Doug Dialogue

Letter to the Guardian December 20, 2007

As always at this time of the year, the malls are abundant with shoppers, the office parties or social events are at the top of our agendas and the gift of giving is in our hearts.

It’s Christmas 2007.

The Brampton Clean City Committee held its Christmas dinner this past Wednesday to show it’s appreciation to committee members who have volunteered their time to help keep Brampton clean and green.

As the committee chairperson I would not only like to thank these members, but the over 60,000 residents made up of schools and church groups, scouts and guides, businesses and community members as well, whose help was unmeasureable. I would like to thank also the City of Brampton Parks and Recreation Department, the Works Department, the Region of Peel and our City Council especially John Sanderson and Elaine Moore for the continued support in our goals and efforts.

As our City grows, we as residents need to join the dots between the litter we see on our streets and in our parks, with the costs associated with cleaning it up. Some may argue that this is why we pay taxes, but I can assure you it wasn’t our tax dollars that put the litter there. The Region of Peel and the City of Brampton spend approximately 1.4 million dollars each year to clean up the illegal dumping of garbage and debris in our parks and on our roads.

Our Clean City Committee spends countless hours through education in our schools about the need for our 3R’s program (reduce, reuse, recycle).

Our Youth Ambassadors who recently received an award from Parks Canada spend the same time educating their peers about the importance of the Environment in our urban settings.

For the most part, these are all volunteers and receive very little in return other than their own self satisfaction.

So when the jolly old man has been and gone and the gifts have been all opened, take the time in your hearts to thank the volunteers of our community, and perhaps make a News Years Resolution for 2008 to help keep Brampton a clean, green and safe place to live and raise our families.

Have a safe and happy holiday and see you at the 2008 spring clean up

Doug Whillans

Chairperson

Brampton Clean City Committee

For information on getting involved call the BCCC office @ 905-874-2828

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Comedian does not warrant a street name

The Brampton Guardian

Friday November 16 2007

BRAMPTON - This is a response to the article in the Nov. 11th issue on page 1 that Brampton council may consider naming a street after the popular comedian Russell Peters.

City Councillor John Hutton suggested and I quote, "We should do something to commemorate him in the city," he went on to say it should be a high profile road, "something that would be seen throughout the whole city".

I cannot dispute the fact that Russell Peters is enjoying a very successful and professional career and does speak of his roots in Brampton; however a street named in his honour may be premature.

I agree that our city and members of council should recognize high levels of achievement from our residents, but dedications of any nature should be based on what they have contributed to the community and not on their personal achievements.

A good suggestion may be that he be honoured perhaps by a star on the floor in the Rose Theatre, much like they do in Hollywood.

Or perhaps we could change the name of Huttonville to Petersville.

Doug Whillans

It is important that the Residents of Wards 2 & 6 know exactly where I stand on the issues that affect our Community. I am committed to be open and frank in my discussions and to remain steadfast in my promise to provide you with an honest response in terms of my position.

I would like to share with you some of my thoughts in order to give you a sense of where I stand on the issues and the kind of Councillor I can be for your Ward. So please look for me in your neighborhood and plan on visiting my web site for regular updates.

Here are some of my thoughts on the issues facing Wards 2 & 6 and the rest of Brampton.

1. Development of High-rise Condominiums at Sandalwood Parkway and Loafers Lake...

Heart Lake Condos

Loafer's Lake is one of the true gems of this City. The community centre, library and park are perfectly sized to the needs of the Heart Lake community. This, combined with the already overtaxed road system in the area of Sandalwood Parkway and Conestoga Drive, makes the development of four high rise condominium apartments incompatible with the existing community. While I support the idea of the City assisting the developer to search for opportunities to "land swap" into other parts of the City I have a concern that in the end this could come at the expense of Brampton taxpayers or simply end up transferring the problem to another part of our City. What is important is to ensure that lands are zoned appropriately in the first place; this is the job of Council and an issue I am committed to work on.

Doug attends Information update meeting at Loafers Lake for the proposed Heart Lake High Rise Condos

First off, I would like to go on the record as saying that the priorities of our City should not have been opening an 880 seat theatre at a cost to the taxpayer of $55 million. Council treated the funds from the sale of Brampton Hydro as a windfall and to date their spending can best be described as frivolous. But having said that the theatre is here, and I for one will ensure that the mandate of the theatre will be community based. Performances and events staged in the Rose Theatre need to be affordable and reflect the diverse nature of Brampton and all that our community encompasses.

If I can look back on one issue that has solidified my reason for wanting to represent Wards 2 & 6 as your Councillor it has to be the state of the arterial roads. The simple fact that development was allowed to proceed so far in advance of the infrastructure, especially the road system, is a clear demonstration that our City, has not adequately addressed our needs. While I am pleased that finally we are beginning to see progress towards widening Bovaird Drive, McLaughlin Road and Chingacousy Road the timing has been painfully slow. I question the current Council taking credit for the recent construction activity without taking responsibility for the years of inaction. If elected I will engage City staff, developers and you, the Residents, in open discussions before future growth is allowed to occur to maintain a plan which works in everyone’s interests.

The incineration of low level radioactive waste within the City of Brampton has received considerable attention in the media of late; and rightly so. Three recent fires at a local recycling facility which is handling radioactive waste should raise a red flag for all Brampton citizens. Nothing is more important than ensuring our environment remains protected and the long term health of our Residents is not affected by the industries operating in Brampton. My question is two-fold; first, why were safeguards, in the form of by-laws, not in place to prevent the unfortunate situation that the Residents living in proximity to Mississauga Metals and Alloys Inc. find themselves in today, and secondly what is being done to ensure that this issue is dealt with in a systematic way? As a member of Council I would make certain that our Residents health was protected and that those wishing to do business in the City understood the type of industry we wish to attract prior to locating in Brampton.

Despite finishing in first place at the end of the regular season the Excelsior Lacrosse Club bowed out August 29th to the Peterborough Lakers in the race for the Mann Cup. As the oldest Lacrosse franchise in Canada the Excelsiors banner is one that all Bramptonians can share a real sense of pride in as well as enjoy a great source of local entertainment. In this regard Mayor Fennell has done an excellent job promoting our local sports teams and entertainment through her “Catch the Spirit” web campaign. I see this and other efforts to highlight our achievements as an important means of attracting both business and new residents to want to be part of our Community. As for the Excelsiors’ … I know they’ll be back next season and in the hunt for their next Mann Cup Championship!

One of the nicest aspects of living in Wards 2 & 6 has to be a drive down Huttonville’s Embelton Side Road and spotting a hand drawn sign reading “Pick-Your-Own”. West Brampton has been blessed with creeks and woodlots, as well as farm land which are irreplaceable in terms of their value to our Community. Finding the right balance between the pressures of development and our need for open space is the job of Council. Developing parkland for the enjoyment of our Residents, as well as preserving conservation lands for future generations, will be high on my priority list when dealing with the issues of Council.

Brampton is a great City, but it is also a community in transition, and in this regard we have to very quickly get a handle on the rise in crime which all of us have been observing. By this I mean the full spectrum of crime ranging from property vandalism right through to violent crime. No longer can we point to other communities in the GTA as crime centres, the problem is at our doorstep and we need to act.

The issue of rising crime rates needs to be addressed by City Council because it will not be solved by merely putting more police officers on patrols. I suggest that they are really about having proper community plans in place. Plans for our City need to consider such elements as sizing the density of development, providing community and recreation centres with programming that encompass physical activities as well as opportunities for our residents to learn new skills, practice and express their unique cultural backgrounds, or to simply “hang out” with friends. These are just some of the elements that need to be addressed in consultation with the Peel Police Services Board, City Council, Social Services and many others.

In terms of what I can specifically do to as City Councillor I would say this … the issue of crime I believe has to start with providing real opportunities for Brampton’s youth; they need to have alternatives. Brampton needs to develop this shared vision where our Residents from all age groups and backgrounds feel a sense of engagement with the community. As a member of City Council I would take a leadership role in the process that develops this shared vision.