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Ward 6 all-candidates meeting draws a crowd of 200 by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff 3 | Thursday, July 9, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com While voting will take place Monday (July 13), it appears residents of the ward are eager to get to the polls in the Ward 6 Town council by-election. Nearly 200 people attended the Ward 6 allcandidates meeting, co-hosted by the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and the Falgarwood Ridge Residents' Association at Le Dome Banquet Hall Tuesday night. The meeting saw participation from nine of the 10 candidates, including Carleen Antonsen, Gordon Brennan, Mansoor Khan, Natalia Lishchyna, Linda Nazareth, John Paulic, Gurinder Singh, Jim Smith and Shanaka Weerasinghe. Asjad Hussain did not attend citing a medical issue. The Ward 6 council seat has been vacant since the sudden death of Max Khan in March. Candidates discussed numerous issues during the evening, including their thoughts on easing traffic congestion in the ward. Lishchyna, a local chiropractor and past hopeful for the Conservative nomination of the new Oakville-North Burlington riding, said the Region is currently dealing with traffic by widening Dundas Street, Ninth Line and soon Trafalgar Road, but said road widening is not the only option. Improved public transportation, the synchronization of traffic lights and the addition of bike An all-candidates meeting for the Ward 6 town council seat by-election drew nine of the 10 candidates at the Le Dome Banquet Hall Tuesday night. | photo by Justin Greaves ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) lanes are other options, she said. "North Service Road coming to Ford Drive, taking some of that traffic off Upper Middle Road is going to be great. I think the HOV lane on the QEW has made a difference with respect to taking some of the traffic off local routes," she said. Singh, whose background includes time spent in the civil and electrical engineering fields and who pledged to work on council for free, said there is much that could be done concerning the programming and design of traffic lights to make traffic run more efficiently. He referenced a project underway in Toronto that would see artificial intelligence, cameras and game theory used in traffic signals to improve traffic flow. Gordon Brennan, whose recent employment experience includes work at Sheridan College's Career Centre as well as time spent with RE/ MAX Realty Enterprises Inc., and Steeles-West Realty Inc., said widening roads helps, but noted it is a short-term solution. He said transit improvements are key, but also spoke about the importance of bike lanes and the need for more incentives to get more people to carpool. Weerasinghe, who has worked in the retail and hospitality sectors as a business analyst and audit manager, called for a speed limit increase on Dundas Street. He said many traffic problems can be solved by simply educating drivers about how roads work and how to drive properly. Khan, a local chiropractor and the late Max Khan's brother, said it is important to ensure the Town is doing its part in providing the local infrastructure to get on and off the QEW and to get to and from the GO stations. He said the widening of roads is key. "If you want to have a real discussion on traffic and congestion, you have to include the widening of Dundas, Burnhamthorpe and Lower Baseline," he said. "We have all this traffic coming in off the QEW and going north... that's through-traffic. We need to develop those feeder arteries coming west for before and after work. I think that will alleviate congestion more than anything else." Smith, who served as Ward 6 councillor from 1988-94, said he would encourage the Town to take another look at building an Eighth Line see All-candidates on p.15 INJURED? I Can Help! YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY UNLESS I GET YOU MONEY My team of experienced lawyers can help you with: · Car accidents · Slip and Falls · Disability Claims (Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, CPP) · Wrongful Dismissal OFFICES IN OAKVILLE AND TORONTO For a free consultation call: Oakville: 905.842.2022 or Toronto: 416.351.9222 email: sspadafora@slspc.ca PLATINUM Sam Spadafora Injury and Employment Law