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Here are your candidates running in District 1 Enfield:
Name: Sam Balcom
Community: Enfield
District: District 1 – Enfield
About Me:
My name is Sam (Stan) Balcom – my mother named me Stanley. My grandmother didn’t like the name at all, so she called me Sam, which seemed to stick. Some of you may know me from Hwy 102 Surplus, where I’ve had the pleasure of serving our local community as a small business owner since 1991. I’ve lived in the East Hants area for most of my adult life and have raised three wonderful children here.
Why Am I Running :
Let me start out by saying that communication and accessibility are important qualities to have as a councillor and as such my email address is 4991883@gmail.com – if anyone would like to reach me at any time.
Serving you as a member of council would be a way for me to contribute back to this great community that has given me and my family so much over the last 30 years. After closing a big part of my business and having my children complete their university educations, I feel I not only have the time, but also the desire to commit full time to being your representative as well as your voice at council. Having spent over 40 years in retail, customer service and public relations I have the experience and have learned the nuances of how much can be accomplished when you’re not concerned about who gets credit for it.
Some of my Goals as councillor:
As a Councillor my goals for East Hants are to work toward maintaining/improving the quality of life for each of us. I would like to work toward having more Doctors and/or a walk-in clinic in the area. Recreational programs, affordable housing, environmental issues and traffic congestion are also concerns that are important. I look forward to helping shape our community by listening to your feedback and voicing your thoughts and concerns about future developments. I think strategic development and growth are positives, but they should be accompanied by a lot of thought and consideration.
Fostering the creation and even the growth of local small business is the backbone of any community. I’ll work toward assisting home based businesses that are interested in growing and expanding to their full potential. I will also focus on the importance of keeping the community updated on municipal affairs as well as being an approachable liaison between the people of
my District, Council and municipal staff.
We live in a great community and each and everyone deserves to have their vision of its future heard. Let me be your ears and your voice to council.
Name: Sandra Garden-Cole
Community: Enfield
District: District 1 – Enfield
About myself:
My family has lived in Enfield for many generations. As a mother of four, grandmother to three, sister to nine, and a daughter, I can relate to the needs and concerns of every age group.
I grew up here and raised my children in the area as well, with them attending the local schools and playing on a variety of sports teams in East Hants. For 14 years, I worked as a mail courier out of the Enfield Post Office. I then worked as a ticket agent at the airport, before taking a one-year course to become an Education Assistant. I have been an EA for 13 years with the last 10 of those being at Enfield District School. Working in the local elementary school affords me the opportunity to work and connect with the children from my community and I’m thankful for that. Working with students with special needs is a very rewarding job; it makes me mindful of the diverse needs and concerns of families. Some other things I enjoy include spending time with my family, reading, biking, yard work, and watching or participating in most sports.
If elected as councillor, I will have patience and empathy for what matters to my constituents. The residents of District 1 can trust that I will always act with their best interests at heart.
Why I’m running for council:
I have always been interested in the affairs of the community. Four years ago, I enumerated for the 2016 Municipal and School Board election, compiling an updated list of voters. It piqued my interest in the election and specifically in the role of councillor. As I went door-to-door, speaking with residents and collecting their information, the process really resonated with me. I realized that I wanted to be the person representing the people in this area, as councillor. At the time, my youngest son was still in school and involved in sports, so the timing wasn’t right but I promised myself that I’d be ready when the next election came. Four years later and my intentions have never wavered. I’m ready to take on the responsibility and dedicate myself to the position of councillor.
I’m passionate about the community we live in. I think I’d do a great job of bringing the residents’ issues to the table and I would always make decisions based on what is in the best interest of District 1 residents, the community and East Hants as a whole.
My ideas and plan:
I’d love to promise that the first thing I’d do as councillor would be to lower everyone’s water bill…I’d definitely get the popular vote then!
Our community has seen a lot of growth over the last number of years and we need to ensure that the growth is sustainable. One issue that keeps coming up from the residents is the new development in the area. There seems to be a variety of concerns surrounding this; whether we have infrastructure to support it, adequate parking for new developments, how much is too much? Affordable housing, crosswalks, recreation…I think development and growth comes in all shapes and sizes.
Another topic that residents have expressed concern over is the need for a crosswalk in the core of Enfield. With a church, a park, the fire hall and a busy subdivision on John Murray drive, there needs to be a safe way for people to access the sidewalks on the other side. There is also a school bus stop right there in the mornings and afternoons. With growth comes increased traffic and pedestrian safety needs to be a priority!
As our world became a lot smaller during COVID-19, people got out and learned to appreciate their communities more. It’s both the big things and the small things that make a difference. I’m all about community enrichment. Our area has so much to offer and I would be honoured to be part of it’s future, as councillor.
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