Community First ....
Always!
WHY I AM RUNNING
To understand why I am so excited to run for re-election, you need to know why I first ran for office twelve years ago. I had been a resident for thirteen years, and Wasaga Beach was not moving towards its potential. The beachfront was worn, and the town looked rough. There was a new mayor, and he had a great vision for the future, and I wanted to be a part of making the vision a reality. So when a councillor resigned, I applied for the position and was appointed by a majority vote of the council. In my first three years on council, a plan was formulated, and there was progress, but the next election resulted in a new Mayor and a new direction, well, more of a reversal, and that term was challenging for me and the community.
Then, in 2022, Brian Smith was elected Mayor for the second time, and I was the only member of the Bifolci/Bray council who was re-elected, for very good reason!
What we have learned is that if you want to get things done in a four-year term of council, you need to move quickly, and I am so proud of the unprecedented number of major accomplishments achieved this term. We established a strong relationship with the province and received 160 million in funding and a major land transfer from the province to the municipality. Most important to me is that we filled two major missing components of our community… two high schools and what will be the largest long-term care facility in South Georgian Bay. That is not to say that the Marriott Resort & Spa, Costco, Breakers Development, Hampton Inn, Food Basics and second Shoppers Drug Mart, all on their way, are minor accomplishments. These are exciting, but the urbanization of River Road West, the updated parks, the raising of Beach Drive, the Veteran murals and a good start on beautification are things we can see now.
So why do I ask for your support to be re-elected as one of your councillors; because we have a proven track record, a great working relationship with our town team and we are building momentum. I know that if you re-elect Team Wasaga, we will keep it going!
You also have my personal commitment that I will continue to be a COMMUNITY FIRST councillor …. ALWAYS!
ABOUT ME
JOE BELANGER
It has been my great pleasure to serve on Wasaga Beach Council over the past eleven years and with your continued support, I hope to serve our community for the next four years. I feel that I have been very blessed to have been born in Canada and to have had a very successful career, with the last many years being Director of Sales and Sales Operations for NAPA Automotive (UAP Inc.) Canada. Once retired I became very involved in our community and see our amazing potential! Our natural assets of the longest freshwater beach in the world, the Provincial Park within our municipal boundaries and our extraordinary sunsets, when leveraged effectively, will secure our future in being a World Class place to live and a World Class tourist destination.
The only real estate investment I own is my home, I am not involved in any business and I have no ties to any developers. My only interest in remaining on the town council is to serve our community, work to improve the lives of all residents and move our community toward our full potential.
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