Glenn Barnes — Mississauga Ward 5

My top 10 priorities if elected your Ward 5 Councillor will be:

I hope the following video helps to make all Ward 5 voters aware of the sneaky election strategy that Mr. PETER Adams is using to try and win votes from residents by tricking them.  Over 50 residents I have spoken with believed his wife Eve was running for election again.  The petty political tactics do not end there either, as I point out in my video blog.  Enjoy…

My top priority if elected your Ward 5 Councillor will be to:

1. Preserve the historic village of Malton and beautify the community with upgraded lighting, street furniture, functional public art, enhance boulevards, improve roads, plant more flowers, trees, foliage & create more vibrant usable public spaces & parks.

To see great examples of upgraded an village watch the video…

Examples of Upgraded Villages

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As your newly elected Ward 5 Councillor I will also:

1. Improve transit hours, coverage & incentives in Ward 5, especially to and from the Industrial and Airport areas, to promote more work commutes.
2. Tackle crime in Malton, with increased community policing by advocating for an Anti-Gang Task Force; Develop an At Risk Youth Strategy; Fully fund Peel’s Neighbourhood Policing Unit (NPU) pilot project, which works directly in schools to ensure the young people in our community are headed in the right direction; and add after school drop-in programs at community centres.
3. Create more vibrant cultural districts and develop a Ward 5 festivals / events strategy.
4. Start a Ward 5 Citizenship Program as a pilot project to be rolled out City-wide in 2015.
5. Establish a Malton community office and work from the premises at least 1 day per week at a minimum.
6. Oppose building a crematorium near the Ridgewood neighbourhood, yet as the Ward 5 Councillor I would attempt to balance the needs of this Ward 5 business, by investigating and assessing if a crematorium could safely, without health or pollution risks, be built in the vast Industrial area of Ward 5.
7. Establish a Britannia and Malton Neighgbourhood Improvement Association, developed by residents with a concept and a terms of reference that is a hybrid of elements, best practices and working models from Neighbourhood Watch, Community Stewardship programs, Residents Improvement Associations, Children’s Safety Villages, Ratepayer Groups, Town Councils and Business Associations.
8. Get to the bottom of why we do not have a Goreway Bridge built, and get construction started.

10. Work to the best of my abilities to be the hardest working Councillor in the City, always give residents the most respectful consideration, and be honest and upfront about where I can help and where I cannot help, always telling you why I cannot help.  Simply put, my actions will always follow  ideals similar to the late Jack Layton, the most respected politician in Canada…borrowing words from his state funeral, “I just want to be useful and make a difference in the lives of real, everyday people.”

After reading this post I hope you will have a much better understanding of who Glenn Barnes is, what he represents and what a vote for Glenn means…

My name is Glenn Barnes and I am running to be your Councillor in Ward 5. If you elect me it means I will automatically be representing you on the Council of the Region of Peel as well as the Mississauga City Council.  One of the reasons I decided to write the following blog, was to try and present a clear picture of how I would conduct myself if you vote for me on September 19 and I win the privilege to represent Ward 5 residents.

I have always had an interest in politics, but my interest developed as I became more involved in Mississauga political landscape.  Over the last 5 years I was selected to sit on City Committees, taken part in key City projects like Inspiration Lakeview project, the Living Green Master Plan and currently sit on the group which developed the Strategic Plan for future growth in Mississauga for the next three decades.

On these committees, I have been working with city and regional staff as well as other volunteers from the city and the region.  As a result I have a clear understanding of what needs to be done to throughout Mississauga to facilitate building the next phase of our great City:

• Intensification of development
• Finalizing the development of our City Centre
• Enhancing heritage villages with sound planning and zoning
• Improving and expanding rapid transit
• Improving citizen-access to public services
• Creating functional, pedestrian friendly neighbourhoods with multiple services

The true work of a Councillor begins with ideas that residents suggest.  In the case of Ward 5, that could be facilitating the implementation of big ideas like building new parks, healthcare centres or adding public art.  However, it could also be a small idea like cleaning up overflowing City garbage cans, increasing the street parking limit of 3 hours, or a neat thought about street parking being available 15 days on one side of the street and 15 days on the opposite side, both initiatives brought up by residents in the Eglington/Mavis area as I canvassed doors last week.

So I thought maybe we need to organize a few more Town Halls?  I’ve attended a number of politically influenced community events and, in general, the people who regularly attend these public meetings are quite often already engaged in their community and so we always tend to hear their ideas and views.  My hopes are to reach the less vocal majority. What the flavour of this article is intended to portray however, is that as your Councillor it would not be about my ideas, rather your ideas as residents.

During this by-election I want to meet as many voters in Ward 5 as possible.  I have already knocked on 1,700 doors and will continue door-to-door canvassing until election day.  I want the voters in Ward 5 to know that I am serious about representing them and their concerns to the best of my ability. I can assure you I will always give you a respectful hearing and my unbiased consideration of all the issues that touch you and I will exercise my best judgment after our dialogue.

I may be naive, but I cannot ever be caddy with the decisions about services, facilities and opportunities essential to the lives of Mississauga residents…EVER!  At one point in my own life, I personally have found myself extremely dependent on such services and I am greatful they were available.

As a community, WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO FORCE our political leaders to read past the “elected” part to get to the word “represent.” We have to remind them that they’re there to represent the interests of residents– not personal interests.  You should know, voting for Glenn Barnes means you are voting for a person who will represent you, your beliefs, needs, thoughts and/or desires.   I believe in community, people and facilitating the building of our City, our Wards and our neighbourhoods.  I WILL ALWAYS commit to being informed about the issues, return ALL your calls or emails and pledge to be upfront and honest with residents about what I can do to help you and what I cannot do to help you, but I will always be honest and tell you why I cannot help.

I am not running to use Ward 5 as a steppingstone to provincial or federal politics. My goal is to be the best Councillor I can be for the people of Ward 5.

I ask you to give me, Glenn Barnes, serious consideration and to vote for me on September 19th.

Voting for a candidate to represent you in government is the essence of the democratic process.  I am urging everyone who is eligible to vote in the by-election to do so on September 19th.  So please, I ask all Ward 5 residents, get out and vote on September 19th, even if its not for me, and remind the people you elect that they are representing you and the interests of the City of Mississauga!!!!!!!!!

A few great pictures from my campain kickoff party last night…

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