Recent content by SAM

An open letter to the Left, the Right, the Greens, Indigenous peoples, the 2SLGBTQI+ community, and every human being who still believes our future should belong to us. Connie Shields What If We’ve All Been Played? I am going to ask you to do something that may make you uncomfortable. Put...

Canadians’ living standards and the country’s prosperity are worsening Chris George Oct 23 Recently released economic data and fiscal reports point to an unequivocal conclusion: Canada is in decline. Having suffered though “Canada’s Lost Decade” under Justin Trudeau, Canadians...

The $113-Billion Track Parliamentary Budget Officer prices Alto's Toronto to Quebec City corridor at $75 billion-$113 billion, warning European construction benchmarks will collide with Canadian Shield rock and Laval tunnel Mike B. Hansard Files Oct 23 On Thursday...

Thanks for reaching out, and my apologies for the delay. We are in the final stretch of the campaign, but I wanted to make sure I took the time to answer your questions directly. 1. Why do you feel that you should continue to represent the Region of Waterloo? I am running because I care deeply...

The Cage of Consent Full Series I started by asking who really makes the decisions. I ended up more than a century back in history. Connie Shields I have been digging for years, I started a book back in 2014 that I was going to simply title Connecting the Dots… then I was focused on Big...

Connie Shields Substack With local elections happening this month it is critical to get the video in this article shared to all local councils and all candidates running. Let's make real change at the ballot box!!! Your Town. Your Council. Whose Agenda? From Global Influence to Local...

Help us bring local decision-making back where it belongs — share this article with your councillor or local group. To Every Municipal Candidate in Canada: You Answer to Your Residents, Not Climate Lobby Groups An open letter to municipal candidates, elected officials and taxpayers across...

Help us bring local decision-making back where it belongs — share this article with your councillor or local group. Why Do Municipal Plans All Sound the Same? What Has Your Municipality Signed Up For? Three Reports Council Should Request Gather 2030 Maggie Braun Oct 6...

Here is a general guide: Understand what the municipal government is responsible for (see above) and the job of members of council Make a list of issuesthat are important to you, your community and Ontario, for example: climate change housing public transit policing job creation Assess...

All municipalities in Ontario are required to have a Code of Conduct, which municipal councillors are required to follow. Municipal Municipal councillors help with questions, concerns, or issues you may have accessing municipal government responsibilities, such as: Airports Ambulance Animal...

Stewardship role Council’s objectives are to ensure that the municipality’s financial and administrative resources are being used as efficiently as possible. There is a fine line between council’s overall stewardship of the municipality and the administration’s management of day-to-day...

Policy-making role Council’s role in policy-making is important to providing direction for municipal operations. Policy-making is another key council responsibility identified in section 224 of the Act. Many council decisions are routine, dealing with the ongoing administration of the...

Responsibilities A member of council has to balance the dual responsibility of representing the interests of their constituents with ensuring the long-term well-being of the municipality. They must play 3 main roles: Representative Policy-maker Steward These roles will sometimes overlap as...

by OpenCouncil Published Jul 5, 2024, edited May 24, 2026 Mayor’s role The role of head of council is to: Act as the municipality’s chief executive officer Preside over council meetings such that business is carried out both efficiently and effectively Provide leadership to the council...

Programs and Partnerships, Grants, Targets and Carbon Credits Gather 2030 Sep 30 If I could make one recommendation to every municipal council in Canada — and, frankly, to local governments across UN member states — this fall, it would be this: Ask staff to show you...