1. Candidate Bio:
John Sanderson is a lifelong Brampton resident. His family moved to Brampton in the 1950’s, where he has lived, worked, volunteered, and raised a family. John has dedicated his life to serving the people of Brampton. He has volunteered with the Brampton Rotary Club, Lions Club, Brampton Minor Hockey and Lacrosse, and the Salvation Army, to name a few. John served as the Regional Councilor for Wards 3&4 from 2006-2014. Over the years, he has been recognized for his civic and volunteer work. John was named Brampton Citizen of the year in 2006, and Brampton business person of the year in 2003. In 2017, John received the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award- Lions Club International’s Highest Award, and in 2018 he was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship Award- Rotary International’s Highest Honour.
2. What are your three top priorities for Brampton?
My top three priorities include Improving community safety and reducing crime. Keeping our communities safe is of utmost importance to me as Brampton’s social fabric depends on safe and healthy communities.
Improving transit and reducing gridlock is on my priority list as I believe that Brampton’s success depends on it. Bramptonians should be able to rely on efficient transit in order to contribute to the community at large.
Creating high paying local jobs is also a priority to me. Brampton can and must be restored to a place that provides gainful employment to its citizens, and I intend on delivering on this very important commitment.
3. What is one major council decision from the previous (2014-2018) term that you agree with?
I agree with the decision not to have the LRT run up Main Street.
4. What is one major council decision from the previous (2014-2018) term that you disagree with?
I disagree with council’s decision to place Ryerson University in the GO Station Parking lot as there was available land adjacent to the parking lot.
5. Are there any other ideas from other cities that you would like to see replicated in Brampton?
I would like to see a connected transportation network that will improve transportation and reduce gridlock. As I already mentioned, improving transit is of utmost importance to the city of Brampton. Developing a connected transportation system will ensure that the city is well connected and as a result, more efficient.
6. What are your top transportation priorities to ease congestion and gridlock in the city of Brampton and connections to other communities?
We need all day two way GO Train service to Brampton. We also need an East/West LRT to connect to the Vaughan Subway Station. We also need improvements to the ZUM bus system.
7. What are your thoughts on the Brampton 2040 Vision and how should the city proceed with the vision?
Brampton must build an East/West LRT that will connect to the Vaughan Subway system. This will transform our East West Transportation corridor and bring new investments and developments along this route.
8. What is your position on the city’s finances and how would you tackle demands for services and infrastructure renewal?
Brampton must make prudent use of all taxpayer dollars. We must find ways to increase the tax base in our city. To do this, we must attract new employers to Brampton. We have to create an environment that is favourable for development and redevelopment to further increase our tax base. We must also work with the Provincial and Federal governments to ensure that Brampton receives its fair share of funding for infrastructure.
9. What are your thoughts on how the city/region should handle the alleged uptick of spontaneous youth violence and crime in the city?
We must work closer with Peel Regional Police to ensure that they have the resources to police our communities effectively. We must also engage with community groups to tackle the root causes of crime and fund programs for youth to provide them with opportunities. Our youth must be encouraged to choose education over crime. Funding should be allocated appropriately to the communities that stand to gain the most from it. When crime rates are high in Brampton, we are all affected by it. That’s why we must come together as a community and try and tackle youth violence and crime in the city. This is why my vision for Brampton is a multi-faceted approach. Improving infrastructure will attract investment to Brampton, which in turn will create well paying jobs for our citizens. This will inevitably reduce crime rates in Brampton.
10. Why should voters vote for you?
The voters of ward 3&4 should vote for me because I have a lifelong record of getting things done. I have a real passion for Brampton and I’ve spent my life working and volunteering in our community. I promise to work tirelessly to improve transit, community safety, healthcare, and bring good quality jobs to Brampton.
Candidate contact info:
Phone: 416-697-6800
Email: johnsanderson4brampton@gmail.com
Social Media: @JohnSandersonCA
