognized as crucial in achieving goals of sustainability
and efficiency. What changes do you believe are needed to improve collaborative decision making within
the City?
- We need to match the skill sets to job
- Empower staff on the front line to make decisions and over time reduce upper levels of
management
- We need to lead by example, be proactive, recognize the issues, and be solution driven if we
are going to make change
- We must never loose sight of our role in municipal government, the role of staff, and the role
of citizens/rate payers
- Works toward changing the culture of “no” to a cultural yes, how can I help you
- We need to create a work environment that is positive and healthy not negative and
cancerous
- We do need a new vision, we can do better and will do better, however it will take time as we
almost need to come right back to basics and have an understanding of our history with a
vision for the future
- Reports have been written, community consultations have been done, lobby groups and
stakeholders advocate to the city everyday, it’s now time to build the confidence and public
trust by vision into action.

Thank you for the opportunity to take part in this exercise and for making us aware of the issues. It
was a great learning exercise. I applaud your leadership and vision during this campaign. Please
visit my website www.derekyoung.ca to learn more about my campaign