YORKTON – The 2024 Municipal Election set for Nov. 13 will see the public cast their votes with two mayoral candidates and 10 councillors to choose from.
Â鶹´«Ã½AV.ca reached out to each candidate with a set of questions to help inform the public on who they're voting for.
Quinn Haider, Candidate City Council
First, a brief history of your time in the city. How long have you been here, work experience, political experience, etc.
Yorkton has been my home for as long as I can remember. My parents raised me here, and I have been teaching here for 30 years. My wife and I celebrated 25 years of marriage this past summer, and by the time this school year is done, both of our daughters will have graduated from high school here too. Even before entering politics, I was a member of the Protective Services Committee, and I'm currently on the Civic Recognition Committee and the Planning and Infrastructure Committee. Over the past eight years, it has been an honour to represent the citizens of Yorkton on City Council.
Why do you feel you're qualified to represent the public on City Council?
I believe that collaboration is the key to solving many of the most challenging issues facing our city, and that it will take teamwork to make Yorkton thrive. What I find unique about the municipal level of government is that our residents get to elect an entire team of people that they think will best serve the interests of the city. Over the past eight years, the residents of Yorkton have elected me to be a member of this team. The communication skills that I have learned during my education career have been put to good use during my time on City Council. Residents can continue to expect me to share information with them, and to work tirelessly with all levels of government, community groups, business owners in order to ensure that Yorkton is the place where good things happen.
What issues do you feel are the most pressing for the city?
It is an exciting time to be living in Yorkton. Some of our biggest employers are expanding their businesses, and our city is on the cusp of significant growth. But, there are also substantial challenges on the horizon. While we are near completion of the most expensive road restoration project in our history (York Road), our road infrastructure in many places in the city is in need of major work. We also have two crucial, but financially massive, projects on the horizon as our wastewater treatment plant needs to be replaced, and we are near the top of the provincial list for a new hospital. And, societal issues that did not seem to affect Yorkton just a few short years ago have certainly been thrust into the spotlight as of late.
How would you plan to address these issues?
As I have stated earlier, teamwork is going to be critical in order to deal with many of the issues facing our city. In regards to our infrastructure, at the top of my list is working with other levels of government and our neighbours to make Grain Millers Road a safe and reliable place for heavy trucks to use. Although we don’t own this road, making it a preferred option will prolong the life of York Road. I also believe that we need to work with our elected officials to secure the funding required for our wastewater plant. And, while we have been setting aside some funds for our portion of the new hospital build, I believe that it will take the cooperation of many different groups to meet our financial requirements for this much needed new facility.
In Yorkton we're experiencing concerns with homelessness, drug abuse, mental health and crime. Though separate issues they're often intertwined and something that falls on the shoulders of the provincial government. What steps would you, as a city councillor, take to ensure a closer working relationship with the provincial government so that a meaningful impact on these issues can be made? What work or education do you have that qualifies your answer?
As a school principal, I have had multiple opportunities to work with families of a variety of backgrounds. I have seen people experience joy and success, but I have also had to help support families dealing with addictions and mental health issues. Because of my background, I understand that there is no easy, quick fix to many of the situations that we are seeing today. I want to thank Fire Chief Morrisey for all of his work in trying to solve these problems. But, these situations are much too big for just one person to deal with. As a result, Yorkton’s City Council must advocate for our residents in many ways. At the federal level, we need tougher laws so that when our RCMP officers catch people supplying dangerous drugs, they can be taken off of the streets for a substantial amount of time. We need to work with our next MLA to ensure that funding and programs are in place so that when people are ready to seek support, they have options for treatment and safe places to stay. Our local community organizations also need our support, as they provide crucial and accessible counselling to those in need. These problems are often deep-rooted and result from a variety factors, and it will require collaboration from many of us to deal with them effectively.
What would you do to improve on transparency to maintain the public's trust in their municipal government?
I have been asked if more of our meetings could be streamed or televised so that our decision-making processes are clarified. I am certainly open to doing so, but any portions of meetings that deal with potential property sales or personnel issues are required to take place “in camera” for a variety of reasons. In addition, during my time on City Council, I have always encouraged residents to reach out to me personally whenever they have questions or concerns. After learning what the issue is, I have always offered support, or tried to find the answers that they are looking for. As well, I have often used my social media presence to help inform our residents about City of Yorkton issues, and to provide corrections to misinformation that is often circulated. If elected for a third term, I will continue to do so as I believe it is crucial for our elected officials to work with the people that we represent.
