Meet Kim

Our Family Chose Guelph

I chose Guelph because I saw something special here. For years, I came to Guelph for its beautiful parks and rivers, vibrant arts community, incredible festivals, and neighbourhoods where people genuinely care about one another. When it came time to decide where our family would put down roots after decades in Toronto and 4 years in Halifax, we chose Guelph because we believed in the kind of community it could be—and the kind of future we wanted to help build.

A lifetime of Organizing Community

I've spent my career helping people shape the places where they live. As a community organizer, teacher, climate specialist, and municipal professional, I've worked with residents, non-profit organizations, educators, and local governments to bring people together around practical solutions that make communities healthier, more affordable, and more sustainable. I've seen municipal government from the inside, organized communities from the ground up, and spent years building partnerships that turn good ideas into meaningful action.

As a teenager, I got involved in municipal politics as the youth liaison on the Mayor’s Task force for Healthy Lifestyles and the student representative to the Great Lakes-

St. Lawrence Remedial Action Plan. That led me to journalism, community activism and even more involvement in electoral politics. Summers were spent working in the paper mill that employed my Dad and then moving to work for Ontario Parks for 5 summers.

I moved from my hometown of Cornwall, Ontario to Toronto to attend York University in the mid 1990s and while pursuing a degree in Environmental Studies was involved in OPIRG, student journalism and the student movement. I spent time advocating for community gardens on campus and helped start (and managed) a student run, organic not for profit cafe on campus. I was involved in international solidarity and human rights activism and fought against cuts to post secondary education and OSAP.

I remained at York for my Masters Degree while being involved in the environmental education movement, the anti-globalization movement, participatory democracy and the labour movement. I worked for a number of non-profit organizations on forestry policy, Just Transition, climate, energy efficiency and pushing for a living wage. In 2010, I returned to school (University of Toronto) and graduated with a Masters in Teaching degree in 2012.

A Passion for Teaching and Community

As an award winning teacher, I've taken students to City Hall because I believe democracy is something we practice, not something we simply watch. As a climate specialist, I've worked to help communities respond to one of the greatest challenges of our time while creating opportunities for healthier neighbourhoods, lower household costs, and good local jobs. Throughout my career, I've believed that when people come together around a shared vision, they can accomplish extraordinary things.

I'm also a renter, a cyclist, and a working mom with two kids. Like so many families, we understand the challenges of rising housing costs, transportation costs, and the everyday pressures of building a good life. Those experiences shape the way I see our city and strengthen my belief that affordability isn't just one issue—it's connected to housing, transit, climate action, recreation, and the everyday decisions made at City Hall.

Good cities don't happen by accident

I'm running for City Council because I believe Guelph can become Canada's most livable mid-sized city: a place where families can afford to stay, young people can build their futures, seniors can age with dignity, local businesses and artists can thrive, and growth strengthens the community instead of leaving people behind.

Good cities don't happen by accident. They're built by people who care enough to get involved and are motivated by a desire to work together to prioritize people and the planet instead of privatization and profit. That's the kind of leadership I want to bring to City Hall, and the future I want to help build—affordable, green, and together.