Jennifer Smith

This election marks a fundamental change in how our town is represented on Council. I'm sure you've heard about it, but you may not realize what the implications are for Ward 2.

Right now, Milton is divided into four wards: two 'urban' and two rural. Each of those wards is represented by two local councillors, for a total of eight. Additionally, there are two local and regional councillors who also represent Milton at Halton Regional Council - one for the urban wards and one for the rural.



The trouble is, Ward 1 (the southern rural ward) is no longer so rural. Almost all of the new housing developments are there, meaning that almost half the town's current population is concentrated in that one ward.

Something clearly needed to be done.

The solution was to re-divide the town into eight more or less equivalent wards and elect one councillor per ward.



One thing to note about this map is that aside from the addition of a sparsely populated area north of Steeles, Ward 2 remains essentially unchanged. However - and this is the critical point - we have now gone from having a quarter of the local councillors to one eighth.

In other words, your representation on Town Council has just been cut in half.

What this means is that now more than ever, Ward 2 needs a strong voice on council. Someone who will fight to keep essential businesses and services right here in the heart of Milton. Someone who will do whatever is necessary to make sure that all the gains in the new developments don't result in losses for us, and that the strength of this ward grows along with the rest of the town.

This is my commitment to you: I will put Ward 2 first.

A campaign button can be a surprisingly complicated thing. You don't want the colours to be too ordinary or to remind anyone of anything else, but you also want them to be bold and visible. The fonts must be unique but clearly legible. Most of all, you want it to tell everyone who you are and what you stand for at a glance. From 20 feet away.

Ok, maybe I'm asking too much of a button.

In any case, after much agonizing over fonts, layouts and colour schemes, we finally have a winner:



Want one? Drop me an email and I'll get one to you.

(Thanks to one commenter for correctly pointing out that there are still three banks downtown, not two. Counting the CIBC kiosk, there were six originally.)

Not many people know this, but when my son was very little he had chronic ear infections that affected his speech development. He didn't say an intelligible word until he was almost two years old, and he was in speech therapy for several years.

It's a tough thing to go through for the parents as well as the kids, and although my son speaks perfectly well now, I remember thinking at the time that if I did have a child who really was hearing or speech impaired, what better place to live than Milton?

That's one reason why I was so excited to officially announce my candidacy at the HearSay Speech & Hearing Centre on Tuesday.

HearSay not only provides speech and audiology services through their Commercial Street offices - they also offer free monthly hearing assessments to the public, as well as making other contributions to the community like supplying audio enhancement equipment for the Milton Choristers during their concerts.

As a singer, my hearing is vital to me. As a candidate, it is equally important that I be able to hear what the people of Ward 2 have to say about the issues that affect them.

The good news is, my hearing is just fine.

There are now eleven candidates registered in Milton for the upcoming election, including three in Ward 2: myself, and incumbents Mike Boughton and Greg Nelson.

You read that right. Thanks to the reorganization of Milton into eight wards, Ward 2 has two incumbents. Other wards may end up in a similar spot, which is going to make this a very interesting election.

There are already some other interesting races shaping up. Jan Mowbray, current councillor for Ward 3, is going for the Regional seat this time for Wards 2, 3, 4 and 5 (the 'northern wards'). This will leave Ward 3 for Cindy Lunau if she runs again for local, but puts Mowbray up against Colin Best. Both are such excellent councillors, it's going to be a tough choice!

Another interesting trend: there are so many bloggers in this race, I've suggested forming the Milton Blogger Party. Besides myself, we have Zeeshan Hamid for Ward 8, and Mike Cluett in Ward 6. If the three of us are elected, you can be sure that your town council will become a lot more communicative.

Meanwhile, today's Champion has an article about the race for Ward 2. Greg hadn't registered at that point, so it's all about me and Barber Mike.

One challenger so far in Ward 2
Political blogger announces plan to run against Boughton
By Melanie Hennessey, Canadian Champion Staff

Incumbent Ward 2 Councillor Mike Boughton already has some competition for his seat on council in this fall’s municipal election.

The local barber, who’s currently serving his second term on council, will go up against newcomer Jennifer Smith for the spot on October 25.

Smith, a known political blogger and woman of many trades, said she put her name forward because she’s tired of simply talking about local issues and decided it’s time to do something about them.

The mother of one is also motivated by her concern over the lack of affordable housing in Milton.

“I have a 17-year-old son, and I don’t know where he’s going to live in Milton,” she said. “We need to do something.”

In addition to writing a movie review column for the Champion, Smith is also a semiprofessional singer and entrepreneur who runs her own on-line crafts business.

(read the rest here)

One challenger so far in Ward 2
Political blogger announces plan to run against Boughton

Incumbent Ward 2 Councillor Mike Boughton already has some competition for his seat on council in this fall’s municipal election.

The local barber, who’s currently serving his second term on council, will go up against newcomer Jennifer Smith for the spot on October 25.

Smith, a known political blogger and woman of many trades, said she put her name forward because she’s tired of simply talking about local issues and decided it’s time to do something about them...

(read more)

As the campaign progresses, I will be using this blog to discuss a wide range of issues that affect Ward 2 and all of Milton. Here are a few that I have covered so far:

~ Transit

~ Housing

~ Development / Intensification

~ The Library

You can also learn more about my ideas on these and other local issues on my Sprawlville blog.

My name is Jennifer Smith, and I am running for Milton Town Council, Ward 2. Welcome to my campaign blog!

Over the coming weeks and months, I will be talking to as many people as I can (hopefully all of you!), finding out what your priorities are and what you want and expect from your Town Council.

I will also be using this blog as a forum for discussing issues that affect Ward 2 and all of Milton. I encourage you to leave me your comments and questions - let's make this a lively discussion!

For now, here are a few items to get the discussion going:

Livable, walkable, diverse.
When people talk about Milton's "small town feel", this is what they are talking about. Ward 2 has always had these qualities and can continue to do so even as we become more urban - as long as we keep our priorities straight and are willing to fight for them.

Housing.
The idea of 'affordable housing' seems to put some people off, but ask yourself: where are your kids going to live when they move out? Where are your parents going to live when they can't keep up their house any more? Where are you going to live when you retire and have to live on a pension? A healthy, diverse community includes people at all stages of life and from a wide range of social and economic backgrounds. That's part of what makes Ward 2 such a great place to live!

Pro-active municipal government.
Our town council is there to represent us, the people of Milton. And yet, how often have you heard your representatives say, "Sorry, there's nothing we can do" when it comes to sprawling development or the hollowing out of our downtown business core? Being pro-active doesn't necessarily mean spending money, although we shouldn't be afraid of making wise investments in our future. But there are all sorts of tools out there - zoning, tax incentives, by-laws, business licenses, etc. - that could be used far more effectively than they are now to shape both residential and business development for the benefit of the community.

Looking forward, not behind.
I have no interest in obsessing over what should or shouldn't have been done in the past, or in mourning over what once was. I'm interested in what we can do now to guide Milton through its transition from town to city. Time to make a fresh start!

I will be expanding on these ideas and adding more as I continue to develop my policy platform. You can also read more about my thoughts on these issues and more on my other Milton blog: Sprawlville.

Stay tuned!

ARE YOU ON THE LIST?

Check the Town website to see if you are on the voters list. If you are not, just bring your ID and proof of address (driver's license, utility bill, etc.) to Town Hall or to the polling location when you vote.

Remember - you MUST show at least one piece of ID when you vote whether you are on the voters list or not.


ADVANCE POLLING DATES:

Monday, Oct 11 to Friday, Oct 15
10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Hugh Foster Hall
141 King Street

Wednesday, Oct 13
10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Campbellville Lions Club
42 Main Street S, Campbellville

Saturday, Oct 16 - 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday, Oct 17 - 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Milton Mall
55 Ontario Street S

ELECTION DAY:

Monday, Oct 25th - 10:00 am to 8:00 pm

• North: Holy Rosary School
• Central: Hugh Foster Hall
• South: Milton District High School
• Martindale Gardens

Check the Town website to find out where you should be voting.


You can also find more voter information at the Milton, Have Your Choice website.

(high resolution copies available on request)

1) Take a Lawn Sign

Show your support for Jennifer by displaying one of her lovely signs on your lawn or in your window. To request a sign call (905) 299-5551, or send an email to jsmithward2@gmail.com.

 


2) Tell you friends, family and neighbours about Jennifer

Never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth, especially in a tight-knit community like Ward 2. You can also invite your friends to join Jennifer's Facebook group.

3) Host a 'Meet and Greet'

Do you belong to a club or a neighbourhood group? Got friends in Ward 2 who want to know more about Jennifer? Consider hosting a get-together in your home or wherever your group likes to meet. Jennifer will be happy to come and speak with them about whatever issues concern them.

4) Volunteer

As we get closer to election day there will be plenty to do to get the word out and get Jennifer's supporters out to the polls. And remember - volunteering for a campaign is a great way for high school students to work off some of their volunteer hours.

5) Donate

All election campaigns cost money, even municipal ones. Please consider making a donation - large or small - to help get the word out about Jennifer's fresh new ideas for Milton and Ward 2. Every little bit helps!

Any Ontario resident can donate by cheque or money order (made out to 'Jennifer Smith Campaign'), or securely online by credit card through PayPal:

If you have any trouble with the PayPal form, please email me and let me know.

(Municipal campaign donations are, sadly, not tax-deductible)

If any of these ideas appeal to you, or you have you own ideas for helping out, please call Jennifer at (905) 299-5551, or drop her an email at jsmithward2@gmail.com

Jennifer Smith is a writer, blogger, small business owner, and long time Milton resident.

Jennifer was born and raised in Toronto.  She embarked on her first entrepreneurial venture at the age of 18 while attending the Ontario College of Art, opening a small art gallery across the street from the AGO.

Since then, Jennifer has been involved in numerous other business ventures including the Ontario Renaissance Festival, the Artisans Gallery Co-op, and her husband's store, formerly on Mill Street.  She also worked in the printing industry as a manager and a typesetter for many years, but gave it up to spend more time at home where she focused on raising her son and developing her woodworking and online sales business.

Smith made the move to Milton in 1994 along with her husband Adam and son Iain who just graduated from MDHS this year. They already felt a connection to Milton through Jennifer's uncle Bill Tom who taught at Milton District High School for many years.  Once here, the family fell in love with the town and have lived in the same modest house on Commercial Street ever since.

From the beginning Jennifer Smith has been strongly involved in the local community through various cultural, environmental, and political activities.  She has been a member of the Milton Choristers for as long as she has lived in Milton and currently serves on their board of directors. She also sings professionally with the folk group 'Nero's Fiddle'.  She is a former member of the Milton Historical Society and the Ontario Genealogical Society, and a current member of the United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada, Hamilton Branch.

Jennifer Smith is perhaps best known as a writer.  In addition to her popular movie review columns for the Milton Champion, she writes multiple blogs on topics ranging from federal and local politics, environmentalism and urban planning, and even one on foreign affairs.  She has compiled and published a five-volume, 1,300 page genealogy of the Truax family, and has served as editor and publisher for several genealogical newsletters.

Jennifer's frequent letters to the editor of the Milton Champion have often inspired response and action on local issues.  One letter protesting the decision to remove the 40 kph school zone on Commercial Street inspired a neighbourhood girl to start a petition.  That, along with Jennifer's subsequent presentation to Town Council, convinced the town to reverse their decision and keep Commercial Street safe.

Jennifer's years as an entrepreneur have taught her to think and work independently, to get the most from a limited budget, to value relationships with local business owners, and to make the very best use of technology and the internet. She looks forward to putting those skills to work for the people of Ward 2 as their Town Councillor.