Don Robinson sees and hears all of Stratford’s issues as he drives his taxi through the city. He is putting his name on the ballot and running for city council, hoping to address some of those issues.
Robinson is the owner of a number of local taxi companies, including Stratford Taxi. He says that experience and the fact that he’s been living in Stratford all his life is hugely important. He speaks with Stratford citizens everyday and hears concerns, some dating back to his youth, such as roads.
In conversation with StratfordToday, Robinson said that in the last four years, city council hasn’t done enough. He understands that COVID slowed things down but wanted to see more.
“They didn’t do anything for us … wouldn’t it have been a lot easier to do road maintenance when people weren’t on them? Right now we’re trying to get the city back, the festival back, getting people moving. Now we have construction on every road in Stratford.”
Infrastructure is among Robinson’s three top priorities, which also include mental health outreach and accessibility.
One accessibility issue is the police station: Stratford Police Service's station lacks an accessible entrance, something which he says is shameful.
“There’s no work done on the building to make it accessible … (The City of Stratford) have always wanted to build a new one. Our city doesn’t have $40 million to build a new police station. So why don’t we take $2-3 million and renovate it the way we want it?"
Accountability is also important to Robinson. He thinks that city council didn’t do much in the last four years but made enemies with the public. That’s why he wants to see a whole new council with no incumbents.
Robinson ran for Stratford mayor in 2014 and city council in 2018. Both times were unsuccessful. He thinks that Stratford citizens should cast their vote for him this time around because 'a vote for him is a vote for them'.
“I'm here to listen. I talk to them every day in the taxis that I drive. I hear their issues and I feel their issues. A vote for me is a vote for them.”
Ballots are open from Oct. 14-24 of this year. Voting is done online or via telephone, with a number and link to vote being released closer to the election.
For a full list of the candidates in Stratford and surrounding areas, visit here.
