For St. Thomas city council candidate Steve Ogden, this is technically not his first run at municipal politics. Several decades ago, he was a trustee on the Elgin County School Board.
A top-of-mind issue for the retiree is homelessness.
Ogden wants to get to the bottom of why individuals are out on the streets, and what can the city do to deal with those causes.
He stressed that it’s not just that they can’t find a home or they can’t find a job.
If elected, Ogden would push for turning vacant downtown spaces into accommodation or shelter for homeless individuals.
“When there’s people lying on the streets during the winter, we’re in southwestern Ontario, we probably have the mildest winters in the whole country, but it’s still not easy to sleep on the street during the winter. I would like to see, and I’m not suggesting that all of these things be turned into accommodation, but I want to incentivize the people who own them to either bring in a business of some sort so that people will be employed and the economy will be helped, or create accommodation or a shelter.
“At he event that the Kinsmen put on, somebody approached me afterward and was concerned about doing this in the downtown core. I think she was thinking that it would be better to move people like this to the edges or somewhere away from downtown.”
Asked about the rapid industrial growth and the impact on infrastructure, Ogden responded, “I have a sort of a sideways approach to help in those areas.”
He continued, “Being a good corporate citizen is not just about, you know, talk. Let’s put some tax manipulation in there to make sure that they understand their responsibilities.”
Looking at the city’s transit system, Ogden noted it is fine to plan for decades ahead, however there are issues that need to be resolved now.
Ogden added, “Now that you would think is important and I guess the city does because it’s part of their planning to make direct routes to these new companies but what about the existing companies? What about the people who just want to go shopping or want to support small businesses?
“We don’t have a great transportation system right now. Now is that because people aren’t using it? Or are people not using it because it’s not a good system?
“Transit is getting people out of their cars.”
With the current focus on the railway lands and the Elgin County Railway Museum, Ogden would like to see a central park incorporated into any plan.
“Basically, they’re talking about almost tearing it apart just to make sure everything’s going to be rebuilt properly. But they are going to rebuild it, and that’s very important. But I think just as important, that’s a very central area, and that land was designated, as I remember for a park
“And what’s a more central place to put a park than there? And yet we sold off some of it so we could build high-rises. And there’s lots of areas all over the place where we could build high-rises.
“I want to make sure that whenever we are taking away something, that really will benefit community or stop planning in those directions. I want to be part of understanding very clearly or helping other people on council understand why this is not a good direction.
“I would like to see parkland, and I would like to see it orchestrated. I’d like to see, you know, trees planted so that it becomes a place where people can go to exercise. Let’s be serious about bike paths and pedestrian walkways. Let’s not just talk about a section of the city.”
His campaign will hinge around door-knocking.
“That’s always interesting. I will do that. And that is very useful for finding out more issues or what the shades are on some of the issues. I sort of do that in a way like I go to karaoke and a couple of other social events and things. And, you know, I talk people up in those places as well.”
Written by Ian McCallum
