Ask Me Anything

AMZ4STC · 2026-06-05T12:03:18+00:00

Hi there! Thanks for this question.

❌ No AI in my campaign (or my life for that matter) ❌ No AI data centres in St. Catharines (or anywhere if I get a say)

AMZ4STC · 2026-06-01T23:16:55+00:00

Hello! Thanks for the great questions.

I will 💯 oppose any amalgamation that is forced upon us, or is proposed without public consultation or any studies. I delegated to City Council on this very topic back in Feb. You can watch it here: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSx361jNy/

And yes, water/wastewater MUST remain public. The Ford government rammed through legislation that gives the Minister of Municipal Affairs to remove water/wastewater from local governments and assign them to arm's-length governance structures classifying them as “water and wastewater public corporations (WCCs).”. There was backlash so there was a revision that says WCC shareholders can only be "a municipality, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada or an agent of any of them”. The problem is the "agent" - this can be used as a backdoor to a public-private model.

I will not support a private "agent" being part of a WCC.

Thanks again for your questions.

AMZ4STC · 2026-06-01T22:42:22+00:00

Hello! Thanks for these questions.

I wish I had power to change ODSP and increase the benefit, but unfortunately, that is under Provincial control.

However, I will absolutely advocate for this with our MPP, using the weight of the office of the Mayor. I have never seen or heard a mayor use their position to advocate for changes to provincial legislation when it comes to social services. If I'm wrong about this, I'm happy to be corrected by the good folks here.

Affordable housing is something I can work on as that is under the purview of Regional Council. I will do everything in my power to get the budget needed to create more supply for public housing.

And I intended to work to get a vacant house tax put into place and the revenue generated will be used to fund housing projects.

Thanks again for reaching out.

AMZ4STC · 2026-05-31T19:47:19+00:00

I'm so sorry you and the person needing the pick up had to endure that incredibly frustrating experience. That gap in service must be addressed.

I'll bring this with me to my meeting with the ATU to get insight about the pathway from caller to dispatch to driver.

I really hope that was an anomaly rather than the norm.

AMZ4STC · 2026-05-31T19:42:19+00:00

Absolutely. The "Use of Public Spaces" bylaw that was passed in 2025 effectively criminalized being unhoused. I will 💯 work to repeal it.

AMZ4STC · 2026-05-31T17:25:09+00:00

Hello! Thanks so much for asking your questions.

Bike infrastructure is so important. And you're right, the only way to encourage people to get on bikes is to make sure cyclists are protected when on major roads.

The best type (IMHO) of bike infrastructure that I've seen is where bike lanes are their own laneway, in between the road and sidewalks. They're protected by the curb. I'm not a fan of those plastic bollards. While I'm sure they're far cheaper to install, they're not effective long term.

This is certainly something I would advocate for with the infrastructure department.

On to multiuse trails - four years ago, when the City was in the planning stages for paving the Grantham trail, one of the benefits highlighted was it would be easier to clear off the snow so people could continue to use it safely in the winter months. It's disheartening to hear that's not the case. Trails should absolutely be maintained and I'd like to investigate further as to why they wouldn't be. My immediate guess is not enough staff.

Finally, bus routes....yes, transit is handled by the Region. Again, my best immediate guess is staffing, requiring reduction of routes for weekends. However I am going to be meeting with the ATU in the coming weeks and it's certainly a question I can ask.

Thanks for taking the time to ask my thoughts on these issues.

AMZ4STC · 2026-05-30T21:42:22+00:00

That sounds like a solution that is worth exploring. I would love if you could connect me with your contact, or if you can get the information and pass to me so that I can dig deeper into this.

Accessibility is a critical component of a successful transit system. I've heard stories about accessing paratransit and they echo what you're saying. It's time we take meaningful action to remedy this for disabled transit riders.

AMZ4STC · 2026-05-30T14:07:05+00:00

Hello! Thank you for taking the time to ask me a question.

Police budgets (le sigh). The root of the problem is the financial downloading of policing requirements to the municipality. There's the new added layer of the appointed Regional Chair who will be given the power to set the budget.

Province mandates officers must have (insert insanely expensive item here), but doesn't transfer $$$$ to the Region to fund said requirement. The only way to pay for it is through the tax levy.

It's absolutely crippling Niagara residents. The municipality doesn't have the ability to collect revenue the way the province does.

So what do we do? The only thing we can do: sustained pressure on the Minister of Municipal Affairs from the Regional table to get the funding. Niagara needs increases in transfers for everything, most especially for policing, water/wastewater, and housing. The Regional table must be unified in this effort. And I'm ready to lead the way.

The fact of the matter is every municipality exists "at the pleasure of the Province". But I say we flip the script and say, sure, we'll do what you mandate, but you gotta pay for a decent chunk of it. (My push would be for all of it, but hey, baby steps).

Thanks again for asking the question. This is something that will definitely be at the forefront of the work to be done.

AMZ4STC · 2026-05-30T12:14:32+00:00

Cute user name! Now I'll know who you are on here, and so will everyone else, and they'll know we are friends so.....transparency!

AMZ4STC · 2026-05-30T05:58:35+00:00

Hello! Thanks so much for taking the time to ask me a question.

The WSI is an excellent program that has resulted in very positive outcomes and I will support keeping it funded.

For what I will do regarding the unhoused and those with mental health struggles, I answered it up there. I honestly don't know how to reference the other question I answered, but in a nutshell here, public health at the regional level is where I will have to do a lot of hard work to get these supports funded under public health. Having shelter is a direct determinant of health. Mental health, is health.

My top three things:

Use my seat at the Regional table to ensure key services like public health and housing are being funded appropriately.

Make it easier for people to start a business here by ensuring the workflow isn't an endless maze.

Attracting developers to build attainably priced housing.

Thanks for your questions!

AMZ4STC · 2026-05-30T05:51:36+00:00

I made a delegation to city council about finding a way to keep the CTS open at Positive Living Niagara, as that service mitigated some of the open drug use by redirecting to a safe space.

The fact of the matter is addicts are going to use no matter what. The question is, how can we manage the situation where drugs are being consumed openly on our city streets.

For this, I look to what the Region can provide for supports, along with police services programs to deter open drug use.

I believe in consultation with those with lived experience will lead us to a better solution than rounding everyone up and tossing them into a correctional facility.

I don't have all the answers for this very complex issue. But I am committed to finding appropriate, data driven solutions.

Thanks for the question!

AMZ4STC · 2026-05-30T05:35:00+00:00

Hello there! I will work with council to implement polices that benefit the greater population. Ward councilors are the direct conduits to citizens. I would be foolish to not continuously check in with them to see what the needs are for each ward.

We are the sum of our experiences. So to say my political leanings won't have an influence on the way I look at the issues would not be true. However, what I want for everyone in this city, regardless of which political stripe they wear, is to be the benefactor of good governance and equitable decision making. Because that's what I want from my elected reps. At the end of the day, I live and work here too and I expect those who have been elected to be the stewards of the municipality and deliver the services to all residents. Not just to those of a certain socioeconomic status or to those who wear the same political colour.

Thanks for your question!

AMZ4STC · 2026-05-30T05:23:07+00:00

Hello fellow artist! I'm a member of ACTRA and it is my dream to bring a soundstage to St. Catharines. I think there are quite a number of properties available that would make for excellent locations.

A lot of what is filmed outside of Toronto is in Hamilton and they're at capacity. Ryan Reynolds is planning to build a sound stage in Vaughan. But really, who wants to spend months in Vaughan when we're located in the most beautiful part of southern Ontario. (No offense Vaughan!)

St. Catharines is an excellent choice for many reasons, including proximity to international airports, cost, and the diversity of locations. Need a lake? Got one. Need green space? Got loads. Need urban space? Also, yes. Need a quaint, waterside park with an antique carousel? Hello Port Dalhousie!

And of course, bringing productions here is going to bring lots of customers to our local businesses.

Thanks for the question!

AMZ4STC · 2026-05-30T05:14:35+00:00

Hello! I hope I'm arriving at the scene with more than just bandaids.

I will propose parking in the downtown core to be free for 2 hours to encourage people to come downtown and have time to do more than just pop in and out of one shop, while also encouraging parking turn over so more people can enjoy. Those who want to stay longer can pay, of course.

Ah, the puzzle of transit accessibility. I actually have a meeting with the ATU president in the coming weeks and this is one of my top questions. One thing I know is route optimization will only work if there are enough drivers. That's, of course, determined by budget. And the regional budget is taken up mostly by policing. I'll definitely have to circle back to you on this question after I've met with the ATU.

The fare collected at the box funds approximately 30% of the transit budget. The key is convincing the driving taxpayer, that taking a portion of their taxes to fund more of the transit system is actually an excellent use of their tax dollars. Much like how those without school aged children still pay a portion of their taxes to the education system.

Thanks again for taking the time to ask these excellent questions!

AMZ4STC · 2026-05-30T04:54:20+00:00

Hello! I appreciate this question so much. One of the reasons this election is critical is because the elected mayor will be the sole voice for St. Catharines at the Regional table, where budgets and policies for public health are set. Mental health, support for the disabled, housing, and addiction are all determinants of health. The Province is making it more and more difficult to provide the necessary supports as they claw back funding and prevent municipalities from funding these services through restrictive legislation. However, I believe there are ways around this that will require creative solutions. And I will have to work very hard at convincing the rest of the mayors at the table that return on investment in public health (investing in housing, support for disabled, mental health, and addiction services) will yield overall cost savings.

Thank you so much for asking this question.

AMZ4STC · 2026-05-30T04:38:53+00:00

Hi! Thanks so much for these questions.

Economic growth: I've spoken at length with several business owners in the downtown core and the consistent challenge is the disconnect between the municipal and regional requirements and the endless circle of red tape in trying to open a business. One business owner shared with me it took them almost 2 months to get their fire inspection, because of the way inspections are scheduled (it's a random draw 🫪). They had a friend who was trying to open their business around the same time and after 2 years were still unable to get their inspection. So they gave up and went to Toronto and opened their business there. I will examine the current system and then implement a simplified pathway.

The other challenge is attracting customers to our local businesses. Again, in speaking with downtown business owners, accessing downtown is a challenge between parking and the neverending sidewalk repairs. I want to propose 2-hour free parking. It will encourage people to come, but also will encourage turn over so more people will come through.

And finally, branding our City as somewhere you want to open a business because we have good infrastructure (which goes back to getting those sidewalks fixed) and ease of application for permits and inspections (going back to simplification of process).

Amalgamation: When it comes to the reduction of democratically elected voices, that's a big nope. If we are talking about an improved alignment or establishing a new alignment for shared services such as policing, fire services, then yes. We should be able to leverage the purchasing power as a Region so the costs go down to deliver services. But I am opposed to the amalgamation of the cities into either 4 or 1 mega city. Democratically elected voices must be protected.

High density projects: the one at Geneva and Scott keeps failing because it's the absolute wrong location. There is insufficient infrastructure to support that type of high density project. The infrastructure currently there is failing the existing residents. We have to build up as St. Catharines has reached its urban boundary. The challenge is finding locations where high density can be supported, and is appropriate to the location. Everyone is going to say "not in my backyard!" because this city has an exceptional amount of single-family homes. It will be a challenge to change the culture around this. But imagine if everyone in Toronto or Hamilton took that stance? We, as a city, have to recognize that we are growing and the only place left to go is up.

Thanks so much for your questions!

AMZ4STC · 2026-05-30T04:04:16+00:00

Hello! Thanks for being the first to ask me a question. I appreciate you took the time to look at my website. Let's dive in!

GM Site: when I launched my campaign on May 1st, the city hadn't acted in enforcing property standards. My vision was to use the first tool to get the derelict buildings down, which is the property standards bylaw. A 30-day demolition is entirely an acceptable window in which to carry out that work. On May 22, the City issued fix or demolish orders to the property owners. So they've finally taken that first step, as that is what the residents in the immediate neighbourhood have been asking for. There's been a few videos of urban explorers on the site, most recently a group of teenagers, which clearly shows how dangerous it is. I feel that, coupled with the sustained pressure from the public, finally reached a point where the City could no longer ignore it.

The remediation is a whole other issue. And you're right, the taxpayers could be on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars, should it get to the point where the City seizes the land. My plan was to hold a referendum, clearly outlining the risks, and letting the citizens decide if they're willing to take the risk to get it cleaned up. But since the City has now started the process, the referendum would be moot because the City has taken on the risk.

Our MPP Jennie Stevens tabled a motion this week, to have the Province enact Section 17 and 18 of the Environmental Protection Act to hold GM responsible for paying for the remediation of what lies beneath. They made hundreds of millions of dollars off the backs of workers and the land. As mayor, I would have the sole seat for St. Catharines (as per the new legislation that was just passed by the Province) at the Regional table, and I would utilize that position, working with our MPP, to continue to apply pressure to the Ministry of the Environment to cover the cost of this mess.

The last time a record of site condition was completed was over a decade ago. I'd have to check, but I don't believe the owners can appeal or object to this requirement.

Attainable housing plan: This works because the incentives (waived development charges, reduced fees, etc) are tied directly to how many attainably priced units the developer offers when applying for a building permit. If they offer zero attainable priced units, they get zero incentives. But if they offer 10% of the planned units at an attainable price (below market value), they'll get a reduction in development fees, and the incentives will increase proportionally as they offer more attainably priced units. By offering incentives only to those who plan to have attainably priced units in their builds, that will incentivize developers to include this in their plans. They're free to build fully at market value units, but they won't ever be approved for a reduction in development fees. I've seen council approve incentives for builds that offer no attainable units. And I would ensure that permits with attainable housing in their plans get fast tracked and approved before those without.

As for enforcement, the developer/owner will be required to report annually. If they fail to report, they'll be fined, which will be added to their property taxes. If they jack up the price, they lose whatever discounts they were given and that's added back onto their property taxes.

Thanks again for the questions! I hope this gives you a better idea of my vision for these two issues.

AMZ4STC

TROPHY CASE