She is taking a second run for a seat on city council in the fall municipal election.
And Petrusia Hontar, project manager at St. Thomas-Elgin Local Immigration Partnership, stresses she doesn’t have all of the answers to all of the issues.
So, open up dialogue with those individuals and groups who can provide insight, advises Hontar.
Hontar finished 14th in a field of 19 candidates for councillor with 1,995 votes in 2018.
While she applauds the city’s efforts to increase the supply of assisted and affordable housing, Hontar says it’s time to take a more strategic approach to housing.
Hontar has concerns about more than 800 acres of farmland coming out of production in a bid by the city to attract a major manufacturing player to St. Thomas.
In the 2018 municipal election, Hontar campaigned on a harm reduction model to help tackle addiction issues in the city.
Hontar says it is time to take another look at the ward system of governance in St. Thomas.
A concern for Hontar in the fall municipal vote is council’s decision to transition to online voting in place of paper ballots.
She would like to see more females elected to council along with increased diversity so that all communities in the city are represented.
If elected, Hontar says she would bring a younger, more diverse voice to the table.
In March of this year, Hontar partnered with the London Ukrainian Centre to host a sold-out Ukraine fundraiser at the CASO station.
Written by Ian McCallum
