There are two people in the race to represent Ward 8 on Kitchener city council.
CTV News Kitchener reached out to all of the candidates to get a better idea of who they are, why they are running and what they think is the biggest issue in the community.
All candidates were sent the same three questions.
You can find out what ward you're in here.
You can learn about the people running to be the mayor of Kitchener here.
Aleena Aftab
Aleena Aftab has not yet responded to the CTV News survey.
Margaret Johnston
Who are you?
I am a community connector. My career includes work in the nonprofit, government, private, tech & post-secondary sectors. I have (and continue to) volunteer with Boards at the local, provincial & national levels.
I am a former Kitchener WRDSB Trustee and the current Kitchener Ward 8 Councillor, running for re-election.
Why are you running?
I love our City, I love Ward 8!
Council did a great job managing our City as a Team during COVID…but there were many things we weren’t able to do that I would like to do in the next term.
I will proceed with enhancing connections between neighbourhoods and share community expertise. I want to resume my work on the Economic Development Advisory Council, the Belmont BIA and other committees. We need a strong, experienced Council to lead us through the next four years of what will be challenging financial times.
I am a community and business connector and I will continue to bring that expertise to Ward 8 and the City as a whole. I want to earn your support again."
What do you think is the most pressing issue facing the City of Kitchener and how do you plan to address it?
My answer addresses important issues in Ward 8.
Traffic, both volume and speeding are an important concern of residents. I work closely with our transportation Staff to highlight areas of concern from residents. In our last budget cycle I moved a motion to have the number of flexi signs increased in Wards, this passed unanimously. Along with my Council colleagues, I will continue to push for more measures to help with traffic safety.
Westmount Road is the backbone of Ward 8 running the entire length, and bi-secting it end to end. The Region is reconstructing Westmount from Glasgow to Erb. I will work to ensure that information is shared with residents and that Ward 8 voices are raised to the Regional Councillors to ensure their concerns are heard by those that can make changes.
Our Urban Forest canopy is important and makes up 32% of Ward 8. In January 2022, our city council and I supported and approved a tree canopy target of 30% in each ward by 2050 and a target of 33% across Kitchener by 2070.
Affordability & housing are incredibly important. I have supported intensification during my term and am committed to holding the countryside line."
