Six questions with Wayne Hill,
candidate for Lakeside District

Wayne Hill is the incumbent candidate for the Lakeside District, and has served on Kingston City Council for one term. Having lived in the district almost his entire life, Hill shared that the role takes up “a great deal of my time and, fortunately, I have the time to do it — it has been very rewarding for me to be able to give back to a community that has been so wonderful to me.”

The retired grandfather of two spent his working years as a school principal and teacher and said, “teaching was our family business.” His wife, Catherine, was also a teacher, and they both attended Queen’s Faculty of Education.

Over the years, Hill has been a coach and volunteer with the United Way, whom he continues to support annually. He has sat on a number of Boards including Children and Family Services, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Algonquin Foundation.

Hill is a self-proclaimed “huge” Toronto Maple Leafs fan. “I like to say that I jumped on the bandwagon when I was eight years old when they last won the Cup! I play hockey and golf — very badly — and Catherine and I share a cottage up on Bob’s Lake with her sister’s family.”

How would you describe your personal political ideology and/or affiliation?

I would best be described as a centrist. I have worked on both Conservative campaigns back in the Flora MacDonald years and Liberal campaigns in more recent years. Probably the best way to describe me would be to say that I’m either a red Tory or a purple Liberal.

What made you want to run in this municipal election?

In 2018, I entered the race and was very gratified to have received more votes than the other five candidates combined. I felt strongly — and still do — that I came to the Council Chamber with a very strong mandate from the people of Lakeside to get some things done and, despite the pandemic, I feel we have been able to accomplish a great deal — both for Lakeside and for Kingston as a whole.

What are the three most common issues voters are bringing up to you as you campaign?

1. Traffic and enforcement
2. Housing and homelessness
3. Improving roadways, sidewalks, and active transportation routes, such as bicycle lanes.

What three issues are most pressing/important to address locally in your opinion?

1. Housing and homelessness. This has been particularly difficult to navigate because we are trying to work everything through our climate emergency lens. At the end of the day, we have to find ways to accommodate people in real housing and help get them off the street.
2. Economic development. Strong economic development means more employment opportunities for our youth, more services for our residents, and a larger tax base. We have to do this development carefully and with sensitivity to our historic neighbourhoods, and with an eye to focusing development in our current urban boundary so that we can meet our climate objectives.
3. Of course taxation levels are also a concern. We have a lot of seniors on fixed incomes who still live in their homes and we need to make sure that tax increases are not a contributing factor in pushing people out of their homes.

What is the most pressing issue in your district?

Safe streets and quality roadways — people are very concerned that traffic continues to build and travel at unsafe speeds. They want to see increased enforcement, traffic calming, and increased awareness programs for drivers. They also want to ensure that our roadways, sidewalks, and new bicycle lanes are maintained and repaired as necessary.

What do you feel sets you apart from other candidates?

I believe that I know Kingston and Lakeside and our issues intimately through my work with community partners, youth ,and my experience on Council. I have acted as Deputy Mayor regularly throughout my term, so I know the workings of Council and the administration of the City. If I were to sum up, my greatest strengths would be experience — both in and out of Council — and sound judgement that emanates from that experience.