Municipal candidate Kay Vaughan led the movement several years ago to convince members of city council to allow hens to be raised in backyards.
The motion was defeated and Vaughan asserts that is her motivation now to win a seat in the council chamber at city hall.
Vaughan turned 42 earlier this summer and advises she is also offering a younger perspective.
As to specific changes, Vaughan elaborates, “Along the lines of being able to have backyard chickens, that is my main focus right now. And I’m hoping to be able to start more community gardens. There are not enough of them in the city.
“I know one of my biggest things too is maybe offering rain barrels to families who want them. Again, water is expensive, and we’re getting it every day right now. Lots of it. Where, if we can, use that water.
“We’re already ahead of the game with having compost and that system put into place here in St. Thomas. It’s just a matter of being able to figure out another way to help families.”
Being a single mom of two boys, Vaughan points out, “If I can teach my kids how to grow their own food, and even if it’s taking care of chickens and bringing in eggs and cooking, these are aspects of life that I get to teach my boys how to do.
“I am somebody who’s moved to the city and has watched a lot of things grow and change over the last 20 years. And I think it’s time to have some young voices on council.”
Vaughan continues, “I’d like to see it where the city can do it one day a year. You can put all of your stuff at the side of the road, and they’ll come pick it up.”
She was born and raised in Comber, near Leamington and has lived in St. Thomas for nearly 20 years.
She was formerly the community outreach coordinator for the Salvation Army.
“I am somebody who’s moved to the city and has watched a lot of things grow and change over the last 20 years. And I think it’s time to have some young voices on council.”
Vaughan adds, “With younger people who can’t buy houses, who are living with their parents. They need a new voice. People can’t afford to pay rent. People now don’t have housing. To me, a strategic plan has to be more effective for now.”
“I also volunteer pretty religiously at this point with Harvest Hands, which, again, is right up my self-sustainable alley. So, I’ve been able to do some marketing in certain areas, and I will continue to do that.
“I want people to have that conversation with me and be open to the feedback that I’m going to give them and vice versa.”
Conversations on financial matters like property taxes.
Vaughan points out, “I’m a homeowner, so I understand (a five or six per cent increase in the municipal tax levy) is going to hurt at the end of the day. It’s sad to say, but the money has to come from somewhere, and things need to be fixed. Things need to be done. We complain about roads all the time. Well, where are we going to get the money from?
“It’d be nice if it was going up one or two per cent. And we worked it into a plan, where, you know, in five years, this is the end goal.
“Giving people that opportunity to prepare for that change happening. But just to kind of nail it on us seems stressful. It’s stressful on families. It takes away from me being able to put my kids in sports, feed my kids, go out for dinner every once in a while. It does take away from that. And I know I’m not the only one in this boat.”
She wraps up the conversation with, “The hope is to be able to reach out to partners and be able to move forward.”
Vaughan has a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/kayvaughanforcouncil
She is campaigning under the banner, Stronger Families. Stronger Community. Stronger St. Thomas.
Written by Ian McCallum
