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Milton Ward 2 Council hopefuls offered up what they'll do to meet the diverse needs of Hal- ton Hills' rural and hamlet communities last week at an all-candidates meeting in Glen Williams. The session, held on Thursday evening at the Glen Williams Town Hall, saw about 50 local residents turn out to hear from those who want to represent the largest geographi- cal area of Halton Hills. Running for the two Ward 2 seats in the October 27 mu- nicipal election are incum- bent Councillor Bryan Lewis, and challengers Ted Brown, Rob Boleychuk and Philip Lewin. The four men were sent three questions a week be- fore the meeting and asked to share their prepared an- swers with the audience. First, a two-part question was posed re- garding how they plan to reconcile the di- verse needs of Ward 2 and what sustainability means to them. For Boleychuk and Brown, holding Town Hall meetings is part of the solution to bring the ward together. "Having face-to-face discussions is the way to create an open forum in order to resolve is- sues," said Boleychuk, noting he would also visit each community in the ward to "take the pulse of every constituent." Brown pointed out there are many com- munity and church groups in Ward 2 that could serve as a tremendous resource. "All these groups are a rallying point for local residents, and by connecting with them, one meeting can accomplish a lot more than a one-on-one meeting," he said. For Lewis, communication and experi- ence are key to meeting the diverse needs of Ward 2 residents. He listed the vast array of issues he's dealt with in the ward during his 14 years on coun- cil, such as addressing concerns about the Toronto Premium Outlets on Steeles Avenue, making rural roads safer by installing street lights where needed and ensuring road main- tenance in Glen Williams. Lewin largely addressed the sustainability side of the question, explaining that to him, part of the word sustainability means local food. "We have a tremendous sustainable resource in Ward 2 in regard to farmland," he said. "I really want to keep the agricultural community in Ward 2 functioning and happy." He suggested that new de- velopment should build up, not out, to pre- serve green space and farmland. Brown said he views sus- tainability as a form of stew- ardship, while Boleychuk and Lewis pointed to preserving historic and environmental assets amidst development to keep the community sustain- able. Next, the candidates were asked how much land they feel should be left in its natu- ral state in development plans, citing the old McGowan property located east of Confed- eration Street and north of Glen Crescent as an example. For Brown, he said the answer all comes down to common sense. "We should leave as much of the property in a natural state as is realistically possible," he said. Boleychuk said natural areas need to be fully protected, explaining his platform is to limit development of any houses in Glen Wil- liams and surrounding areas. Lewin noted that while we can't say no to development as it's been mandated by the Province, he would like the Town to negoti- ate proposals on a case-by-case basis when it comes to maintaining natural land. Existing regulations, bylaws and conserva- tion enforcement policies dictate how much land can be developed and how much is pro- tected, explained Lewis. "The need to be aware of the natural features and the restricted or protected areas surrounding natural features will significantly diminish the actual lands that one might think could or should be de- veloped," he said. "It's just not easy to buy a piece of land and grow houses or develop on them." Lastly, the men were asked a multiple choice question on the development con- trols that protect Glen Williams' properties from flooding during storms and the spring thaw, having to select whether these controls should be reduced, maintained as they exist today or improved. Boleychuk spoke in favour of maintain- ing the controls, while Brown and Lewis said they should be improved to ensure maximum protection. Lewin addressed the question by raising his concerns about climate change and later told the Independent & Free Press "If the situation requires tightening controls, I would not oppose it if the case was justified, but that is speculation at this time." Ward 2 spans from 32 Sideroad in the north to Hwy. 401 in the south, stretching east to Winston Churchill Boulevard and west to Nassagaweya-Esquesing Townline. Ward 2 candidates debate rural, hamlet issues By MELANIE HENNESSEY Special to the IFP ROB BOLEYCHUK TED BROWN PHIL LEWIN BRYAN LEWIS