Karen Jones is committed to prioritizing the community's diverse interests.
Protecting what makes us unique. Planning responsibly for what comes next.
Niagara-on-the-Lake is not one neighbourhood, one industry or one set of priorities.
Old Town, Virgil, St. Davids, Queenston, Glendale/Niagara-on-the-Green and our rural agricultural community each face different challenges, but every resident deserves thoughtful, accountable representation at Town Hall.
My platform is built around a simple commitment:
Listen first. Ask questions. Protect what matters. Plan responsibly. Represent everyone.
A Platform Rooted in Niagara-on-the-Lake
Right development. Right place. Right scale. Right infrastructure.
Niagara-on-the-Lake will continue to grow. The question is not simply whether we grow, but how we grow.
New development should strengthen our communities rather than overwhelm them.
I believe development decisions must consider:
Infrastructure capacity
Flooding and drainage
Roads and traffic
Water and wastewater
Community character
Agricultural land
Environmental impacts
Parks and community services
The cumulative impact of development already approved nearby
Existing residents should not be left dealing with the consequences when growth happens faster than the infrastructure needed to support it.
Growth should be planned, not simply accommodated.
RESPONSIBLE GROWTH
Your Voice Matters
Infrastructure should keep pace with growth, not chase after it.
Roads, drainage systems, stormwater infrastructure, water and wastewater services are not exciting campaign promises.
They are also some of the most important responsibilities of local government.
Recent flooding has made the consequences of inadequate or aging infrastructure impossible to ignore.
I will advocate for:
Stronger long-term infrastructure planning
Flooding and drainage solutions
Improved stormwater management
Responsible road maintenance
Water and wastewater capacity planning
Transparent infrastructure priorities
Ensuring development contributes appropriately to the infrastructure it requires
We cannot continue approving tomorrow's growth while relying on yesterday's infrastructure.
INFRASTRUCTURE FIRST
Every person using our roads deserves to get home safely.
Niagara-on-the-Lake's roads are different from those in many other municipalities.
On any given day, they may be shared by:
Residents.
Children.
Seniors.
Pedestrians.
Cyclists.
Farm equipment.
Buses.
Visitors.
Horse-drawn carriages.
And seasonal agricultural workers travelling to and from work.
For many agricultural workers, walking or cycling is not recreation. It is their transportation.
We have already seen devastating consequences on our rural roads.
Nobody should risk their life simply trying to get home from work.
I support identifying dangerous routes and intersections, improving visibility and road design, addressing excessive speed and creating practical pedestrian and cycling connections where they are needed most.
Working Horses Are Road Users Too
Horse-drawn carriages are part of Niagara-on-the-Lake's living heritage and local tourism economy.
I support responsible carriage businesses, strong and enforceable horse-welfare standards and road planning that considers the safety of horses, carriage drivers, passengers and motorists.
Improving safety for one road user should not create danger for another.
Good transportation planning makes room for everyone.
SAFE ROADS FOR EVERYONE
Residents deserve to know what they are paying for and what they receive in return.
Municipal government has an obligation to spend public money carefully and explain its decisions clearly.
That means more than promising to “keep taxes low.”
It means asking whether residents are receiving fair value for what they pay.
I will advocate for:
Clear, understandable municipal budgets
Transparent reporting of major expenses
Responsible long-term financial planning
Pursuing grants and other funding before relying solely on property taxes
Ensuring development pays its appropriate share
Greater transparency around costs downloaded or allocated through Niagara Region
Accountability for the services Niagara-on-the-Lake residents help fund
Policing & Regional Services
Niagara-on-the-Lake residents contribute significantly toward regional policing and other regional services.
Residents deserve clear information about what this community contributes, the coverage it receives, response times, calls for service and whether service allocation reflects Niagara-on-the-Lake's geography, tourism population, rural roads and community needs.
This is not about criticizing the officers doing the work.
It is about asking whether the system is fair.
If residents are paying for a service, they deserve to know what they are receiving.
FAIR TAXES. FAIR SERVICE. REAL ACCOUNTABILITY.
Progress does not require us to erase our identity.
Niagara-on-the-Lake is special because generations before us protected something worth passing forward.
Our agricultural lands.
Our historic villages.
Our rural roads.
Our natural environment.
Our local businesses.
Our community organizations.
Our heritage.
Our horse-and-carriage tradition.
And the people who make these places more than destinations on a map.
Tourism is an important part of our economy and should continue to thrive, but Niagara-on-the-Lake must remain a community first and a destination second.
Tourism policy should consider the quality of life of the people who live here year-round while supporting the businesses and workers who depend upon a healthy visitor economy.
Our history should not prevent thoughtful progress.
Our progress should not erase our history.
PROTECT WHAT MAKES NOTL, NOTL
Growing older should not mean having to leave the community you call home.
Niagara-on-the-Lake needs to take aging in place seriously. People should be able to raise their families here, build their lives here and, if they choose, remain here as they grow older. That means supporting: Seniors' housing Independent and assisted living options Accessible housing Opportunities to downsize within the community Walkable access to services Community and recreational spaces Programs that reduce isolation Thoughtful use of public and community lands Old Town Must Remain a Place to Live Old Town cannot become somewhere people can afford to visit but longtime residents cannot find somewhere appropriate to live as they age. We need serious conversations about attainable senior housing and the future of important community institutions. Protecting the Legion & Community Space The Royal Canadian Legion represents far more than a building. It represents veterans, remembrance, community history, charitable work and generations of Niagara-on-the-Lake residents. Before accepting the loss of important community assets, we should explore every reasonable alternative. Could future planning combine senior housing, veterans' services, accessible community space and a permanent home for the Legion? Those are exactly the kinds of possibilities Council should be willing to explore. People should not spend their lives contributing to Niagara-on-the-Lake only to discover there is nowhere for them to live when they grow older.
Niagara-on-the-Lake needs to take aging in place seriously. People should be able to raise their families here, build their lives here and, if they choose, remain here as they grow older. That means supporting: Seniors' housing Independent and assisted living options Accessible housing Opportunities to downsize within the community Walkable access to services Community and recreational spaces Programs that reduce isolation Thoughtful use of public and community lands Old Town Must Remain a Place to Live Old Town cannot become somewhere people can afford to visit but longtime residents cannot find somewhere appropriate to live as they age. We need serious conversations about attainable senior housing and the future of important community institutions. Protecting the Legion & Community Space The Royal Canadian Legion represents far more than a building. It represents veterans, remembrance, community history, charitable work and generations of Niagara-on-the-Lake residents. Before accepting the loss of important community assets, we should explore every reasonable alternative. Could future planning combine senior housing, veterans' services, accessible community space and a permanent home for the Legion? Those are exactly the kinds of possibilities Council should be willing to explore. People should not spend their lives contributing to Niagara-on-the-Lake only to discover there is nowhere for them to live when they grow older.
A COMMUNITY FOR EVERY STAGE OF LIFE
Town Hall belongs to the community.
Residents should not need to understand hundreds of pages of reports, municipal jargon or complicated processes simply to know what their Council is doing.
I believe residents deserve:
Clear explanations of major decisions
Meaningful public consultation before decisions are effectively made
Respectful communication
Better access to municipal information
Transparency around spending and priorities
Councillors who are willing to explain how and why they voted
Opportunities for residents across Niagara-on-the-Lake to be heard
Listening does not mean everyone will always agree.
It means people should know their concerns were genuinely considered.
Representation begins with listening.
OPEN, ACCESSIBLE & ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT
One Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Representing the whole Town does not mean pretending every part of it is the same.
Old Town faces pressures involving tourism, heritage, seniors' housing, traffic and maintaining a living residential community.
Virgil continues to grow as a family and commercial centre and needs infrastructure, recreation, safe roads and thoughtful development.
St. Davids faces significant concerns around development, flooding, drainage, infrastructure and preserving its village character.
Queenston deserves protection of its heritage and natural character while receiving the infrastructure and road-safety attention smaller communities can too easily miss.
Glendale will experience substantial future growth and must become a complete, connected community, not simply a collection of developments.
Rural Niagara-on-the-Lake is not empty space between villages. It is home to families, farms, agricultural businesses and workers who are fundamental to our economy and identity.
Five communities. Our rural countryside. One Niagara-on-the-Lake.
DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES. DIFFERENT NEEDS.
Every proposal will be different.
My principles will remain consistent.
1. Is the infrastructure ready?
Can our roads, drainage, water, wastewater and community services support what is being proposed?
2. Does it belong here?
Does it respect the character, planning policies, agricultural lands and long-term vision for the community where it is proposed?
3. What does it mean for the people already here?
Will it improve residents' quality of life or create problems they will be expected to absorb?
4. Who pays?
Are taxpayers receiving fair value? Is development contributing appropriately? Have other funding options been explored?
5. Were the people affected genuinely heard?
Consultation should help shape decisions, not simply happen after the direction has already been chosen.
HOW I WILL APPROACH DECISIONS
A platform should never be finished simply because a candidate published a website.
If there is an issue affecting your neighbourhood, your family, your business or your community that you believe I need to understand, I want to hear from you.
You do not have to agree with me on everything to have a seat at the table.
Tell me what matters to you.
Karen Jones for Niagara-on-the-Lake Town Council Rooted in Community. Committed to Our Future.
Karen Jones for Niagara-on-the-Lake Town Council Rooted in Community. Committed to Our Future.