Pocketbook issues dominate Summerside mayoral debate

SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — Identify a difficulty dealing with the residents of Summerside, and likelihood is it received consideration Thursday night time, Oct. 27, from the three males vying to be Summerside’s subsequent mayor.  

The candidates, incumbent Basil Stewart, Dan Kutcher and James Ford, squared off in a spirited, however congenial, debate on the problems dealing with town – housing, social points, transportation, regional growth, debt administration, the downtown – there was actually no lack of issues to speak about. 

All three made impassioned factors about why their imaginative and prescient deserved to be the one to information town for the subsequent 4 years.  

All agreed although, that there are important challenges, lots of them associated to the price of dwelling, dealing with residents and town must do its share to assist.  

On the housing concern, Ford spoke from private expertise. He instructed the viewers about how his circle of relatives was almost evicted from their rented residence following post-tropical storm Dorian in 2019. They had been ultimately capable of struggle that eviction and purchase their residence, so that they received by that interval – however not everyone seems to be so lucky, he stated.  

“I’ll inform you. There may be nothing on this planet that’s worse than wanting into your little woman’s eyes and figuring out on the finish of the month you might have nowhere to go,” stated Ford.  

“We have to cease considering of the housing concern as simply ‘the housing concern,’ and we have to begin occupied with it by way of human beings who’re being thrown out like trash.”  

“As God as my witness, I’ll do my greatest to cease this.”  

Watch a livestream of the news conference here when it begins.

On the difficulty of public transportation, particularly, what Summerside ought to do with its present small bus system, Kutcher stated the present system simply doesn’t work because it ought to.  

“My 85-year-old buddy isn’t going to have the ability to go to Sobeys and decide up her groceries and are available residence utilizing public transit right here within the metropolis. So, we have to work out if we need to put money into that and if it’s one thing we actually need to sort out in our future,” stated Kutcher.  

He added that, if town does determine to take a position extra into this service, it ought to look at an ‘origin to vacation spot transit system,’ the place electrified transportation picks up a passenger at one location and takes them on to wherever they’re going, somewhat than counting on a extra conventional route system with many stops alongside the best way. 

On the difficulty of site visitors within the metropolis, Stewart stated it’s an advanced concern that he and the present council have been working to handle. He vowed to proceed to take action.  

Particularly, he talked about the proposed connection street between the Reads Nook space and the northern Granville Avenue retail space, in addition to pace abatement and site visitors congestion on the jap a part of Water Avenue.  

“Sure, we have now conditions to cope with,” stated Stewart.  

“That’s within the combine. Council is coping with a northern (site visitors) hall. That takes some time to get in place. I’m not going to face right here tonight and say ‘yeah that’s going to be completed subsequent week or subsequent yr.’ It takes some time as a result of there are a variety of properties that must be negotiated.” 

Brian Longmore and Alice Leger Guergis are residents of Summerside and attended Thursday night time’s debate with open minds, keen to listen to what every candidate needed to say. 

“It was an amazing debate, all optimistic,” stated Leger Guergis. 

“Three nice candidates, it’s going to be laborious to choose,” added Longmore.  

“Will probably be fascinating to see which one the general public chooses, however I used to be right here to be taught.” 

The controversy came about on the Harbourfront Theatre and was sponsored by the Higher Summerside Chamber of Commerce and SaltWire Community.  

Islanders who’re eligible to vote in a municipal election go to the polls on Nov. 7.