Building on Our Progress
The past four years have put West Nipissing in a stronger position. We’ve rebuilt important relationships, strengthened the municipality, secured significant outside funding and started addressing some long-standing challenges. We also have a much clearer picture of what needs to be done—and what it will take to do it responsibly.
There is still plenty of work ahead. The next four years should be about building on that progress, making practical choices and staying focused on the things that matter most to residents.
Taking Care of the Infrastructure We Already Have
West Nipissing has a lot of infrastructure to look after—more than 550 kilometres of roads, eight fire stations, seven landfills, two arenas, parks and community facilities, water and wastewater infrastructure and many other municipal assets spread across nearly 2,000 square kilometres.
Much of it is aging, and decades of deferred maintenance have left us with a significant backlog. We need to be strategic about what we repair, replace and invest in, while being realistic about what we can afford. That means understanding the condition of our assets, planning ahead and considering the full cost of major projects—not just what it costs to build, but what it will cost to operate and maintain over time. Where projects are beyond what we can reasonably finance on our own, I will continue working with provincial and federal partners to bring funding home.
Making the Municipality Work Better
As Council members, we hear a lot from residents about what is working, what isn’t and where the municipality can do better. That feedback matters, and it helps guide our priorities.
Over the next four years, we have an opportunity to continue improving how the municipality works—simplifying processes, reducing duplication, improving records and information management and making better use of technology and digital tools. We’re combining what we hear from residents with the findings of the municipality’s operational review and staff input to identify where we can improve services and make better use of the resources we have.
But this is about more than technology. It’s also about building a strong organization where people know what is expected of them, have the tools and support they need to do their jobs well and take pride in the work they do for our communities. We need to attract and retain good people in a competitive labour market while also planning for the knowledge, skills and leadership the municipality will need in the years ahead. We also need better information to help us make good decisions. Meaningful data and performance measures can give Council a clearer picture of how services are performing, where improvements are needed and whether the changes we make are actually working.
The goal is straightforward: better service, clearer processes, better use of our resources and a municipality that is easier to deal with.
Finishing What We Started
Some of the most important work over the next four years is already underway.
The Champlain Bridge reconstruction is a major $30-million investment in an important piece of Highway 17 infrastructure with construction scheduled to start in 2027. I will continue working with our provincial partners to make sure the project stays on track.
Securing more than $18 million in provincial funding for the Verner Water project was a major accomplishment. Now we need to deliver the project responsibly, on time and within budget.
Minnehaha Bay is a good example of why we need to think beyond the immediate cost of a project. The waterfront was redeveloped about 15 years ago using the old Government Dock abutments, which saved money at the time but means those underlying structures now need to be replaced. A funding application has been submitted, and I’ll continue working to find the right long-term solution while applying the lessons from this project to how we plan and renew other municipal assets.
The Au Château reconstruction will require continued advocacy, partnerships and significant funding. We need to keep working toward more non-profit and seniors housing, and there is more work to do at Goulard Park and recreation facilities across West Nipissing.
These projects require good planning, partnerships, advocacy and patience. I want to keep them moving while making sure we are not taking on more than we can responsibly afford.
Positioning West Nipissing for Success
Over the past four years, we’ve worked hard to restore West Nipissing’s reputation and credibility both at home and beyond our municipal borders. That matters more than it may seem. When governments, businesses, neighbouring municipalities and other organizations see West Nipissing as a credible, constructive and stable partner, they are more likely to listen to us, work with us and invest in our community.
We’ve rebuilt relationships with provincial and federal governments, neighbouring municipalities, First Nations, community organizations and other partners. I’ve represented West Nipissing at more than 25 ministerial meetings and delegations, making sure our community has a voice where decisions are being made.
A strong reputation and stable municipal government also matter when we’re trying to attract private-sector investment. Businesses want to invest in communities where they see opportunity, where government is predictable and where they know they can get things done. As the seventh-largest municipality in Northern Ontario, West Nipissing should not simply have a seat at the table—we should be seen as a leader in our region. The stronger our reputation, relationships and voice, the better positioned we are to attract investment, jobs, funding and new opportunities to our communities.
Planning for the Long-Term
West Nipissing faces some very real challenges. We have a large geographic area, a relatively small population, an aging infrastructure network and a significant number of municipal assets to maintain. Decades of deferred maintenance and underinvestment have left us with a substantial infrastructure and facilities deficit.
These realities are not going away. That is why the next four years need to include a clear, strategic approach to infrastructure, assets and facilities. We need to understand what we have, what condition it is in, what needs to be replaced and when, and what it will cost—not just this year, but over the years ahead. That information needs to guide our priorities and our budgets.
We can still invest in the things that make our communities great, our parks, recreation, culture, economic development and community spaces, but we have to do it responsibly. Long-term financial sustainability means making decisions today that we can live with tomorrow.
Looking Ahead
Four years ago, West Nipissing needed to rebuild trust, restore confidence in municipal government and repair relationships that had been damaged by years of dysfunction. Four years isn’t enough to erase decades of deferred maintenance, infrastructure needs and organizational challenges. But we are much further ahead than where we started. We have stronger relationships, a stronger reputation and a better understanding of what needs to be done. We’ve proven that West Nipissing can compete for funding, build partnerships and get important things done.
Now the focus is on building on that progress—renewing the infrastructure we depend on, completing what we’ve started, improving how we serve residents, strengthening our position in Northern Ontario and making smart decisions about West Nipissing’s future.
Today we have a much stronger foundation to build on.
I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished—and I’m ready for what’s next.