Owen-sound Council-meeting Meeting Transcript — August 20, 2026

00:00:00 Andrii Zvorygin: Greetings in the loving light of the infinite Creator.

00:00:02 Andrii Zvorygin: I'm Andrii Zvorygin.

00:00:02 Andrii Zvorygin: I'm here with Thomas Arakal, who's running for city council.

00:00:06 Andrii Zvorygin: Would you like to introduce yourself, Thomas?

00:00:08 Thomas Arakal: Yeah, my name is Thomas Arakal, and I work here in Canaport in Olmazan, and I deliver mail outside Olmazan too.

00:00:17 Thomas Arakal: I never wanted to be involved in any of these things before, but you know what's happening around me made me think.

00:00:24 Thomas Arakal: You know, better to get involved and see and push for some changes.

00:00:28 Thomas Arakal: So what I am thinking to do is work on the basics.

00:00:32 Thomas Arakal: As for me, the first thing I will be able to do any different is I understand what people need.

00:00:39 Thomas Arakal: Okay, that's what my core, core, core idea is like: listen to people, be accountable, and be transparent.

00:00:47 Thomas Arakal: Yeah, then work on the basics.

00:00:50 Thomas Arakal: Basic stuffs like transit.

00:00:53 Thomas Arakal: As for me, transit is a big thing because many of us like having two cars; we can get away with one car if we have proper transit.

00:01:01 Thomas Arakal: Oh, okay.

00:01:02 Thomas Arakal: Yeah, I spoke to a couple of seniors; they would like to use transit too, because they don't want to drive.

00:01:08 Thomas Arakal: They are driving because it's quite expensive to hire a taxi all the time.

00:01:13 Thomas Arakal: Yeah, and they don't have a choice.

00:01:14 Thomas Arakal: Yeah, same thing with young working people, young individuals, and also you know people with like they work in retail and they walk all the way from downtown to the stores.

00:01:25 Thomas Arakal: Wow.

00:01:26 Thomas Arakal: Yeah, they depend on walking.

00:01:28 Thomas Arakal: Is because the transit what we have is so unreliable.

00:01:33 Thomas Arakal: That's another thing I'm on the campaign on.

00:01:35 SPEAKER_003: So, in terms of the reliability, do you think that most seventy-one percent of people said they wanted the service to go till ten p.m. and that would also help the downtown businesses have business after?

00:01:49 SPEAKER_003: Yeah.

00:01:50 SPEAKER_003: It's I believe Andrew.

00:01:51 SPEAKER_003: It's all connected, right?

00:01:52 Thomas Arakal: We cannot just put the transit on one side by side.

00:01:55 Thomas Arakal: You need to fix the roads, sidewalks.

00:01:58 Thomas Arakal: All has to be worked together because if you don't maintain the roads and infrastructures, getting more transit eventually builds you more cost because it gets breakdown right most of the time.

00:02:09 Thomas Arakal: So as for me, yes, we need to have more transit routes, more direct routes.

00:02:13 Thomas Arakal: Maybe we we have to look for the connectivity between Wasaga, you know, between Sober, Wyatton, nearby cities, Markdale, and you know maybe a few more often routes to GTA, like you know,

00:02:25 Thomas Arakal: where people can head out and you know, most of it driving, driving all the way.

00:02:30 SPEAKER_003: But yeah, if we zoom back into Owen Sound, the people you were saying, the retail workers that are walking.

00:02:37 Thomas Arakal: Yeah, I so I know people who work in Walmart, Petsmart.

00:02:41 Thomas Arakal: You know, they walk all the way from downtown towards there.

00:02:44 Thomas Arakal: It's like they they are walking because the route, the buses are not reliable, not on time.

00:02:49 Thomas Arakal: There is no enough service, and there is.

00:02:51 Thomas Arakal: And it's like like you said, they they are done way earlier, so we have a transit, but I feel like it's like a namesake.

00:03:01 Thomas Arakal: I see, but it's not really functioning for the need of the people, you know.

00:03:06 Thomas Arakal: So that yeah, it need to be more reliable, more reliable, and more consistent.

00:03:10 Thomas Arakal: Okay.

00:03:11 Thomas Arakal: Okay.

00:03:11 Thomas Arakal: Other thing we're running is basically like you know, on the parks, like you know, we need to have options for the kids to be active, right?

00:03:20 Thomas Arakal: Uh.

00:03:20 Thomas Arakal: Right.

00:03:21 Thomas Arakal: We need to have more, like you know, more infrastructures in the parks, equipments, and you know, even small basketball court or a volleyball court or a pickleball court or all the schools we have,

00:03:30 Thomas Arakal: we can use it or stuff like that.

00:03:32 Thomas Arakal: Not really.

00:03:33 SPEAKER_003: I know from canvassing around the area, people have often said they wanted more benches in parks, especially seniors, so that they could watch their grandchildren playing on the playgrounds.

00:03:45 SPEAKER_003: Yeah, correct.

00:03:46 SPEAKER_003: These these are the things we need to do.

00:03:47 SPEAKER_003: Right.

00:03:48 SPEAKER_003: I agree with this.

00:03:48 SPEAKER_003: Like.

00:03:49 Thomas Arakal: We can only do these things once we know what exactly people want.

00:03:53 Thomas Arakal: So, my my basic idea is like, we need to have better connectivity, a connection between the people and the council, and we should work based on what they need.

00:04:04 Thomas Arakal: And also, we would look into the way how we can efficiently manage the money.

00:04:09 Thomas Arakal: Like, I feel like you know there's kind of mismanagement in certain departments.

00:04:14 Thomas Arakal: I don't want to get into details because you know I don't want to comment until unless I have the numbers, or I just want to.

00:04:19 Thomas Arakal: I don't want to blame anybody because it's.

00:04:23 SPEAKER_003: I know that as mayor, I'll be responsible for the budget, and I am allowed to make directives to get the staff to release the numbers so that we'll actually know what's going on.

00:04:35 SPEAKER_003: Because right now, they're not currently meeting the bare minimum of what they have committed to legally providing us in terms of information.

00:04:46 SPEAKER_003: Hopefully they will, but they haven't as of yet.

00:04:49 SPEAKER_003: Correct.

00:04:49 SPEAKER_003: That is another thing.

00:04:50 Thomas Arakal: It should be easily accessible, transparent, and clear, and people should be able to understand.

00:04:56 Thomas Arakal: Like, it doesn't need to have a master's degree to find out this all information.

00:05:02 Thomas Arakal: That's another one thing I want to be like.

00:05:03 Thomas Arakal: When you have transparency and accountability, people like when you spend.

00:05:08 Thomas Arakal: Like, people should know why their money is being spent.

00:05:11 Thomas Arakal: You know, another main thing.

00:05:13 Thomas Arakal: I know we can't do much about it.

00:05:14 Thomas Arakal: But it is also a matter that keeping silent or ignoring those issues will not resolve.

00:05:20 Thomas Arakal: Like downtown safety, right?

00:05:23 Thomas Arakal: Many of the people I spoke to, they want to come to downtown.

00:05:26 Thomas Arakal: They are scared of unknown, like what's going on, the safety, or homeless people.

00:05:31 Thomas Arakal: Like, if as for me, like you know, one of the things I like about your campaign is the way you propose the affordable housing.

00:05:38 Thomas Arakal: That's a big thing because the homeless problem is mainly because we don't have affordable housing, correct.

00:05:45 Thomas Arakal: And one thing I like about your platform is what you're proposing: the homes under like seven hundred thousand, like you know under seventy, less than hundred thousand dollars, seventy thousand dollars,

00:05:54 Thomas Arakal: where you have to pay like four hundred, five hundred dollars.

00:05:56 Thomas Arakal: Yeah, you can manage a small home.

00:05:58 Thomas Arakal: Yeah, that's what will change everything.

00:06:00 Thomas Arakal: That's a game changer.

00:06:02 Thomas Arakal: As for me, I know we can't promise anything like that, but we can always voice for better, you know, affordable homes.

00:06:10 Thomas Arakal: So it all, as for me, it's all connected.

00:06:13 SPEAKER_003: Yeah, at the city level, there are some opportunities that we could even do at the city level in terms of permitting, because currently we have several condo and townhouse developments that aren't going anywhere.

00:06:26 Andrii Zvorygin: And if we were to permit them to use those kinds of sustainable dwellings, low cost sustainable dwellings, they might actually be able to sell enough to go ahead with those residential projects.

00:06:38 SPEAKER_003: Yeah, correct.

00:06:38 Thomas Arakal: Other thing, other thing I want to point out is like current system is not working.

00:06:42 Thomas Arakal: Definitely, we see that it's not working.

00:06:44 Thomas Arakal: So, as for me, we have a lot of resources like people who are educated and experienced and retired in our community, right?

00:06:53 Thomas Arakal: Why don't we use the resources?

00:06:54 Thomas Arakal: You know, you don't need to hire a consultant from outside.

00:06:57 Thomas Arakal: So, we can work on this project with people.

00:06:59 Thomas Arakal: Right now, I find it there is no connection between the people and the council.

00:07:04 Thomas Arakal: And I'm not blaming, but what I'm seeing is like it's not like they don't see the problems.

00:07:09 Thomas Arakal: Yeah, what I see, like I have a colleague writing an email about safety of work, like you know, while walking downtown, she feel scared.

00:07:16 Thomas Arakal: Like she don't know whom to call and where where to go in case of an emergency.

00:07:19 Thomas Arakal: Right?

00:07:20 Thomas Arakal: People are not in their conscious mind.

00:07:22 SPEAKER_003: Yeah, and so the local representatives should help with that.

00:07:25 SPEAKER_003: Correct, because every year they would connect with people, so the people would know who who to go to, and they would have a neighbourhood gathering,

00:07:33 SPEAKER_003: so they can connect with their neighbours and voice any issues, and then the local representative would bring that to the ward councillor, and the ward councillor would bring it to the city council.

00:07:43 SPEAKER_003: Yeah, we need to have a sort of a connection.

00:07:45 Thomas Arakal: Like all the councillors should be approachable.

00:07:48 Thomas Arakal: Like you know, people should be able to contact.

00:07:51 Thomas Arakal: Like who are close to their house or like this.

00:07:53 Thomas Arakal: It should be easily approachable.

00:07:54 Thomas Arakal: That's what as per me.

00:07:56 Thomas Arakal: And other main thing I find what we are missing right now is like we have the problem, but we are not voicing it out.

00:08:03 Thomas Arakal: Like I understand.

00:08:05 Thomas Arakal: Like you know, like.

00:08:06 Thomas Arakal: Owen Sound is a second-tier municipality.

00:08:08 Thomas Arakal: Grey County plays a bigger role, but you know, you go, you being elected as a mayor, you have a big role to play there.

00:08:13 Thomas Arakal: Yeah, so you're from Owen Sound, so the deputy mayor has a role, right?

00:08:16 Thomas Arakal: Yeah.

00:08:16 Thomas Arakal: So and this council has to, like, I feel like sweeping wheel get oil sort of thing.

00:08:21 Thomas Arakal: We need to address and head on the problems.

00:08:24 Thomas Arakal: Yeah.

00:08:24 SPEAKER_003: Without that, you know, and a lot of the mayors and the deputy mayors already know me by name, and we greet each other, you know, at the council meetings.

00:08:33 SPEAKER_003: We all have our differences, right?

00:08:34 Thomas Arakal: Like as for me, those need to be kept aside.

00:08:38 Thomas Arakal: When it is, we should look for a common good.

00:08:40 Thomas Arakal: Yes, and that's where we should be able to agree on.

00:08:42 Thomas Arakal: That's yeah, all exactly.

00:08:43 SPEAKER_003: All I'm trying to do is housing, affordable housing, and that is something that most of the people and politicians I know can agree upon.

00:08:53 SPEAKER_003: And so there's a good chance that we'll actually be able to do affordable rural communities in Grey County.

00:08:58 SPEAKER_003: Correct.

00:08:58 SPEAKER_003: We've already made a lot of progress over the last four years of working together.

00:09:02 SPEAKER_003: Well, me as an advocate, and I'm at the table asking the staff.

00:09:06 SPEAKER_003: Yeah, I agree.

00:09:07 SPEAKER_003: Like you, you need to raise the concern.

00:09:09 SPEAKER_003: Like you know, that's what I'm trying.

00:09:11 Thomas Arakal: Like you know, even though Owen Sound doesn't have much role to play, like still it has a voice and it should be raised.

00:09:18 Thomas Arakal: And even you know, they can ask for more grants.

00:09:21 Thomas Arakal: I'm not sure that we may get it.

00:09:23 Thomas Arakal: Maybe we may not.

00:09:24 Thomas Arakal: But if you don't ask, you know, you keep asking, right?

00:09:27 Thomas Arakal: Yeah.

00:09:27 Thomas Arakal: So, yes, that's all.

00:09:29 Thomas Arakal: The idea is like push, push, address the problems, understand what the problems are, prioritize.

00:09:35 SPEAKER_003: Yeah, yeah, and give people the opportunity to participate, have their voices heard.

00:09:40 SPEAKER_003: Exactly, and then that also gives us opportunities to lower the taxes when we're working with...

00:09:46 Thomas Arakal: Yeah, the thing about taxes—that's what made me even start getting into all these things.

00:09:52 Thomas Arakal: Paying property tax, I don't find a value.

00:09:54 Thomas Arakal: I'd even pay a garbage tax to get my garbage out.

00:09:57 Thomas Arakal: I lived in many other provinces before moving here; I never had to pay the garbage tag extra because...

00:10:04 Thomas Arakal: I understand the idea, but you know my property tax is still going up.

00:10:09 Thomas Arakal: And as for me, adding a separate garbage tag, I don't know whether how much that needs to be revisited and relooked.

00:10:17 Thomas Arakal: It's an inconvenience for many people, especially for seniors.

00:10:22 Thomas Arakal: You know, other funny thing, we don't have a service even to take out the yard waste.

00:10:27 Thomas Arakal: Yes, I've heard.

00:10:28 SPEAKER_003: At least one person I canvassed also wanted yard waste.

00:10:32 Thomas Arakal: The seniors, like at least there should be a system so that at least when in summer, at least when they want to trim the branches of trees... yeah, everybody doesn't have a pickup truck.

00:10:39 SPEAKER_003: Yeah, so so we have at least a seasonal...

00:10:42 SPEAKER_003: Yeah, seasonal yard waste stuff.

00:10:43 Thomas Arakal: These are all things you will only understand when you talk to the people, and you know, as for me, they pay the property tax, and that's all they asked was for a basic small thing.

00:10:53 Thomas Arakal: Like so, you need to look into a complete bigger picture and prioritize.

00:10:57 Thomas Arakal: You know, yeah.

00:10:58 Thomas Arakal: That's that's all what I'm trying to push for.

00:11:01 Thomas Arakal: Yeah, the city should serve the people.

00:11:03 SPEAKER_003: Yeah, and you know we're servants of the people.

00:11:06 SPEAKER_003: Exactly, and that's that's a point, right?

00:11:08 SPEAKER_003: We are there to do the job to serve the people.

00:11:12 Thomas Arakal: Yeah, but this input has to come from the people, and only you can do it if we are connected.

00:11:18 Thomas Arakal: Okay, all right.

00:11:19 Thomas Arakal: Thank you so much, Thomas.

00:11:21 Thomas Arakal: Thank you, Andrei.

00:11:22 Thomas Arakal: Okay, until next time.

00:11:24 Thomas Arakal: Love and light.