DARTMOUTH: Inside a packed Alderney Landing Theatre (Rotunda) in Dartmouth on Wednesday morning, Andy Fillmore made the worst kept secret official.
The former federal Halifax MP announced to supporters and friends that he would be adding his name to the race for HRM Mayor in October’s municipal election.
Fillmore joins Pam Lovelace; Waye Mason, among those more notably known, and six others looking to replace Mike Savage as Mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality. Zoran Jokic; Ryan Dodge; Clay Bowser; Nolan Greenough; and Blake Roach have also thrown their names into the ring to be mayor.
There were people of all political stripes, including the likes of Peter Stoffer, in attendance at Fillmore’s announcement. Kings Hants MP Kody Blois, a former colleague of Fillmore’s in Ottawa, along with some faces behind the scenes with the provincial Liberals were also there with signs in hand.
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Addressing a capacity crowd of enthusiastic supporters, Fillmore outlined his vision for the future of HRM.
Elaine Williams, a community advocate, shared her experience since first meeting him during his 2015 run for Parliament.
“Andy promised to work for my community in Mulgrave Park. I said to him, ‘I’m going to trust you, Andy Fillmore, but time will tell,’” Williams recalled.
“A decade later, I am standing here supporting him for mayor because he kept that promise to me and my community.”
Before Williams’ introduction, Fillmore’s former municipal colleague Peter Bigelow and Canadian Armed Forces historian Ken Hynes praised Fillmore’s dedication to the community.
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In his speech, Fillmore addressed the city’s growth.
“After years of hard work together, we have hit our stride in HRM. People are moving here in record-breaking numbers to be part of it. But this rapid growth has brought its share of challenges,” he said. “Our task now is to take charge of our growth before it takes charge of us.
“That’s why I’m running for mayor, to put my experience to work for you and your community. Because I know we can get this right.”
Fillmore highlighted a number of policy priorities during his speech, including his proposal to freeze the municipal tax rate to keep more money in the pockets of taxpayers at a time when the cost of living is a top concern.
Further policy priorities include building more homes and apartments, filling potholes, and ensuring buses and ferries run on time.
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The mayoral candidate pledged to canvassing all corners of the municipality to hear from residents’ and earn their support.
Fillmore was asked about listening to those in Fall River and Musquodoboit Valley, and the concerns they have with regards to taxes and services. Many feel they’re not getting the services they should be considering the taxes they pay to HRM.
How will he hear their concerns?
“By talking to them,’ responded Fillmore when asked by The Laker News in a media scrum. “And making sure that council understands the needs of every resident across this municipality.
“I would do this by going through this exercise that I discussed during the two year municipal tax increase freeze to understand how every municipal tax dollar is currently being deployed and how we can squeeze every ounce of value out of it so that we can give residents, like those in Fall River and Musquodoboit Valley, the value that they need and deserve.”
He was asked about how he would deal with contentious developments and the concerns residents in those communities may voice.
“As I stated earlier, it’s my clear intention to be the mayor for every Halifax Regional Municipality resident,” he said. “That’s going to mean listening to them all. That’s going to mean leaning on my training as an urban and rural planner, and it’s going to mean listening to the councillors who represent those people on the ground every single day.”
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Fillmore grew up in Halifax and attended Queen Elizabeth High School and Dalhousie University. He went on to earn a graduate degree in urban planning from Harvard University, later returning home to start a family.
Reflecting on his daughter Daisy’s high school graduation just last week, he said, “There was nowhere else I wanted to raise my daughter than in the community that raised me.”
In his speech, Fillmore spoke about putting his experience as a city planner to work for HRM.
“Taking a hands-on approach to building communities that are livable and connected, affordable and inclusive, and that are prosperous and safe has always been my life’s work,” said Fillmore, who previously served as HRM’s first-ever Manager of Urban Design.
“Helping to draft HRM’s first 25-year regional growth plan was a career highlight.”
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Fillmore was elected to Parliament nine years ago on a promise to deliver federal funding to the HRM region. In his first term as MP, Halifax placed in the top ten out of 338 ridings across Canada for total federal investment.
He has been part of a team championing a variety of regional projects and developments:
- The Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship
- A deal with NATO for high-tech jobs
- Building Canada’s future Navy and securing shipbuilding jobs
- The first Halifax International Fleet Week
- The Burnside Connector
- The Eastern Shore Lifestyles Centre
- The Blue Mountain/Birch Cove Lakes National Urban Park
- Growing the economic engine that is Halifax International Airport
- Opening Georges Island
Fillmore concluded his announcement with a commitment to collaboration.
“As your mayor, I will work with anyone and everyone to get the job done,” he said. “I will build a coalition of people – rural, urban, and suburban, from across the political spectrum – to meet this moment together.”
(Photos used are from video stills as edited by Dagley Media)
