Youth versus experience in Ward 13 debate

Youth versus experience and change versus the status quo drove the Cable 14-Spectator debate between incumbent Arlene VanderBeek and challenger Alex Wilson.

While VanderBeek leaned heavily on her record as a two-time city councillor, local climate-action activist Alex Wilson said it was time to break with the past.

We can choose to build a city and a municipal response that does not leave anyone behind," he said. But we need change. We cannot afford any more delay. We cannot afford any more scandals, and we cannot afford any more coverups. We cannot wait any longer."

VanderBeek opened the debate by noting she was the only candidate with a background in municipal government and framed Wilson as a neophyte.

I contributed to the community my whole life by volunteering on local boards, committees and citizen groups through my years as a former Dundas town councillor and now as the city councillor for Ward 13," she said. This is not the time for on-the-job learning."

Wilson, the founder of grassroots climate-action group Action 13, took frequent aim at VanderBeek's record, including for voting to keep a massive sewage leak into Chedoke Creek a secret.

Wilson said VanderBeek voted 14 times to keep the spill quiet, even as some of her council colleagues changed course and voted for more transparency.

It wasn't just 14 votes not to tell us. There was also the refusal to join Indigenous groups and other councillors in apologizing to our water," Wilson said.

Vanderbeek defended her stance on the 24-billion-ton sewage leak, saying she followed the advice of city lawyers.

Did I vote to keep in confidence some information? Yes, I did," she said. When a very experienced lawyer who specializes in protecting corporations who've been involved in environmental spills gives us some very pointed advice I tend to take it."

The pair also spared over accepting campaign donations from developers. Wilson has made his rejection of such contributions part of his platform for the Oct. 24 election, saying that since city council will have to adjudicate development projects, even the appearance of a conflict of interest is not worth the risk to his integrity.

VanderBeek said that to date, no developer has contributed to her campaign but she would not reject the money if it were offered. She said there are developers that live in the riding and they, like anyone else, can donate to the candidate of their choice.

On encampments and funding for people who are homeless, Wilson said the city should be investing resources to tackle the issue locally, while VanderBeek said that is the responsibility of the provincial government to fund social programs and a balance" needs to be struck.

She also pointed out that Wilson works for the province" and should therefore know how the funding works.

Wilson, who is on leave from his job as legislative assistant to Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas MPP Sandy Shaw, criticized city hall and the Doug Ford government for their responses to the local housing crisis.

I don't think there's any balance to encampment evictions," he said in reference to the city's enforcement of a bylaw that bars tents from being pitched overnight in parks. It's just cruelty ... There's no two sides to that issue. That is a human rights abuse."

The pair were also given opportunities to ask each other questions. While Wilson asked about VanderBeek's record as a councillor, the veteran declined to ask questions of her opponent.

Grant LaFleche is an investigative reporter with The Spectator. Reach him via email: glafleche@torstar.ca

Who was there

Present Arlene VanderBeek, Alex Wilson

Absent None