Candidate name: Claire Holloway Wadhwani
Occupation: Community Development Consultant
Position on council: Councillor, Port Hope Ward 1
Contact information: porthopeclaire@gmail.com
Social Media: @porthopeclaire on both Facebook and Instagram
Campaign Website: www.porthopeclaire.ca
Biography (500 words)
Since 2016 Claire has been a dedicated force for good in Port Hope.
The 43-year-old business owner and mother of three co-founded Port Hope for Future, a grassroots community action group of close to 500 members, who work to make Port Hope a greener community. She’s is a founding board member of the Civic Award-winning, Save Our Trees, which is a non-profit organization working to preserve Port Hope’s irreplaceable tree canopy. And, following in her father’s footsteps – Garth Holloway co-founded the organization – Claire is on the board at Community Power Northumberland, investing in sustainable initiatives.
Although recently shuttered due to the Covid lockdowns, Claire sat on the board of the Port Hope Education Network, which was formed for the purpose of saving Port Hope High School.
Claire is also an active volunteer and supporter of many grassroots initiatives and community charities, such as: The Repair Café, Rotary Club of Northumberland Sunrise, Green Wood Coalition, and Habitat for Humanity, among others.
Claire studied International Community Development and History at the University of Toronto (M.A) and Queens University in Kingston (B.A.H). After graduating, she spent 20 years working in community development around the world. Claire brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and a unique set of skills to everything she does. In 2013, she founded her community development consulting business, Small Shop Big Impact. In this ongoing role, Claire specializes in public consultation, engagement, community project design, and impact assessment, working with community organizations and institutions to advance community priorities.
Claire looks forward to applying her professional skills and experience to our community here in Port Hope, her chosen home, and where she is raising her own family. She’s been inspired by what’s she has witnessed become possible when citizens and elected officials join forces to tackle challenges and work towards common goals. By working with all her neighbours, Claire wants to help build the future we all want for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren. A future where we can all live, work, and thrive, together.
Identify one hobby or guilty pleasure you do that is not related to your profession or politics:
Food! I love cooking and feeding people, and document some of my favourite recipes on my hobby food blog (www.whollydelish.ca). My oldest son also suggested I share that (thanks to his coaching) I can solve a Rubik’s cube in 90 seconds.
Please answer each question clearly and concisely in no more than 500 words.
1.Why are you running for council?
Port hope is our chosen home, the place where my husband and I have chosen to raise our three sons. It is also our forever home, the place where we hope our children will stay and raise their own families.
There is so much to love about this place, from our beautiful natural heritage, our vibrant community spirt, and the village of caring neighbours and families that support each other through thick and thin. It is truly a unique and wonderful place to be raising a family.
I am also aware that we are facing some big challenges as a community – affordability, sustainability, managing for growth, and caring for an aging population. I believe that how we navigate these challenges will shape our future together as a community.
With 20-years working in community development around the world, my professional life has been a training ground for serving my neighbours on Council. I’ve seen firsthand what is possible when citizens and elected official join forces to build the future they want for themselves, for their children, and their grandchildren.
I can’t wait to work with neighbours across Port Hope to preserve what we love about this place, and to build a future where we can all live, work, and thrive, together.
2. What is the single, primary reason you are running?
I believe strongly that the best way to approach big challenges is to tackle them together. Our community is full of energy, expertise, and talent which can be better harnessed to advance our community goals.
I want our municipality, including elected officials and staff, our citizens, and our local organizations, to collaborate and work together to create made in Port Hope solutions and work towards a common vision for our future.
3. What will you do to address this issue?
If elected, I will champion community-based decision-making, including real public engagement strategies that include both consultation and feedback mechanisms. This way we will know what we want, enabling Council and staff to create the right combination policy and services that respond to community needs. We can then also check in to understand what is working and what is not – so we can learn and do even better!
4. Identify one success of the previous council?
While the deal was eventually cancelled by the Province, I think the steps Council took to purchase the Wesleyville lands was a good example of leadership and vision. Had the deal gone through, the ownership of these lands would have given us an opportunity as a community for greater control over growth, including the ability to set parameters in line with our vision for affordable housing options and for sustainable land use.
5. Identify one criticism of the previous council?
This Council missed an opportunity to increase the availability of affordable housing in our community.
When they passed the changes to our Official Plan (as mandated by the Province) to allow for Additional Residential Units, they incorporated restrictions (such as height and size) that did not reflect the realities in our community and applied a ‘one size fits all’ approach which I think will act as a barrier to property owners actually creating new affordable housing. Council also missed the opportunity to include incentives in our Community Improvement Plan to make it more affordable and feasible for property owners to develop new housing units. Finally, they missed the opportunity to engage the community and properly publicize the changes, which will further limit the number of property owners likely to come forward and build these new affordable housing units.
5. How will you address the one issue you identified from the previous council?
I would apply a more holistic approach – to ensure that changes in policy (like the additional residential units allowance in our Official Plan) are backed up by services and real public engagement.
If I could turn back time, I would have ensured that experts in our community, including the Affordable Housing Committee, ACO, Green Wood Coalition, and Think Tiny Homes, were consulted to contributed to the vision of what could work here in Port Hope.
Moving forward, I would make sure we revisit this issue in the new Official Plan that will be developed in the coming years, ensuring input from community organizations and citizens.
I would make sure that we also connect the vision enshrined in the Official Plan with programs and services through our municipal staff – in this case, I would suggest how-to-guides (recognizing that citizens are not planning experts) and dedicated planning department staff whose job it is to help property owners navigate the process.
I would work to ensure our Community Improvement Plan aligns with our Official Plan – in this case, I would advocate for incentives for property owners, such as the opportunity to amortize development charges over a period of time, to make it more affordable and feasible for them to develop new housing.
Finally, I would work to ensure that we conduct effective public engagement, so everyone knows the vision laid out in our Official Plan – in this case, I would advocate for public information sessions so property owners can learn about what is possible and be oriented to the process for seeking approval and permits to build new housing.
6. Why should voters select you over others?
I bring a unique combination of a deep sense of investment in our community’s future and optimism for what is possible, backed up by real experience and skills to help us get there.
I will work hard everyday to ensure I understand the needs and interests of all neighbours and will always bring a positive and collaborative approach to addressing challenges and creating solutions that advance our future together.
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