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A great afternoon sign waving at Oxford and Richmond!
A special thanks to all the supporters and volunteers! It’s almost election time!
How to vote: www.london.ca/elections
**You don't have to be registered!**
- You have to be 18+
- Canadian
- A resident of London
For more info, call the City of London's elections office: 519-661-4535
With election day on Monday choosing who to vote isn’t always easy. Here's something that might help with your decision-making process. After all, why not put a different spin on things? Watch the video and see where the wheel lands!
As Canadians, we are supposed to help people who need it the most, and right now, we're failing far too many people. People experiencing homelessness need a safe place to live and food to eat. Many also need access to mental health care and addiction treatment. The reality is that these essential supports are simply not available to nearly enough people.
A separate issue:
At the same time, our residents, businesses, and neighbourhoods need to feel safe.
We need real solutions, meaningful consequences for repeat offenders, and stronger action from all levels of government.
The City cannot solve this crisis alone, but in conjunction with other Ontario cities facing similar challenges, we can demand better, and push for lasting, positive change.
It's time for action, not more of the same.
I also want to recognize the incredible work being done by our local nonprofits, healthcare workers, emergency responders, and community organizations. Many are going above and beyond every day.
In an interview with CBC Radio London, I was asked about how I pointed out that the current Ward 6 City Councillor has cast more lone votes than any other councillor.
I explained that to move things forward in the best interests of Ward 6, you need to be a consensus builder. You need to work with other councillors, get them on board with your ideas, and build the support necessary to actually get things done.
Now, there are absolutely times when you should stand alone, be defiant, and say, "Although everyone else feels otherwise, I oppose this." But doing that 600 times is not effective.
I then gave an example of a time when our current Ward 6 councillor absolutely SHOULD have stood alone, but didn't.
He voted in favour of cancelling a much-needed upgrade to the Wharncliffe and Oxford intersection, which was already scheduled to be completed, in exchange for redirecting $6.5 million toward the Bus Rapid Transit project.
A project that is already over budget by approximately twice as much, while delivering only about half of what was originally proposed.
The Wharncliffe and Oxford intersection isn't just one of the worst traffic bottlenecks in London. IT'S ALSO IN WARD 6!
Why our councillor, who has a history of incessant lone votes, chose NOT to stand alone when it came to protecting a critical infrastructure improvement in his own ward is absolutely beyond me.
I really don't get it.
London's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project was originally budgeted at $281 million. Today, the costs are approaching HALF A BILLION DOLLARS, nearly double the original budget.
And here's the kicker: ABOUT HALF of the originally proposed project is actually being completed.
This raises serious questions about how our city manages public money.
Think about it like renovating your own home.
Sometimes construction costs more than expected. You open up a wall and discover a problem you hadn't anticipated. Suddenly, you're facing additional expenses.
What do you do?
You reassess your budget. You look at where you can save on the non essentials of the project. Maybe you choose more affordable finishes or scale back certain features so you can address the unexpected costs without blowing your budget.
Now apply that same thinking to the City of London.
Rather than finding opportunities to reduce costs on extravagances, the city has plowed forward with expensive elements of this project, leaving Londoners to cover the bill.
Note: Londoners have been dealt a 26.9% increase in property taxes over the past four years. (30 Sec Video about this)
So where could city councillors have looked for savings on this project?
How about the ENORMOUS three-bay bus shelters installed throughout the city, costing $250,000 EACH?
These shelters are HUGE, even by London, ENGLAND standards!
There ARE much more reasonable, cost-effective shelter designs that could still provide protection from the weather and serve transit riders without costing a quarter of a million dollars apiece.
And if you want another example of why the planning and execution of this project deserve closer scrutiny, just watch this video.
Two bus shelters have been permanently installed directly underneath another shelter.
Yes, you read that correctly.
As I point out in the video, I genuinely don't know which seems crazier:
That nobody put any thought into this before installing them...
Or that somebody ACTUALLY THOUGHT THROUGH THIS AND DECIDED TO MOVE FORWARD ANYWAY?
Either way, Londoners deserve answers about how decisions like these are being made and how their money is being spent.
Quick question for YOU, reading this:
Do you think that anyone, in any role, who had anything to do with having these these bus shelters installed, will publicly admit that putting bus shelters underneath another shelter was a bad decision?
I'm not sure that anyone will. I'd love to be proven wrong!
Look, we all make mistakes.
What's also important is being willing to acknowledge those mistakes, review how they happened, and learn from them so they don't happen again.
Because identifying a mistake is one thing. Making sure it doesn't happen again is another.
Something else to consider: Every dollar spent unnecessarily on one project is a dollar that can't be spent somewhere else.
To move forward with any new idea or make changes to something already in place at City Hall, a City Councillor needs to convince the majority of Council to vote in favour of it.
Over the past four years, the current Ward 6 incumbent has voted against the majority more than any other Councillor, a total of more than 600 times.
Now, sometimes it is important to take a stand and say NO. For example, when the majority of Council wanted to cancel a much-needed improvement to the Wharncliffe and Oxford intersection in Ward 6, while directing another $6.5 million toward the BRT project, which has already gone over budget by about two times the amount, while delivering about half of what was originally proposed. ( https://www.ianleishman.ca/.../a-pillar-of-tax-mismanagement )
But the only way to move anything forward in the best interest of Ward 6 is to work with others, bring them on board with your ideas, and build consensus.
That's what leadership is about.
It's what I've been doing throughout my working career, as a manager at 103.1 Fresh Radio here in London, as a current Business Association President, and as a Real Estate Broker, negotiating and working with others to get things done.
I have the experience, leadership skills, and ability to work with others to be an effective voice for Ward 6 at City Hall.
On October 26th, I'm asking for your support. I hope to earn the trust of you and your neighbours and have the honour of representing Ward 6.
Let's work together for positive change.
Building consensus doesn't mean agreeing with everyone.
There are times when standing alone is absolutely the right thing to do, especially when protecting the interests of Ward 6 residents.
But consistently finding yourself on the losing side of votes raises an important question: Are we effectively building the support needed to get things done for our community?
Having good ideas is one thing. Getting enough support at City Council to actually make them happen is another.
A Councillor has just one vote. To deliver results for Ward 6, you need to be able to work with the other Councillors and the Mayor.
It's not just about how you vote. It's about what you can accomplish.
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Do you think our next Ward 6 Councillor should focus more on building relationships and finding common ground at City Hall?
What changes would you most like to see accomplished over the next four years?
Please share your thoughts.
When something doesn't seem right, it's important to speak up and express your concerns. However, how we communicate those concerns can matter just as much as the concerns themselves.
It's entirely possible to disagree with someone's decisions or actions while remaining respectful and professional in a business setting. Rather than simply criticizing someone or suggesting they've failed, explain specifically what you disagree with, why you see things differently, and what you would propose doing instead.
Supporting your position with relevant facts, statistics, or examples can help turn criticism into a constructive conversation.
We don't have to agree on everything, but we should be able to disagree respectfully. Meaningful progress comes from thoughtful discussion, constructive criticism, and a willingness to consider different perspectives, not personal attacks.
Today is World Homeless Day and World Mental Health Day.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Chris Moss, Executive Director of London Cares Homelessness Response, an organization truly on the front lines of responding to homelessness here in London.
Chris and her team are doing phenomenal work in our community. If you're not familiar with exactly what London Cares does, Chris gives a great brief overview in this video.
She also shares an important message for today about the need for compassion, understanding, and empathy toward those experiencing homelessness and facing daily struggles that many of us may never fully understand.
I encourage you to take a few minutes to watch and hear her message.
Check the comments below for more information about London Cares, and my approach to addressing homelessness, and some additional thoughts on this important issue.
Organizations like London Cares are doing incredibly important work every single day, often in challenging circumstances that most of us never see.
I encourage everyone to learn more about their work and the people they support.
Learn more: https://londoncares.ca
My thoughts on what I believe it will take to move beyond managing homelessness and toward finding real, lasting solutions. through my CSE approach.
One of the many reasons I'm running for London City Council is simple: I don't want Londoners facing another 26.9% property tax increase over the next four years.;
As President of the Old South Business Association, I'm inspired every day by small business owners who work incredibly hard to operate within tight budgets while still delivering exceptional products and services to their customers.
Why shouldn't we expect the same from City Hall?
Families and businesses have to live within their means. The City of London should too.
I understand that costs go up. Inflation affects everything from fuel to wages to the cost of delivering city services. Property tax increases at or below inflation are a reasonable goal. But increases significantly above inflation should demand serious scrutiny and justification.
And when we're talking about a 26.9% tax increase over four years, alongside reports of annual budget surpluses averaging more than $20 million, I believe Londoners have every right to question how their money is being managed.
City Hall needs to treat every dollar like it's their own. Question every expense, make sure we're getting value for what we're spending, and stop spending beyond our means. Because at the end of the day, it's not City Hall's money. It's Londoners' hard earned money, and every dollar needs to be spent wisely.
WE'RE IN AN AFFORDABILITY CRISIS
The cost of groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, and just about everything else has gone up. Many Londoners are already struggling to keep up.
The City of London should be doing everything it can to make life more affordable, not adding to the financial pressure.
When property taxes rise significantly faster than inflation, the City is making an already difficult situation even worse.
City Hall should be part of the solution, not part of the affordability problem.
WHAT ABOUT RETIREES LIVING ON FIXED INCOMES?
Both of my parents are retired and living on fixed incomes, like so many Londoners.
Many that are retired can't necessarily just go out and earn more money to cover rising expenses. Your pension or retirement savings have to stretch further every year.
Imagine having worked your entire life, paid off your home, and planned carefully for retirement, only to face property tax increases that significantly outpace inflation.
People shouldn't have to worry about being priced out of the homes they've worked their whole lives to afford.
WE'RE MAKING IT HARDER FOR THE NEXT GENERATION TO GET AHEAD
About young people, couples, and families just starting out...
Housing prices are already incredibly high. Mortgage payments, interest rates, insurance, groceries, and utilities are stretching household budgets to their limits.
Now add property tax increases well above inflation.
For someone who has just purchased their first car and home, every dollar matters. We should be making it easier for people to build a future in London, not making homeownership even less attainable.
London should be a city where people can afford to start their lives and build their futures.
RENTERS ARE AFFECTED BY PROPERTY TAXES TOO
It's easy to think property tax increases only affect homeowners. But renters can feel the impact too.
Landlords pay property taxes, and those costs can influence the rents they charge.
That means rising property taxes can contribute to higher housing costs for people who don't even own property.
Whether you own your home or rent, affordability matters.
Out knocking on doors in Old North!
One of the best parts of campaigning is getting out into our neighbourhoods, listening to residents, and hearing firsthand what matters most to them.
From homelessness, safety, traffic calming, neighbourhood development to affordability and more, there are some important conversations happening right here in Ward 6.
Here's a quick update from the campaign trail and a few of the issues I've been hearing about.
RE: Affordability...
One conversation that stood out was with a longtime retired resident.
Affordability isn't just a concern for young families or people entering the housing market. It's also a real concern for residents living on fixed incomes.
As the cost of living continues to rise, we need to be mindful of the financial pressures facing people at every stage of life.
Keeping London affordable needs to be part of every conversation about our city's future. A 26.9% increase in property taxes in 4 years is not okay.
RE: Construction Coordination...
No one is saying road construction shouldn't be done. It's necessary, but how we plan and coordinate projects matters.
When multiple projects happen at once, the disruption can affect residents, businesses, and people just trying to get around the city.
We should not have all of main thoroughfares torn up at once. The city should prioritize accepting construction bids for those that will work through the evenings on major streets and require staggered construction schedules to keep traffic moving.
RE: Neighbourhood Development...
Development and change are important conversations. Residents deserve to know what's happening in their neighbourhoods and have a meaningful opportunity to be heard.
We need to balance growth with the character and livability of our established communities. Good planning means listening to the people who live there.
FANTASTIC NEWS! The St. Joseph’s Health Care London hospital new parking garage officially WILL NOT have a permanent entry / exit off Wellington Street! Thank you to St. Joe’s hospital staff, Dillon Consulting, WalterFedy Design for the great community engagement session at the New St. James Presbyterian Church. I had a great conversation with Jodi Younger, VP with St. Joe's about the plans and timeline for the new hospital garage.
The link to more info on this project.
A huge thanks to Valerie and the Bishop Hellmuth Neighbourhood Association as well as Jackie and the St. George / Grosvenor Neighbourhood Association, for the tremendous amount of time and effort they have put into working with the hospital and advocating on behalf of the community.
Over a long period of time and through many conversations, they have consistently pushed to ensure that the parking garage entrance and exit are not permanently located on Wellington Street. Their continued advocacy and commitment to representing the neighbourhood deserve a huge thank you.
The "C.S.E." solution to homelessness in London, Ontario starts with caring about people and providing FULL wraparound support. Every person experiencing homelessness has a different story and needs a different kind of help, but they all need the basics: a safe place to live and food to eat. For many, full support also means mental health care, addiction treatment, and other services that address the challenges keeping them from stable living.
We need to declare a State of Emergency in London, in conjunction with other cities in the province and work with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Ontario’s Big City Mayors to push the province to step up and deliver the healthcare and supports that are required. The federal government also needs to provide the support necessary to help communities address this crisis. Municipalities cannot fund what is required to solve these problems.
I understand that the economy is challenging right now. At the same time, the federal government is making major investments intended to strengthen Canada’s economy and communities for the future. In that context, I believe helping the more than 2,000 people experiencing homelessness in London, and people experiencing homelessness across Ontario, is an investment we need to make.
For some people, the right support can help them get back on their feet and regain stability and independence. Others may need significant and perhaps ongoing support, and they should be getting it. Compared with the scale of the other investments governments are making in Canada’s future right now, the resources required to make a meaningful difference on homelessness should be relatively small, and treated as an investment in people, but also in our downtowns and in the small businesses that are the backbone of our economy. Addressing homelessness will not only contribute to healthier, safer and more vibrant downtowns, but I think we can all agree that it would create better conditions for businesses, investment and economic growth in London and other major cities across Ontario.
Spent some time today at the Wampum Learning Lodge at Western University for Truth And Reconciliation day. A great, well-attended event with meaningful conversations. Thanks to everyone who helped organize it.
Always important to remember our history, appreciate our roots, and keep learning.
A prime example of tax mismanagement:
London’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project was budgeted at $281 million. It is now approaching HALF A BILLION DOLLARS, while we’re getting roughly half of the project that was originally proposed.
PROBLEM #1: NEARLY DOUBLE THE SPENDING.
A project that was pitched, budgeted for and approved at $281 million is now approaching half a billion dollars. When Council approves a project based on a clear budget, that budget has to mean something.
PROBLEM #2: ALMOST DOUBLE THE COST, HALF THE PROJECT.
Despite the massive increase in cost, London isn’t even getting the full BRT system that was originally proposed. We’re spending substantially more while getting roughly half the project
PROBLEM #3: SPENDING ON NON-ESSENTIALS DESPITE OVERRUNS.
I understand that unforeseen circumstances can happen with projects like this and construction costs can rise. But when they do, you prioritize what’s essential and find savings elsewhere within the project. You don’t continue spending $250,000 FOR EACH three-bay bus shelter. That $250,000 figure isn’t hypothetical. It was the reported cost of each of them throughout the city.
Here is Jack Moulton’s London Free Press report on the Ward 6 City Council debate, hosted by the Urban League of London and the Sherwood Forest/Orchard Park Neighbourhood Association at the Mercado at Western University.
It was a well-attended event featuring all of the Ward 6 candidates, and it was great to see Jack highlight some of the key reasons I believe change is needed in Ward 6.
With Election Day coming up on October 26, 2026, I’m grateful for opportunities like this for residents to hear directly from the candidates and learn more about the choices on the ballot.
I'm SO lucky have such great support! Left to right: Campaign Manager Rob McGarry, friend and door knocking companion extraordinaire Cathie Wade, me, wife Nathalie, son Troy, sister Anne and who's considered family: Virginia!
London, Ontario’s BRT project had an original budget of $281 million. Now it’s approaching HALF A BILLION dollars, and about HALF of the original project is actually getting built.
That’s tax mismanagement at its best.
Especially when the City is still rolling out three-bay bus shelters costing $250,000 each. Shelters that are HUGE even by London, ENGLAND standards.
Meanwhile, we had an opportunity to finally make a much-needed improvement to Oxford and Wharncliffe, right here in Ward 6. Anyone who regularly goes through that intersection knows the challenges. It has needed to be fixed for years to improve traffic flow and reduce the bottleneck.
Yet when the opportunity finally came to fund that long-awaited improvement, Ward 6’s own current city councillor voted against it and supported taking that money and putting EVEN MORE into the BRT project instead.
Nearly half a billion dollars for about half the original BRT project, $250,000 bus shelters, and money redirected away from fixing one of Ward 6’s most frustrating intersections.
I don’t get it.
THE OXFORD/WHARNCLIFFE PLAN:
The Oxford/Wharncliffe project main physical change was not simply adding ordinary car lanes, it was mainly to widen the Oxford Street approaches to the intersection and build eastbound and westbound transit “queue-jump” lanes. These would be short, bus-only approach lanes that let an LTC bus bypass a line of cars waiting at the light. The signals would then give the bus priority so it could proceed through or merge back into traffic ahead of the queue. The goal was both better bus reliability and less interference between stopped buses and general traffic.
The planned work included:
Widening/reconstructing Oxford Street through the intersection, including the two bus queue-jump lanes.
New or modified turning lanes at the intersection.
A new intelligent traffic-signal system with transit signal priority, so approaching buses could receive priority at the light.
New/updated street lighting.
Sidewalk reconstruction and cycling facilities through the intersection. The cycling work was intended to connect the Wharncliffe/Western Road bike facilities south to Oxford Street.
Widening the roadway infrastructure funding. The noticeable difference would have been a physically wider Oxford Street on the approaches, with extra pavement devoted principally to buses and turning movements, upgraded signals, and improved pedestrian/cycling infrastructure.
A 26.9% tax increase in four years is not okay. Affordability is a real problem. Seniors on fixed incomes, families trying to make ends meet, and young people just starting out are all feeling the pressure, and increases like this only make it harder.
Households can’t continually spend beyond their means, and neither should the City of London. The City shouldn’t overspend and then simply expect Londoners to cover the bill through higher and higher taxes. We need better management of the money the City already has. Our taxes are high enough as it is without huge increases like this. We need to get back to responsible budgeting, setting priorities, finding efficiencies, and making sure we’re getting good value for every dollar the City spends.
A ride-along with Sean McWatt from London Cycle Link, Melissa Adler from the London Cycling Club, and Dan Cameron from ACTION (Advocate for Calming Traffic In Old North) to discuss cycling and active transportation in London.
The conversation focused on how better infrastructure can make cycling and walking safer, particularly in residential neighbourhoods dealing with more cars, cut-through traffic, and speeding.
Part of Ian’s vision is to better connect and expand the Thames Valley Parkway, creating a safer and more useful active transportation network that connects more neighbourhoods and gives Londoners better options for getting around without a car.
Sean Mitchell and I were out putting up a few more Vote Leishman Ward 6 signs and came across a Josh Morgan sign that had been vandalized. We managed to get it back up. It’s definitely not looking its prettiest, but it’s doing the job! Happy to help where we can.
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