The mayors of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge reflect on 2015
As 2015 draws to a close, the region's mayors are as busy as ever, attending events, planning New Year's Levees and working on projects for 2016.
The CBC's Andrea Bellemare sat down with Waterloo Region's three city mayors on The Morning Edition to find out what's on their minds as the year winds down.
Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig
What was a key accomplishment for you in 2015?
"Getting off the ground on a realistic note in terms of trying to bring GO train service to Cambridge. We worked with other municipalities along the line from here to Union Station, including Milton and Mississauga, Toronto, all those mayors. Met with the premier and met with the minister of transportation ... and we've got this on their agenda and we are waiting to hear the outcomes of our pleas to see a service from Cambridge to Union Station."
What do you want to accomplish in 2016?
"I think we've got to reinforce the initiatives we've taken in terms of GO train, making sure that stays on track. The recreational centre (Cambridge is planning to build a new rec centre), seeking provincial and federal funding for monies to help defray some of the costs, those are the main things right now."
Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic
What was a key accomplishment for you in 2015?
"I think we've been able to move forward on a number of areas. I think of some of the things that have happened in terms of economic development, the continued growth of our tech sector, some of the investments we've made.... I think about how our community has responded with respect to the national efforts on the Syrian refugees."
What do you want to accomplish in 2016?
"Keeping the advocacy up, with the province and the federal government on two-way, all-day GO, and high speed rail, as well as making sure we continue to bring this notion of a Toronto-Waterloo Region innovation corridor to fruition."
Waterloo Mayor Dave Jaworsky
What was a key accomplishment for you in 2015?
"We had a lot of items come to city council, but one that really sticks out in my mind was our 'Council for a Day' contest. We do it with Grade 5 students throughout the City of Waterloo. We had well over 100 of them apply to get on city council. We had so many entries and picked 8 spectacular kids and that really sticks out in my mind because they are so passionate about our city and it's so impressive to see that with ten-year-olds."
What do you want to accomplish in 2016?
"I think there are good opportunities to schedule time in to become more learned on certain things, to look what's coming into the future and being able to be a bit more proactive on studying up on those items. In a lot of cases, the first year is like drinking from a firehose...there's just a lot to do."