Giving Power Back to the People,
Where it Belongs
The Voice of Casselman was created because there is real apathy toward politics, and much of that comes from people losing faith in politicians who don’t listen. These conversations were meant to hear directly from the many different and diverse groups that live in our community, so I could clearly understand where needs, strengths, and interests actually lie. People who wanted to were invited to work with me on certain priorities, while this feedback also helped shape how I look at our internal policies and bylaws; to ensure they are still aligned with the needs of our community today and modernized where necessary. My responsibility was not to do everything myself, but to listen, to connect people to the right resources, and to help remove barriers. Ultimately, giving power back to the people means recognizing that meaningful change comes from the community itself, and that my role as Mayor is to truly listen and work for the people I serve.
What This Looked Like in Practice
The Voice of Casselman took the form of small, targeted group conversations held with different community groups over time. Sessions were held in both English and French and focused on listening first, sharing how municipal decision-making works to help empower residents, and creating space for people to speak openly about their experiences, concerns, and priorities in a non-judgmental environment.
How This Informed My Work
What I learned through these conversations directly informed how I approach policy development, service delivery, and the review of existing bylaws and internal practices. It helped highlight where systems no longer reflected the realities of our community and where modernization was needed to better serve people today.
A Concrete Outcome: Caregiver Support
During one of the caregiver conversations, a resident shared how, while her husband was ill, she was largely alone. When the resources available to her ran out, she didn’t know where else to turn. Hearing this prompted me to reach out to Caregivers Ontario to better understand what support could be developed locally. This led to a successful series of eight caregiver support sessions in Casselman and ongoing work toward establishing a permanent caregiver support group.
When I later shared this woman’s experience with others, one individual in particular was deeply impacted. A retired personal support worker, who understood the reality caregivers face and had lived that experience firsthand, felt compelled to do more. Hearing this story helped spark the idea for what would become the Casselman Community Fundraising Group. She took that idea forward and created the organization, which now raises funds to support caregivers through locally organized events that also support local businesses. This is a clear example of how one person, moved by another’s story, can create meaningful change when given the space to act.
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These initiatives reflect a commitment to community-led action, supported through inclusive structures and democratic participation.