HaltonHillsToday is profiling every candidate in the upcoming municipal election. Up next - candidates running in Ward 2 (rural Halton Hills, Glen Williams and Norval).
Ward 2 candidate Maureen Gillham is focused on preserving the natural elements of Halton Hills while allowing for growth.
She feels her experiences as a retired civil servant and long-time resident of Halton Hills will marry together well to make her the right person for the job.
“We can't help but grow,” she acknowledged. “Some of the growth is mandated by the province and it's already pre-approved that we're getting some growth. So I think what you have to manage is walkways, parks and schools.”
Affordable housing is a concern as well. At the time of the interview, Gillham was helping one of her children buy a new house, making her all too aware of the price of houses. She said many local residents will agree that houses are becoming more unaffordable.
“What about seniors that want to downsize and buy something and stay in this area? It's hard for them.”
She cautioned against “big, sprawling properties that take up (plenty of) room, but you can't have apartments on apartments, on apartments. So you have to figure out a good balance of that."
And of course, she wants to manage the growth for future transit plans as well.
“At some point we're going to have some kind of transit in town. “We could have transit in five, 10, 20 years or so. So let’s make sure the streets are built with that design and purpose that'll fit a bus without causing major issues.”
Above all else, Gillham wants to be a balancing force in Halton Hills, finding the middle ground between all sides of a given issue.
In politics, she believes everything should be upfront and honest, and that everyone's opinions need to be considered.
“I'm comfortable in that kind of atmosphere,” she said. “I have no problem dealing with the public. And I'm aware that you can't always keep everybody happy, but as long as everybody knows that their concern has been heard and addressed or considered.”
She moved to Georgetown in 1963 when she was a child and has lived in the municipality ever since. She worked in both the federal and provincial civil services before retiring in 2015.
Thanks to her proximity to Scotsdale Farm, voters can potentially find her hiking the Bruce Trail - an activity she does regularly.
