Six questions with Jacqui Collier, candidate for Loyalist-Cataraqui District
Editorial note:
Across the province, Ontarians are getting ready to cast their ballots in every city, town, and county as the 2022 Municipal Election is fast approaching. With election day on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, Kingstonist has reached out to all candidates within the City of Kingston to create profiles allowing voters to find a brief overview of each candidate in one place. As response comes in, more and more candidate profiles will be added here, which you can access through our Municipal Election 2022 section (with the tab on the Kingstonist.com homepage), or through our ‘Candidate overview landing page.’
With 45 candidates in total for Kingston City Council alone – and with only one district acclaimed (Countryside District will once again be represented by Gary Oosterhof) and six districts without an incumbent – our goal is to provide as much information as possible leading up to the elections. Thus, we will endeavour to collect response from as many Kingston candidates as possible, with the hope of providing similar coverage for Loyalist Township, Frontenac County, and the Town of Greater Napanee moving forward. All relevant links will be available under the Municipal Election 2022 tab.
For more general information on election process in Kingston, including details on electing Board of Education Trustees, ensuring you are registered to vote, etc., visit the City of Kingston Municipal Elections webpage.
Candidate profiles are being published on our website in no particular order.
Jacqui Collier has worked in the Loyalist-Cataraqui district for 12 years, and this past winter she and her family purchased a new home in the district, currently under construction.
New to the election race, Collier moved to Kingston in 2007. She currently sits on two City of Kingston Committees: the Housing and Homelessness Advisory Committee, where she is elected Chair, and the Committee for Community Safety and Wellbeing.
Collier, the President of the Kingston Home Builders Association, also hosts a CKWS segment Design Ideas with Jacqui, and said she is very involved in the Kingston community. “I’m dedicated to having a positive impact through my volunteer work, including as Chair of Habitat for Humanity KLR, and Vice President of the Boys and Girls Club (BGC South East) and Big Brothers Big Sisters KFLA.”
Collier also shared that she has a strong connection to City Hall. “I am in awe of this special building, and in 2010 my husband and I hosted our wedding ceremony at City Hall’s Memorial Hall. Every year on our anniversary, we bring our daughters back to this room and my husband and I stand at the front to quickly recreate saying ‘I do’ (in a summer dress and shorts, but nonetheless!)”
How would you describe your personal political ideology and/or affiliation?
Every election I vote with an open mind, based on the leader, their qualifications, and their platform. I do not have an affiliation to any party and would describe myself as very centre. I am socially liberal and fiscally conservative.
What made you want to run in this municipal election?
I am deeply involved in our city through many municipal and charitable organizations, and I know that we need strong leaders who not only listen, but take action on the concerns of our constituents. We must bring more efficiency and expediency to City Council, and make decisions based on facts, without delay, that are fair and inclusive for all. What binds us together is greater than what divides us. We are all passionate about our beautiful city, and our representation needs to reflect this.
What are the three most common issues voters are bringing up to you as you campaign?
- Unsafe roads and lack of traffic calming measures.
- Our dire healthcare crisis.
- Housing and housing affordability.
What three issues are most pressing/important to address locally in your opinion?
- Our healthcare crisis, and the urgent need for family physicians in Kingston, with support and advocacy for all levels of health care including our nurses, paramedics, and first responders.
- Homelessness in our city, which is a housing, mental health, and addictions crisis. We must wrap the right services in and focus on permanent solutions.
- Housing and housing affordability. We have a lack of supply of homes, and overwhelming demand. The consequences of this have a domino effect. Lack of housing has led to an extreme affordability crisis, which then creates a liveability crisis. Many families are struggling, wondering how to keep a roof over their head, while paying their bills and the increased cost of everything with inflation.
What is the most pressing issue in your district?
Without question the unsafe nature of speeding on our roads, leading to the necessity of traffic calming measures, and better public transit, which itself is not currently available throughout the district. These issues must be corrected, not later, but now.
What do you feel sets you apart from other candidates?
I am already a devoted leader serving our city, having spent years on many municipal committees and charitable organizations. I am familiar with the process. I know that we need to respect and support our City staff, provide the right oversight, ask the right questions, and prioritize strategic planning to effectively govern. I am committed to serving, I know how to get things done, and I have a strong experienced voice, which I feel I need to use for the betterment of our district and city.
For more information on Jacqui Collier, candidate for Loyalist-Cataraqui District in the 2022 municipal election, visit her website, Facebook page, or watch her campaign video.
With files from Cris Vilela.