I recently completed the Off-Leash Dogs questionnaire from @paws4parks.

My position is about balance.

Toronto should have better off-leash areas with proper fencing, gates, drainage, shade, bins, and signage. Shared parks and environmentally sensitive spaces also need protection, and rules need to be credible when problems keep happening.

I support education first, targeted enforcement where needed, and making dog licensing easier so more owners actually comply.

I love dogs, but “don’t worry, he’s friendly” probably should not be the entire city policy.

Better spaces for dogs. Safer shared parks. Clear rules that are actually enforced.

I recently completed the Fix Coyote Policy survey on Toronto’s approach to urban coyotes.

My position is focused on safety, transparency, and evidence.

Residents should be able to walk a leashed dog or let a child play in a fenced yard without unnecessary fear. I support faster action when coyotes show dangerous, unprovoked behaviour, and I support provincial changes that would make it easier for cities to deal with genuinely dangerous animals.

I also support quarterly public reporting so residents can see the real data on attacks and incidents.

At the same time, I do not support automatic removal based on an arbitrary number of incidents. Decisions should be based on behaviour, risk, and clear evidence.

Prevention and coexistence still have a role, but they need accountability and clear safety thresholds.

VoteCottrell.ca

I recently completed the candidate survey from Allies for a Strong Canada.

The questions covered several issues that speak directly to how I believe municipal government should operate: public safety, consistent enforcement of the law, the use of city-owned property and resources, residential disruption, and whether City Council should involve itself in foreign affairs.

My answers reflect a practical approach to local government. I believe Toronto City Council should focus on Toronto, apply rules consistently, protect residents from sustained disruption and intimidation, and keep municipal resources focused on municipal responsibilities.

I support restricting flags flown on city-owned property to the flags of Canada, Ontario, and the City of Toronto. I do not support the use of municipal funds or city-owned facilities for supervised consumption sites or drug distribution programs. I support bylaws that protect residential neighbourhoods and private homes from sustained protest activity involving noise, obstruction, or intimidation.

I also support consistent enforcement of municipal bylaws and provincial law regardless of the identity, affiliation, or cause of those involved. The rules should apply fairly and consistently.

Finally, I do not believe Toronto City Council should spend its time passing resolutions on foreign conflicts or calling on federal governments to act on international matters. Those issues belong primarily to other levels of government.

My approach is simple:

Focus on Toronto. Enforce the rules fairly. Protect residents. Keep City Hall accountable.

I recently responded to the Ontario Clean Air Alliance on two questions about Toronto’s energy future.

Toronto should keep moving toward cleaner energy, but major decisions need to be based on evidence, affordability, and long-term value for residents.

I support expanding local solar generation where it makes financial sense, including on City-owned buildings and parking lots, while encouraging more residential, commercial, and institutional adoption. Any expansion should come with a clear business case, sufficient grid capacity, and demonstrated value for ratepayers.

I also support a preliminary feasibility study into Lake Ontario offshore wind. A study is not a commitment to build. It is a way to properly understand the potential costs, environmental impacts, grid requirements, and long-term benefits before making a major decision.

Toronto can pursue cleaner energy without abandoning fiscal responsibility.

My position is simple: explore the opportunities, study the evidence, and invest where the case is strong.

Residents deserve to know more than whether a candidate simply checked “yes” or “no.” You deserve to understand what they support, where they have concerns and how they would approach difficult decisions at City Hall.

I recently completed Toronto ACORN’s 2026 Municipal Candidate Survey, which presented 12 commitments concerning tenant protections, extreme heat, affordability and provincial advocacy.

Of the 12 commitments, I fully supported seven, partially supported four and did not support one. Where I agreed, I made a clear commitment. Where I believed a proposal required limits or a different approach, I explained why.

Giving RentSafeTO Real Enforcement Power

I supported all three commitments intended to strengthen RentSafeTO.

I support including inspections inside individual apartments as part of regular building evaluations. Inspecting hallways and common areas alone does not always reveal the conditions tenants experience inside their homes.

I also support creating a universal work-order form that any Toronto tenant can submit to their landlord. This would give tenants a consistent way to document repair requests while requiring landlords to recognize those requests as valid.

Finally, I support expanding RentSafeTO to include rental townhouses and providing evening and weekend availability. Increased registration fees could help pay for the additional inspectors needed to deliver that service.

Protecting Tenants From Extreme Heat

Tenants should be protected from dangerously high indoor temperatures, particularly during summer heat waves.

I support establishing a reasonable maximum-temperature standard during periods of extreme heat. However, I did not support applying a blanket 26°C limit throughout the entire year without accounting for seasonal conditions, older building systems, implementation costs and what landlords can reasonably control.

The objective should be protecting people from unsafe heat—not creating an inflexible regulation that applies when extreme heat is not a concern.

I also support consolidating overlapping air-conditioning assistance programs and expanding help for vulnerable low-income residents who lack adequate cooling. Assistance should be based on need and delivered sustainably rather than automatically providing publicly funded air conditioners to every low-income tenant.

I fully support publishing anonymized, aggregate information about heat-related emergency-room visits. This information could help residents and policymakers understand the health effects of extreme heat and determine whether City programs are working while protecting patient privacy.

Making Toronto More Affordable

I support increasing the Vacant Homes Tax to 5%, extending it to vacant units in multi-residential buildings and directing the additional revenue toward the Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition program.

I am also open to a limited City-supported grocery pilot in low-income neighbourhoods where residents lack reasonable access to affordable food. Before Toronto invests in a larger City-run grocery system, the City should test the idea, measure whether it actually reduces grocery bills and work with experienced operators, non-profits and existing food programs.

I did not support Toronto constructing and operating its own municipal broadband network.

Residents of City housing should have access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet. However, Toronto can pursue that goal by negotiating affordable service agreements, encouraging competition and ensuring new housing is broadband-ready. Building a municipal internet provider would require substantial capital, specialized expertise, cybersecurity operations, infrastructure maintenance and customer support that established providers already possess.

Using Toronto’s Voice at the Provincial Level

Several major issues affecting Toronto residents fall under provincial jurisdiction. That does not mean City Council should remain silent.

I support advocating for rent control on all rental units, vacancy control and an end to Above-Guideline Increases. Toronto must consistently pressure the Province for stronger protections against unreasonable rent increases and displacement.

I also support reviewing and increasing social-assistance payments when they no longer cover basic living expenses. These payments should be indexed to inflation so their purchasing power does not continually decline. However, I did not commit to automatically doubling both Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program payments without first examining the appropriate rates and financial implications.

I also agree that the Landlord and Tenant Board requires reform, including restoring access to in-person hearings and expanding access to legal aid for tenants.

Honest Answers and Practical Government

These responses reflect how I would approach decisions as your councillor: listen carefully, examine the intended outcome, support strong ideas and speak honestly when a proposal needs conditions or a different approach.

Good government is not about agreeing with every proposal placed in front of you. It is about understanding the problem, choosing an effective response and being transparent with residents about your reasoning.

You can review the complete summary of my responses above.

I’m listening, St. Paul’s. If these issues affect you—or if you believe there is something City Hall is overlooking—I want to hear from you.