Hey There

Remember the psychotic snowstorms and rolling blackouts that hit Southern Ontario and the northeastern seaboard in the earliest days of 2003? That was when, at Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital in the beautiful City of Burlington, I made my entrance into the world. The jury is still out on whether the snowstorm and my birth were connected... though family members are most assuredly still mad that I made them drive to see me during that weather. 

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At the ripe old age of 6, our family made Hespeler home - founded originally as 'New Hope' after the portion of Haldimand Tract lands it occupied was sold off by an Indigenous tribe leader by the name of Joseph Brant... yes, the hospital guy. Fate works in mysterious ways. 

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I think my childhood in Hespeler looked very similar to many other people's upbringings in our community. Hockey, spending time outdoors (biking the Mill Run Trail was and remains a favourite), hoping the streetlights would forget to turn on in the summer. I attended Woodland Park for elementary school, where I was selected by my peers as the Valedictorian. I played for the Shamrocks as a goalie, much to the dismay of anyone playing forward or defence on the same team as me - scored 2 goals as a goalie though! Having had enough of the embarrassment, I emigrated to the forward line, playing right wing for house league teams with the Cambridge Hawks for a few years. Scored the same number of goals as a forward as I did when in net. The NHL never called. 

 

I spent grades 9 and 10 at Jacob Hespeler Secondary School, where I joined several clubs and sports teams. Believe it or not, I was even named captain of both the Varsity Golf and Junior Badminton teams in the 10th grade. I then transferred to Galt Collegiate Institute (sometimes referred to as Hogwarts by some of my JHSS friends) to pursue some design courses that weren't offered at any other high school in Waterloo Region. I deeply missed my friends, clubs, and teams at JHSS when I was at GCI, and to this day have occasional regrets about the switch, but remain grateful for the increased independence and personal growth that going so far out of my comfort zone forced upon me. I'm a proud member of GCI's 169th graduating class. 

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From the age of 4, I wanted to be an architect. That was the primary motivation behind the choice to transfer to GCI for those design courses. By the end of grade 11, I could see my calculus marks not being up to snuff for the shortlist of architecture schools I wanted to attend - namely, Waterloo's School of Architecture in downtown Galt. Being someone who likes to plan ahead, I began evaluating alternative post-secondary options. With my continued love for design, and a newfound love for the workings of government instilled in me by Mr. O'Connor's grade 10 civics teachings, I stumbled upon the profession of 'urban planning.' In a very simplified sense, what an architect is to a building, an urban planner is to a city or region. With a pinch of lawyer. 

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Through my university years, I worked a part-time job on the evenings and weekends, while also working full-time co-op/ internship positions at various organizations - including a short (wintery) stint in Calgary - to have a diverse range of professional experiences before 'officially' entering the working world. As was my dream, I managed to graduate from the University of Waterloo with Honours, but from a different degree program. One I had never heard of, but one that has given me more joy than I ever imagined architecture could. 

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I think those experiences have shaped me in ways that are particularly relevant to the work of a City Councillor. I've always been someone who likes to understand how things work, think several steps ahead, and figure out how seemingly different pieces fit together. My education and work have given me the opportunity to see Cambridge and other communities from a number of different perspectives — as a resident, a student, a volunteer, a candidate, a planner, and someone who has worked alongside both the public and private sectors. I've learned that good ideas are only useful if you can actually get them done, that there is rarely one perspective that tells the whole story, and that representing people well means listening carefully even when you don't necessarily agree. As a Councillor, I want to be someone Ward 2 residents can count on to understand the issues, advocate for our community, work constructively with my colleagues, and make decisions with both the needs of today and the Cambridge of tomorrow in mind.​​ 

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Oh, and I also ran for City Council in Ward 2 during my studies - my endless thanks to the 721 of you who voted for me when I was barely old enough to drink. At the end of that campaign, I put out a statement that ended with "see you in 2026." Consider this promise kept. When you vote, and whomever you vote for, you will be helping to write the next chapter of my life.