Jason Booth thinks the town should stop waterfront building and instead turn its focus to the Collingwood Terminals.
Booth is a candidate for councillor in the municipal election.
“The waterfront is number one, closely followed by the grain terminals,” said Booth. “I feel that we need to stop the waterfront building and start looking for funds to help our old friend ‘Grain Terminals’ become an Ontario landmark.”
This campaign is a first for the local photographer, who has been living in Collingwood for 33 years. He graduated from Collingwood Collegiate Institute in 1994 and went to trade school to obtain his commercial welding ticket. He discovered his passion for photography in Collingwood and created a Facebook page called Collingwood Past for sharing stories and images. Booth has been a member of the Collingwood Optimist Club for five years, serving as president for the past two years.
“I have always been intrigued by local politics,” said Booth. “I had thought about running in the 2014 election, but life was too busy then.”
Booth has established his campaign priorities on the waterfront and preserving Collingwood’s heritage. He said he wants a new council to work as a team when it comes to decision making and planning Collingwood’s future. He also wants to see more public engagement.
“We need more information sessions on what the town is doing,” said Booth. “I feel that taxpayers are not seeing where the money is going … [There should be] a better accountability toward informing the public on council-made decisions and engaging with the public more than what we are.”
Over the next four years, Booth would like to see the foundation for the new hospital built.
“As long as we keep working in the direction that we are headed, we will get there,” said Booth, adding ratepayers can expect him “to ensure we have a new hospital” if he is elected.
According to Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson, the best timeline would see the hospital built sometime in the next six years. Other estimates suggest it might be ten years.
In addition to the hospital foundation, Booth said he would like to see one more public building built in Collingwood soon.
“A multi-use centre would be great for the area, but I would like the funds to come from the provincial and federal governments,” said Booth.
Booth served as the treasurer for the Collingwood Optimist Club, and when it comes to the town’s finances, he wants to stay the course. He listed his priorities as staying on the current path past councils have laid and improving debt repayment with limited spending.
Booth also puts an emphasis on doing more listening to local ratepayers. When it comes to the challenges placed on the relationship between council and residents, Booth said teamwork and listening are the solutions.
“[We should be] working as one on council,” said Booth. “[We should] look at the root problems with Collingwood and [should be] asking the residents what they want to see.”
Booth said the most important part of a councillor’s job is listening to the public.
Booth is one of 19 candidates for councillor in the October 22 municipal election. Voters may choose up to seven candidates on their ballots for councillor.
The Collingwood Chamber of Commerce is hosting a meet-the-candidates event for councillor candidates on Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. at the Collingwood Legion. Doors open at 6 p.m. The last event was at capacity and some residents were turned away from the meeting.
The chamber will be posing questions received by members of the public to each of the candidates during the meeting. Click here if you have a question you’d like included.
