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Local leaders offer us their New Year's resolutions

Goals for both personal and professional lives

GuelphToday asked some high profile local leaders what their New Year's resolutions were for 2017. Here's their andwers.

Liz Sandals, Guelph MPP

I think my New Year’s resolution is to get more sleep and I guess my other New Years resolution is to balance the budget. That is the biggie.

We have to be really careful how we spend money.

People will ask me after the House rises, ‘Aren’t you happy because it is like you are on holidays because the House rose?’ I say, no that means I can actually get to my office and do real work instead of sitting in the legislature listening to people yell at each other.

People think of the budget as being something that happens in the spring but the reality is that all the ministries have just submitted their expenditure budgets to treasury board a couple weeks ago.

So, we have actually started the process of going through each ministry's budgets and seeing how we shoehorn more spending and all the stuff they would like to spend money on into the available amount of money there is to spend.

That is actually what I will spend the next several months doing. Most of the work on that expenditure part of the budget goes on between the time the House rises in December and before it comes back in February.

So, this is actually a very busy time and I have to get some sleep. 

We are going to the cottage for Christmas and New Years and the grandchildren will be there most of the time.

That is a change of pace. Not always restful but at least a change of pace and more fun.

Kithio Mwanzia, CEO and President of the Guelph Chamber of Commerce

My New Years resolution is really going to be related to our commitment to Guelph. We are going to really focus in on trying to paint the picture for City Council about how their decisions impact the competitiveness of businesses in the community.

Recently they voted to have a twice inflation tax increase and to introduce wastewater charges and storm-water fees. All of that is going to be hitting in 2017 and I really want to focus in on expressing that what they do around that horseshoe has huge implications for businesses and their capacity to buy new technology or hire new staff or expand their business or go global.

So, just really making that connection because I don’t know that that connection is being made quite in the way that it can and should be.

My personal resolution is all around goal building. I always make it a point to go and see a part of Guelph that I haven’t seen yet.

I spent a lot of the summer of 2016 on the trails. I love to bike the trails. So, I was on the trails by Guelph Lake and just all over and that was an achieved goal for 2016.

Guelph is really beautiful in both the summer and winter. I hunker down and hibernate in the winter and I want change that. I want to get out and really enjoy outdoor Guelph in 2017 and that means getting out and onto the cross-country skiing trails and getting to enjoy the outdoors in the wintertime.

It will be a push but I’ve got to do it because it is unreasonable to spend five months indoors. I am excited for it because I know there will be people out there. It is a great way to see the trails and meet people in the community.   

Cam Guthrie, Mayor

Personally, I think I would like to try to make sure I am spending a bit more time with my family. I have a busy life and just making sure that I am being with Rachel and the kids is important.

I am actually toying with the idea right now of maybe doing a missions trip.  I have always wanted to go on a missions trip to help out people in other countries that are in need. The one I am looking at is in Africa. I am just putting the feelers out there right now through my church – through Lakeside. They do a couple missions trips a year and I have never gone.

I think it would be a good experience personally to go do that.

Of course, I would love to lose 15 or 20 pounds. 

I would like to ride my bike a bit more.

Politically, I would really like to attend more seminars and conferences that will help me become a better leader. Those are things I am looking forward to this year.

I am looking forward to finding more efficiencies and better effective ways to provide service.

A big focus this year will be trying to tap into the infrastructure funding that is coming down from the other levels of government. Right now with the other levels of government, the amount of money that they are providing for opportunities for cities is immense so, we have to make sure that we’re shovel ready and ready to go and I want to make sure that we can try to take advantage of those funds that are going to become available to the city. 

Jeff DeRuyter, Guelph Police Chief

Normally I am not a big resolution person but it is a time of year to look ahead so, a couple things certainly come to mind.

It is my goal in 2017 to read more.  I have a number of books that are waiting to be cracked open and not that there is a lot of spare time, but when there is spare time, to shift a few things and really focus on reading more.

The other is, again, a sort of reflection.  We have a great city and a great opportunity on a daily basis to find something to be thankful for and to really keep a positive focus.

Personally, I think as a police service we are very fortunate. It is a great community and we really have the chance to stay positive about that and the many inspirational things that go on in our city.

Lloyd Longfield, Guelph MP

I want our office to be carbon neutral. We are going to be working on that throughout 2017.

Part of that is going to involve me walking to work and using carshare.

We are adding up the amount of carbon it takes me to fly to Ottawa then we will be buying carbon offsets from an organization that takes that funding and gives it to First Nations communities that are working on reducing their carbon footprint.

We are just starting to set up the program for tracking mostly air travel but I also take the train so that will encourage me to use the train more.

I walk to work in Ottawa. So, I thought I live two km from the office here. What am I doing driving to the office? So, I will be walking to work in Guelph and instead of walking up Parliament Hill I will be walking up the Grange Hill.

I have to watch my weight so this gives me some exercise and when I found out we can actually buy carbon credits from a Guelph based group that supports indigenous people I thought that’s a winner all round.

So now I am going to be challenging the other MPs and it is good for me. When I am walking I am meeting people on the street. It is a Guelph thing.  You meet people you haven’t seen for a while who want to talk to you about something. So, I am more accessible when I am walking. 

It takes me longer to get somewhere but it’s all part of it.


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Troy Bridgeman

About the Author: Troy Bridgeman

Troy Bridgeman is a multi-media journalist that has lived and worked in the Guelph community his whole life. He has covered news and events in the city for more than two decades.
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