Between the Lines of Care

Municipal election 2026 is amping up and I wanted to let people know that I have decided not to run for re-election. To be honest, I made this decision about a year ago, with probably about a 5% chance that I might still change my mind, but over the last four or five months I have become certain that this is the right decision for me and for my family.

When I put my name forward eight years ago, I honestly didn’t know anything about local government. My platform at the time was basically that I worked with the unhoused population, which was quickly becoming a hot topic in our community, and that I was a good person who had the ability to listen to people regardless of their point of view. I remember that first all-candidates meeting and how absolutely terrified I was. I remember finding out that I had won a seat and thinking, what the hell have I gotten myself into? There was so much to learn that first year about processes, governance, budgets, legislation and how decisions actually get made at the municipal level, and I found myself constantly questioning what I should and shouldn’t say, particularly because my day job at the time was managing the local homeless shelter. I am very big on boundaries and I have always been very aware that the words I speak about certain topics carry a lot of weight, so I tried to be very mindful of ensuring that I was speaking as a councillor when I was in Council Chambers and not allowing my professional role or personal opinions to cross those lines. Looking back now, I can appreciate just how much I had to learn, not only about municipal government, but about myself.

My decision not to run again is mainly because my life has changed so much over the last eight years and my schedule isn’t as flexible as it once was. My day job is challenging and contentious and it is taxing, and so is this role. For a long time, I think I was pretty good at just continuing to go, because there was always something that needed to be done and I genuinely cared about the work. But over the last little while I have found a better balance in my life that allows me to be present in my home life when I’m not working, and that time with my family has become more important to me. I have two kids who are growing up far too quickly, a husband who probably deserves a little more of my attention, and a life outside of work and Council that I have realized I really enjoy. I have also learned that being able to properly recharge is not a luxury when you work in the kind of environments I do, it is what allows you to go back and do the work day in and day out. I don’t want to lose that balance again. There will always be another meeting, another problem, another email and another thing that needs fixing. I am finally learning that I don’t have to be the person who fixes all of them.

I will miss a lot of things about being on Council, but mostly I will miss the people and the strange little world that develops when you spend eight years sitting around the same table. We didn’t always agree, and there were definitely moments when we probably tested each other’s patience, but there is a kind of history that comes with serving together for this long. There are inside jokes, little looks across the table, conversations before and after meetings, disagreements that seemed enormous at the time and things that had us laughing five minutes later. I have learned something from every person I have served alongside, and I am grateful for that. I will also miss the amazing staff at City Hall who make all of this work possible, often behind the scenes and without nearly enough recognition. They have been an incredibly important part of this experience for me, and I wish them all the best as they adjust to their new Council come October.

One person I especially want to acknowledge is Michelle. Not just because she is our Mayor, and not just because she is one of my closest friends, but because I have had a front-row seat to what it takes to lead this community. I have watched her be blamed for things that were completely outside the City’s control, called names, criticized personally and subjected to some pretty awful comments over the years. I have often wondered whether a man in the same position would have been subjected to the same level of personal criticism and abuse. Through all of it, she has continued to lead with integrity. She has listened, she has admitted when she was wrong, she has stood her ground when she believed something was right, and she has continued to show up even when it would have been easier not to. She created a space where we could all be ourselves while still somehow teaching us to be better versions of ourselves. Watching her lead has taught me a lot about what leadership actually looks like, and I am proud to have served alongside her.

Being a woman in public life has also taught me things I never expected to learn about how differently women can be treated when they are willing to have an opinion, take a position or say no. I don’t think I fully understood that when I first put my name on a ballot. I do now.

I am also going to miss some of the things I didn’t expect to become important to me. The conversations in the kitchen before meetings, the ridiculous things that happen during Council meetings, people finding out you’re on Council and immediately wanting to share their opinions with you, the emails that make you question your life choices and the ones that remind you why you put your name forward in the first place. I will miss being part of the conversations about what kind of community we want to be and having the opportunity to be part of decisions that will impact our community long after my time on Council is over. There have been frustrating days, long nights and plenty of moments where I wondered why the hell I was doing this, but there have also been a lot of really good moments and I am grateful for all of them.

Some of the things I will remember most have nothing to do with Council business at all. I will always remember the pride my daughter had when she would tell people that her mom was on City Council. There was something pretty special about that. Getting to lay a wreath each year with the Mayor at Remembrance Day ceremonies was another one of those moments I will look back on with a lot of pride. Those are the little pieces of this experience that will stay with me long after the meetings and agendas and council reports are forgotten.
There are things I am proud of too. Not because they have my name attached to them, but because I was part of something that mattered. I am proud of the times I pushed for conversations that weren’t always easy, the times I asked questions when it would have been easier to stay quiet, and the times I was willing to sit in the uncomfortable space between what people wanted and what was actually possible. I am proud of the relationships I built and the people who trusted me enough to have hard conversations with me. I am proud of the times I was able to listen to someone who was frustrated or angry without feeling like I had to defend myself. Those are the things I will take with me.

As I look ahead to this next election, I am genuinely excited to see who puts their name forward. My advice to you as a voter is pretty simple: look past the easy promises. Be skeptical of anyone who tells you they have all the answers or that one simple change will fix a complicated problem. Ask what they would actually do, what it would cost and what the trade-off would be. Eight years in, I have learned that municipal government is complicated, the choices are rarely simple, and every decision has a consequence.

And for anyone thinking about putting their name forward, do it for the right reasons. You are going to be criticized; you are going to have people disagree with you and sometimes people will assume they know why you made a decision without ever asking you. Be prepared to listen to people you don’t agree with, be willing to change your mind and understand that you are never going to make everyone happy. Most importantly, remember that the people sitting across from you aren’t the enemy just because they disagree with you. Municipal politics can get ugly, but it doesn’t have to be personal. If you are going to put your name forward, care about the community more than you care about being right.

I also think it is important to remember that municipal government isn’t just about sewer and garbage, although those things are pretty damn important too. It is also about building and maintaining a community that people actually want to live in. It is about having green spaces where people can gather and spend time with their friends and families, supporting the business community when they are dealing with theft and vandalism, providing opportunities for young people, supporting community organizations and non-profits that are providing services we desperately need more of, and making sure that the people who live here have opportunities to feel connected to the place they call home. Sometimes those things cost money, and I think that is okay. Not every decision that costs money is wasteful, and not every program that doesn’t directly benefit every single person in the community is unnecessary.

I have learned a lot about municipal government over these past eight years. I have learned about budgets and bylaws and procedures and planning, but I have probably learned even more about people. I have learned that everyone comes to the table with their own experiences, their own priorities and their own idea of what this community should look like. I have learned that listening to someone doesn’t mean agreeing with them, and that sometimes the most important thing you can do is understand why someone feels the way they do, even when you still disagree with them. I think that lesson has been useful to me far beyond Council and has changed the way I approach a lot of the work I do.

I also know that eight years on Council is not going to be measured by how many motions I made, how many meetings I attended or how many decisions had my name attached to them. Those things are part of the job, but they aren’t really the part I will carry with me. What I will remember are the people. The conversations. The moments when someone took the time to tell me what mattered to them. The people who challenged me and made me think differently. The people I hopefully helped, even if it was in some small way. I didn’t save the world. I don’t think any councillor does. But if somewhere along the way I helped make someone’s day a little easier, helped someone feel heard, helped move something forward that mattered to them, or simply reminded someone that their voice mattered, then I think that is enough.

Maybe that is what these eight years have really taught me. A life, and maybe a career, isn’t necessarily measured by how much you accomplish. Sometimes it is measured by how much you care and what you do with that care. I have spent a lot of my life trying to fix things, help people, make things happen and figure out what comes next. I don’t regret that. It has made me who I am. But I am also learning that there is value in knowing when it is time to step back, to make room for other people, and to be present for the life that is happening right in front of me.

I don’t know exactly what the next chapter looks like yet, and for perhaps the first time in a very long time, I’m okay with that. I have spent a lot of my life planning the next thing, figuring out what comes next and trying to make things happen. Maybe for a little while I can just see where life takes me.

Thank you to everyone who put their trust in me over the last eight years, whether you voted for me, challenged me, disagreed with me, supported me, stopped me on the street, sent me an email or simply took the time to tell me what mattered to you. Thank you to the people who made me laugh, made me angry, made me question myself and made me think.

Thank you to the people who trusted me with their stories, their frustrations, their hopes and sometimes their absolute certainty that I was doing it wrong. All of it was part of the experience, and all of it taught me something. It has been an honour to serve this community, and I will always be grateful that eight years ago, a very nervous woman who knew absolutely nothing about municipal government decided to put her name on a ballot.

Eight years later, I know a little more about municipal government. I know a lot more about people. And I know that I didn’t get everything right, but I showed up, I cared, and I tried.

And maybe that is enough.