This is a simple, tongue-and-cheek assessment of the five
Northcrest Ward candidates for the October 27 election to city council in
Peterborough, Ontario. La politica
has also done assessments, posted separately, for Monaghan Ward, Town Ward, Otonabee Ward, and Ashburnham Ward. Each post has the same introductory paragraphs
provided below. So...you can skip those if you are clicking around.
Intro to the
assessments
The ward assessments rely on two scores out of five for a
combined score out of ten. The first score is based on a candidate’s vibe, with
the second score assessing the stuff and things (stuff n’ things) that the
candidate proposes for Peterborough. The vibe scoring is purely subjective, and
the score for stuff n’ things doesn’t necessarily take a stand on issues (i.e.
parkway, taxation), but simply attempts to assess whether the candidate has
material proposals, or is campaigning on vague promises and areas of interest.
The total score out of 10 does not provide a breakdown of
the category scores out of five, because stuff n’ things can have vibe, too,
and some vibe is so off the charts it might even be called a vibe economy, with
material effects on stuff n’ things.
You are confused, but not for long. At the end of the Ward
summary we provide an assessment of who we think might win, and why. Remember:
you get two votes, as there are two council seats for each ward.
Northcrest Ward
Northcrest Ward (also known as “Ward 5”) is Peterborough’s
orphan ward in the north end, yet it is an area that is expected to see
significant growth in the years to come. It has the most to gain or lose in the
parkway debate, and has a significant voting block – 9,880 votes were cast in
Northcrest in 2010 – yet it receives little coverage. The ward extends north of
Parkhill, from Jackson Park and up along the northwestern edge of the Otonabee
river. It is largely residential, though it includes the Chemong Road shopping
strip. In 2010, Andrew Beamer took the first seat, with 3,201 votes (over 34%),
and Bob Hall the second with 2,478 votes (just over 25%). Mr. Hall is not
running this time around: he is instead throwing his hat in the ring for the
federal Liberal nomination.
Bill Templeman
Mr. Templeman’s number one concerns are poverty reduction,
employment, and transportation.
To reduce poverty, Mr. Templeman has a host of high-vibe
views on affordable housing, rent subsidies, bridge funding to prevent
evictions, a municipal living wage bylaw for city employees and contractors,
co-op housing for seniors, free transit passes for low income residents, food
vouchers, and micro-loans to promote self-employment.
On the jobs front, he has the usual high vibe language
around “helping” and “attracting” business, but some stuff n’ things, too.
These include streamlining the business application process, tax holidays for
new companies, a focus on education for “portfolio careers”, and the
development of a new “business brand” for Peterborough, such as film production
or green technology.
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| Northcrest Ward (Ward 5) |
He is anti-parkway – a crucial issue in this ward. His
solution is for a route from County Road 19 to Fairbairn Street to Lily Lake
Road to Ackison Road. From there, Brealey Drive can be straightened for a
direct link down to the 115. He would like to take that money and invest in
existing infrastructure, as well as a new community centre in Northcrest, and a
multi-pad replacement for the Memorial Centre. Some of that money could also go
to public transit and helping the poor. He would also like to make the building
of multi-unit downtown residential units more attractive to developers.
Mr. Templeman has done a good job of tying his anti-parkway
stance into stuff n’ things, including ideas for better traffic control. He is
campaigning hard, despite having recently suffered a cycling accident that
resulted in a hip replacement. However, his vibe is a little flat. He scores a
7.
Kathryn Eyre
Ms. Eyre is pro-parkway. A physiotherapist and kindergarten
school teacher, she otherwise might be described as a progressive candidate,
with concerns for peace issues, women’s rights and climate change. Her motto is
“Peterborough, Peaceful and Progressive”, but other than that there doesn’t
seem to be much to her campaign. She appears to support provincial Liberal MPP
Jeff Leal, and to have taken a course on municipal finances. On October 9 she
was in court facing two charges related to a domestic dispute: disobeying a
court order, and failing to comply with conditions. So, she is working some
kind of vibe here, but not sure about the details. She is also remarkably low
on stuff n’ things. Combined score: 3.5.
Dave Haacke
Mr. Haacke, who sells commercial real estate for a living,
came in third in the 2010 election, with 2,340 votes (almost 24%). That was
only 138 votes behind second-place finisher Bob Hall (not running this time
around). All told, Mr. Haacke has run for Northcrest ward on three occasions.
Mr. Haacke is pro-parkway, citing safety concerns, but with a smaller bridge
over Jackson Park, suggesting instead that a middle turn lane could be added
along Chemong Road, with Hospital Drive extended out to Lily Lake Road and then
over to Chemong Road. Otherwise he is a strong supporter of policies that
support cyclists and pedestrians. A frequent attendee at City Council meetings,
Mr. Haacke has a very strong “pro-Peterborough” vibe. For stuff n’ things Mr.
Haacke, a pilot, is keen on seeing new growth at the airport. He also wants
something to replace the Northcrest Arena.
Mr. Haacke is a Conservative. In 2011 he came in second place
for the provincial Conservative nomination in Peterborough. He has also served
as president for both provincial and federal Conservative riding associations.
Community involvement includes having been on numerous boards, including the
Civic Hospital, Peterborough City Planning Board, Peterborough Housing
Authority, Edmison Heights Parent Teacher Council, and the Kawartha Pine Ridge
District School Board parent involvement committee. At present he sits on
Peterborough’s Arenas, Parks and Recreation Advisory board, as well as on the
Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce policy committee.
This is a competitive centre-right candidate with a combined
score of 7.
Andrew Beamer
The sole incumbent now that Bob Hall is not running, Mr.
Beamer was a newcomer in 2010 yet came in first place with 3,201 votes, over
32% of total votes cast. A former owner of a Petro Canada franchise in
Peterborough, he is now the regional representative for Nestle Canada.
He is pro-parkway, and keen to find a replacement for
Northcrest Arena. During his term he has chaired three committees: Social Services; Youth Commission; and Joint
Services. He is a member of the Peterborough County City Health Unit, the Peterborough
Housing Corporation, the City Trent Liaison Committee, the Audit Committee, and
the Arenas, Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee. Mr. Beamer is also a
former member of the Peterborough Public Library Board, the Arts, Culture &
Heritage Advisory Committee, the United Way Hockey Challenge Committee, and the
Peterborough Chamber of Commerce Club Laurus Committee.
That’s a lot of committees, which some might think adds up
to respectable stuff n’ things, but were not sure how much Mr. Beamer has to
show for his efforts. His job creation strategy is primarily focussed on
keeping taxes low. He tips his hat to the need for investment in industrial
lands, and expanding the airport. His vibe is unconventional, perhaps, in that
his stated concern for maintaining “vibrant, safe, and healthy neighbourhoods”
is mostly about “the need for strong visible police presence”. Combined score: 6.5.
Stephen Wright
Mr. Wright came to Peterborough from Calgary ten years ago,
and runs a home renovation business. Previously he was a self-employed computer
hardware and network consultant and political lobbyist. As a lobbyist, he
primarily pushed a low-taxes agenda. No surprise, then, he is running his
campaign with an emphasis on lower taxes and value for services. He is against
the parkway, noting that the projected traffic growth is dubious, and believes
crime is best fought by better police deployment and addressing underlying
social issues. Mr. Wright wants improved street and trail lighting for
pedestrians and cyclists and, interestingly, “targeted, technology inspired
responses to address the raft of car break-ins.” He is big on public transit,
and would like to take savings from the parkway and invest there. Rare for a
Northcrest candidate, he says that “intelligent urban development isn’t more
suburban sprawl”. Like some high-vibe candidates in other wards, he is big on
the shift away from manufacturing to the “creative class” as the source of
entrepreneurship and economic growth. Mr. Wright has a pretty good vibe, but
his stuff n’ things is not that ambitious. Combined score: 6.
Northcrest Ward
Rankings
The Northcrest Ward rankings for the combined vibe and stuff
n’ things score are, in descending order:
Bill Templeman: 7
Dave Haacke: 7
Andrew Beamer: 6.5
Stephen Wright: 6
Kathryn Eyre: 3.5
Northcrest Ward
Election Assessment
For Northcrest Ward in this election, it’s all about the
parkway. The pro-parkway contingent in this ward might be high, but it isn’t as
motivated as the anti-parkway vote. Beamer had a strong showing last time, and
is well-liked, so we expect him to take that vote and get re-elected. From
there it’s really between Templeman and Haacke. The anti-parkway vote will
converge on Templeman. For those voters only concerned with the parkway, the
strategic move is to park their second vote with Wright. If they add on Haacke
instead, they’ve effectively cancelled their vote, because it’s a natural for
Beamer supporters to place a safe second vote with Haacke. That could then put
Haacke over the top, knocking off Templeman for second spot. We don’t think
Wright can take this, but he remains a reasonable choice. Ms. Eyre, barring a
miracle, is not seen as a contender. So, we see Beamer being returned, with a
close fight between Templeman and Haacke. You never know, though: there is a
lot of anti-Bennett sentiment, and it’s possible Beamer could be tossed, with
Templeman and Haacke as the new councillors for Northcrest.
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