2024 Ward 5 Candidate Profile - Natalie Hart
/With the upcoming 2024 Ward 5 election happening on June 10th, Modern Mississauga Media has reached out to all candidates inviting them to answer the same five questions so voters can become more familiar with them.
Invitations went out to all candidates on April 9th, 2024 and their responses will be published in the order they are received.
Click here to read all of the Ward 5 candidate profiles and check back often as responses will be posted within 72 hours of receipt.
Candidate answers are unedited and their contact information is at the bottom if you’d like to connect with them.
Click here to learn how to vote in the Ward 5 election.
1. Why are you running for Councillor of Ward 5?
I'm running because I fell in love with the ward when I started working for the Malton BIA in 2019. It's been a privilege to work with previous Councillor Carolyn Parrish to deliver on real progress for residents and businesses, and I know there's a lot more I'll be able to do as the next councillor. I have had the opportunity to lead the city's biggest Canada Day celebration right here in Ward 5, bring to life a new annual Diwali festival and work closely with partners like the Malton Masjid and Seva Food Bank to help fill in service gaps. I can't wait to roll up my sleeves and keep working.
2. What are your top 3 campaign priorities and why?
Residents in Ward 5 have big dreams, and I'm running with a real plan that will work to fulfill those dreams. The next councillor needs to be able to keep the 30,000 feet vision moving ahead, while working day-to-day to get the details right. I have shared 5 priority areas on my website but if I had to point to 3:
Housing. I was proud to speak in favour of the motion at council to endorse fourplexes city-wide. Gentle density, multiplexes, garden units and laneway housing - they are all pieces of the puzzle that we need to fit together. It's personal for me - my son has spent the last couple years in Whitehorse, and just recently moved to Edmonton, because housing is so out of reach here in the GTA.
Crime and Safety. When I go door knocking, it usually only takes about a dozen doors or so to find someone that's personally been a victim of car theft, property crime, or has an immediate family member that's been victimized. It's a huge challenge that's not unique to Ward 5. It starts with small things like improved nighttime street lighting to make crimes of opportunity less tempting. At a higher level, it involves working relentlessly with the federal and provincial governments to bring in structural solutions. It means not tolerating 'No' when law enforcement make requests to inspect cargo for stolen vehicles. It means working with partners like the Peel Police to track response times and identify areas that are not receiving adequate service levels.
Affordability. It's a huge issue that's challenging families in so many ways. Of course, it's closely tied to the housing issue - seniors cannot downsize in dignity and youth feel like they will never be able to leave home. So the city needs to get creative in finding solutions. My longstanding personal view has been that we need to seriously explore allowing low income seniors to defer property taxes for a period of time - it's sound policy, there are jurisdictions like British Columbia that have done this successfully. We need more robust city programming that's affordable and accessible to all - I will push for $10-a-day camp and recreation programming for families that need it. And we need to create vibrant, attractive and safe public spaces so people can find affordable (or free) activities and amenities close to home. The Malton Youth Hub is a state of the art facility and we need to continue the vision and tenacity that brought it to life to find other similar opportunities.
3. How do you plan to actively involve and include residents in community decisions?
I've seen the power of the BIA as a feedback mechanism for businesses. I want to find similar mechanisms for residents to participate. We need to create residents associations in both Malton and Britannia that can foster local community and provide a direct link to the city and institutions of power. I'll prioritize forming resident and neighbourhood associations and engaging with them in a real way.
I'm also a big believer that democracy does not just happen during elections. If you elect me I can guarantee you I'll be knocking on your door to hear your views in between elections. And if you're not home when I come by, I'll hold open office hours in community locations and at city hall so that I can connect you to the resources you need to solve challenges in the community.
4. How will you be actively supporting our local businesses if elected?
I have a background in commercial lending for small businesses and my brother actually runs a multimillion dollar business right smack in the middle of the ward, so I get it. I want to see the city continue to provide support via IDEA Mississauga and promotion of the Digital Main Street program, but I'm also going to push for a continued effort by Tourism Mississauga to focus on "hidden gems" and less obvious locations throughout the city to highlight.
5. What does Ward 5 currently excel at?
Ward 5 is the economic driver of not only our city but our region. However the secret to the ward is truly the warmth of the people. We have a community that supports each other like no other and creating more ways for not for profits, youth and other groups to interact with our residents will continue to foster this incredible culture of being there for each other.
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