Hankivsky seeks second term as Port Hope mayor

By Dan Jones, LJI
Northumberland 89.7 FM

Olena Hankivsky is seeking a second term as mayor of Port Hope, saying she needs four more years to accomplish her priorities for the West Northumberland community.

She is focusing her campaign on three pillars: making Port Hope affordable, taking a Port Hope-first approach to development, and planning and discussing the proposed Wesleyville nuclear project and the Port Hope Area Initiative to ensure the clean-up and local management of low-level radioactive waste in the region.

Hankivsky said housing is essential to Port Hope, and the municipality wants more affordable and senior housing options.

“We want to make sure people can afford to live in this community,” she explained. “For seniors, they can stay in the community that they’ve helped to build their entire lives.”

Hankivsky said part of addressing housing is examining municipally owned property, which could be developed and “how that could be leveraged to create mixed housing, including affordable housing options.”

When not on Port Hope lands, she wants to discuss the inclusion of affordable housing with developers in their new projects. She said the previous council obtained a guarantee from some developers that affordable housing would be an option.

To strengthen Port Hope’s ability, Hankivsky wants planning processes to be more autonomous, which she says would help move them forward.

While Hankivsky described the proposed Wesleyville nuclear project as being in “Chapter 1,” or the very early stages, the municipality will need to position itself at the discussion table with a “Port Hope first” approach.

“To make sure the community is heard in this process, that it’s protected, that Port Hope gets all the investment from the infrastructure and the benefits throughout the entire process,” Hankivsky said.

Yet, she explained the multi-generational project is in the early stages, having recently agreed to explore the option of a nuclear facility in the area.

Hankivsky will be walking a tightrope, balancing tax increases with meeting demand for services and managing infrastructure strains.

She said asset management is under huge pressure, but she recognizes the need to invest in infrastructure while not wanting to “put that additional pressure on the residential taxpayer, because it’s really not tenable.”

To offset the costs, Hankivsky said more advocating at the provincial and federal levels, being at the conversation tables and capitalizing on more grants to meet the needs of Port Hope residents.

Listen to the full interview: