Bio
My name is Wendy Gabrek (née Soloduik), and I am a lifelong resident of New Tecumseth. Born and raised in Tottenham, my roots in this community run deep. My parents, Wayne and Carol Soloduik, raised our family here and were themselves involved in the community. My father was part of the fundraising efforts for the Tottenham Community & Fitness Centre through his involvement with CRIC and local baseball, while my mother was a local business owner, Lioness and award winning volunteer. Their example helped shape my own belief that being part of a community also means contributing to it. I attended Father F.X. O’Reilly Catholic School and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School before continuing my education at the University of Toronto and Humber College. For the past 15 years, I have lived in Ward 2 with my husband, Craig, where we raised our blended family of three sons. All three were raised in New Tecumseth, making them another generation of our family to call this community home. Today, they have gone on to build careers of their own, including in the RCMP, the automotive sector and personal training. Before being elected to Council, I spent more than 20 years working as a local journalist, reporter and editor. I am especially proud of my years with The Times of New Tecumseth & Adjala–Tosorontio, where I had the privilege of covering the people, organizations, businesses and issues shaping our community. I also served as editor of the Shelburne Free Press and Innisfil Scope. Those years gave me a unique perspective when I entered municipal government. After spending two decades reporting on Council from the other side of the desk, I understood the importance of asking questions, doing the research, listening to residents and holding local government accountable. Today, in addition to my role on Council, I work professionally in marketing and communications with Trillium Ford Lincoln Ltd., a longstanding locally owned and operated business serving New Tecumseth and the surrounding area. My work keeps me connected to local businesses, customers and the broader community every day. Community involvement has always been an important part of my life. Over the years, I have volunteered with and supported numerous local organizations and initiatives. I was honoured to receive the Town of New Tecumseth’s Virtual Wall of Honour Award in recognition of my community volunteerism, as well as the 92.1 myFM Women of Influence Award. I currently serve as Ward 2 Councillor for the Town of New Tecumseth, Chair of the New Tecumseth Public Library Board, and Vice-Chair of the Traffic Advisory Committee. I helped establish the Traffic Advisory Committee during this term of Council and volunteered to continue serving on it because traffic and pedestrian safety remain important issues for Ward 2 and communities across New Tecumseth. I am seeking re-election because I believe experience, independence and local knowledge matter, particularly at a time when New Tecumseth is facing significant growth and change. My priorities remain responsible growth, strong communities, sound financial decision-making, safe and appropriate infrastructure, and ensuring residents have a strong voice at the Council table. New Tecumseth isn't simply where I serve. It's where I was born and raised, where my family put down its roots, where Craig and I raised our family, and the community I will always be proud to call home.
Platform
New Tecumseth is changing, and the decisions made over the next four years will have a lasting impact on our community. Growth is coming, but how we prepare for it matters. My priority is to ensure that growth is supported by the infrastructure and services our residents need (roads, parks and recreation, emergency services, safe transportation networks and well planned public spaces) while protecting the small-town and rural character that makes New Tecumseth (and its individual settlement areas) a place people want to call home. I believe in responsible financial management and making careful decisions about how taxpayers' dollars are spent. I am an independent thinker and vote with my conscious. As we take on major projects and respond to the pressures of growth, Council must distinguish between what we need, what we want and what we can responsibly afford. We cannot change provincial pressures, but we can work to ensure we get the best deal for existing and new taxpayers. Traffic and pedestrian safety will continue to be a priority for me. I helped establish the Town's Traffic Advisory Committee and have seen firsthand how important it is to bring residents, staff and Council together to identify concerns and find practical solutions. I will continue to work closely with our Engineering Department to find creative solutions for traffic calming as this has proven to be not only important to the residents (of which I am one) but also a deep personal interest. I will continue to ask questions, listen to residents and provide the information people need to form their own opinions. I have also identified that it's important for people to hear "why" I vote the way I do, and plan to be more outspoken in the next term. Over the next four years, I want to build on the work already underway, see important projects through to completion, and make sure Ward 2 continues to have an experienced, independent and practical voice at the Council table. I promise to ask the difficult questions and make each decision based on what I believe is in the best long-term interest of Ward 2 and New Tecumseth.
Questions
Asked by Anonymous · 2 months ago
Answer
1. Creation of the Traffic Advisory Committee: I brought forward the initiative to establish New Tecumseth's Traffic Advisory Committee to help guide policies and procedures for council's consideration that address speeding, traffic and pedestrian-safety concerns, sidewalks, and other Engineering issues. As a founding member and Vice-Chair, I have remained actively involved in its work over 4 years (volunteering to serve an additional two years) because I believe traffic safety is one of the most important issues facing our neighbourhoods.
2. Creation of the 40 km/h Community Safety Zone: I brought forward the initiative to establish a 40 km/h Community Safety Zone, which was ultimately adopted by Council and now used as an available tool for all members of council who report a traffic calming need brought forward by their residents. For me, this was about more than lowering a speed limit. It was about changing how we approach safety in areas where pedestrians, children and vehicles interact every day, helping to create safer neighbourhoods.
3. Leading the New Tecumseth Public Library through significant policy and strategic renewal: As Chair of the New Tecumseth Public Library Board, I helped lead the Library through a significant review and redevelopment of its policies and the adoption of a new Strategic Plan. This work was about ensuring the Library has strong, modern governance and a clear direction for the future as our community grows and the needs of residents continue to change.
I'm proud of these initiatives because each created something that will continue beyond my current term. Stronger traffic-safety tools, a formal mechanism for residents to have their traffic concerns heard, and a stronger governance and strategic framework for our public library system.
Asked by Anonymous · 2 months ago
Answer
New Tecumseth needs a variety of businesses that provide employment opportunities for people at every age and stage of life. That could be a student looking for a part-time job after school, a parent looking for flexible or evening work to supplement their household income, a skilled tradesperson looking to build a career close to home, or a senior who wants to continue working part-time for the income, social connection and sense of purpose.
But we also need to think bigger. As our population grows, we need to actively attract larger employers and a more diverse range of industries that bring professional, technical, administrative and corporate positions with them. People shouldn't necessarily have to commute south to find those opportunities.
That means making sure we have employment lands available and serviced, creating an environment where businesses want to invest, and supporting the businesses that are already here so they can grow and create more jobs.
Education and training are part of that as well. I support efforts to bring skilled trades and technology training closer to home and to build partnerships between employers and educational institutions so residents can train for good careers without having to leave the community.
If we're going to grow substantially, we shouldn't just be planning where people will live. We should be equally focused on where they will work.
Asked by Felix Kaechele · 2 months ago
Answer
To me, smart growth isn't simply a choice between density and sprawl. It's about putting growth where it makes sense and making sure the infrastructure and services are there to support it (and so that everyone gets to share in the benefits of growth).
New Tecumseth is going to grow, so our job on Council is to manage that growth responsibly. That means planning for roads, water and wastewater, parks, recreation, emergency services, schools and traffic alongside new development, not after it. It also means providing a range of housing. We need homes that allow people to age in place, options that are attainable for different incomes and stages of life, and opportunities for our own children to find a home in the community where they grew up.
Density can be part of that, but design matters. Higher-density neighbourhoods need adequate parking, storage and green space so they continue to function and look good as they mature. Where appropriate, rear parking accessed by laneways could help preserve streetscapes while providing space for vehicles and garbage and recycling storage.
I would also like to see new development better reflect the individual character of our three communities rather than creating subdivisions that could be anywhere. That could mean blue tones and references to the pond, natural amphitheatre and railway history in Tottenham; yellows, pollinator-friendly landscapes and nods to Beeton's agricultural and hockey heritage; and earth tones, farming, the Banting Homestead and historic downtown in Alliston.
Smart growth isn't about stopping growth or accepting it at any cost. It's about building complete, attractive communities that work for the people who live in them today and will still work (and look good) decades from now.
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