Owen-sound Council-meeting Meeting Transcript — October 7, 2026

00:00:00 SPEAKER_UNKNOWN: Introduce yourself.

00:00:00 SPEAKER_UNKNOWN: My name is Thomas Regal.

00:00:02 SPEAKER_UNKNOWN: I am one of the councillors who is running for the city election.

00:00:06 SPEAKER_UNKNOWN: My perspective is that people have to be put first.

00:00:10 SPEAKER_UNKNOWN: The residents have to be put as number one priority.

00:00:13 SPEAKER_UNKNOWN: So the council has to work in such a way that the residents can participate.

00:00:17 SPEAKER_UNKNOWN: The people who work can also attend the meetings and the committees.

00:00:22 SPEAKER_UNKNOWN: So I really want participation.

00:00:25 SPEAKER_UNKNOWN: So to do that, we need to change the way the city works.

00:00:28 SPEAKER_006: The meetings are right now like done at nine in the morning, two o'clock in the afternoon, five thirty in the evening,

00:00:34 SPEAKER_006: where the people who work don't have a chance to express themselves because they will be working.

00:00:39 SPEAKER_006: But if we can move this meeting to a time where after supper, you know, you can see more participation.

00:00:43 SPEAKER_006: Put open town halls on Saturday, quarterly, end of the season: one in summer, one in spring, fall, winter, like that.

00:00:50 SPEAKER_006: That way you know exactly what people want, and then we can work on that.

00:00:54 SPEAKER_006: This is the basics.

00:00:56 SPEAKER_006: And other thing I want to push really for is transparency and accountability and a geographical ward system.

00:01:03 SPEAKER_006: I started in August, trying to knock on all the homes in Novaland and try to meet people as much as I can and talk to them.

00:01:10 SPEAKER_006: I'm done only 20 to 25 percent.

00:01:12 SPEAKER_006: If I'm not seen at your places because I'm not able to come there yet, but I'm still trying.

00:01:17 SPEAKER_006: So if it is this big, we should be on a geographical ward.

00:01:21 SPEAKER_006: So then you know exactly who to contact, who to follow, and get your concerns heard, right?

00:01:25 SPEAKER_006: So if third, right.

00:01:26 SPEAKER_006: So if we change these two and start with a process where you have more interaction with the people and understand what people need,

00:01:34 SPEAKER_006: then we can head on with the problem because we have big problems with housing, affordability, drugs, and homelessness, mental health.

00:01:42 SPEAKER_006: So these all need to be addressed.

00:01:43 SPEAKER_006: Ignoring this issue, considering that it's Grey County, provincial, will not help.

00:01:48 SPEAKER_006: If you ask me, I have the answers for all the questions.

00:01:50 SPEAKER_006: No, I don't.

00:01:51 SPEAKER_006: But you know, if we can work together, we can find solutions.

00:01:53 SPEAKER_006: That's how I look at it.

00:01:55 SPEAKER_006: You know, and.

00:01:55 SPEAKER_006: I'm really advocating for practical transit because that reduces our household expenses.

00:02:01 SPEAKER_006: So you don't need to drive your kids to school.

00:02:03 SPEAKER_006: Maybe kids can get a free bus pass, you know.

00:02:06 SPEAKER_006: We can ask school boards to pitch in for the high school kids, and even the parents don't need to take them in the evening to drive them.

00:02:12 SPEAKER_006: The seniors don't need to take a cab.

00:02:14 SPEAKER_006: The moment you step in a cab, it's five dollars, fifteen cents.

00:02:16 SPEAKER_006: I believe.

00:02:17 SPEAKER_006: Then it starts.

00:02:18 SPEAKER_006: So anywhere you want to go to, Owen Sound, it costs twenty dollars at least.

00:02:21 SPEAKER_006: So as with me, if we have reliable transit, that's it.

00:02:22 SPEAKER_006: If we have reliable transit, that saves a lot of money.

00:02:24 SPEAKER_006: I have two cars; I don't need to.

00:02:26 SPEAKER_006: I can manage with one.

00:02:27 SPEAKER_006: That takes out straight five hundred to eight hundred dollars in your monthly budget, right?

00:02:32 SPEAKER_006: So this is what I want to look forward to.

00:02:34 SPEAKER_006: I want it to make more accessible for people.

00:02:37 SPEAKER_006: Well, great, thank you.

00:02:39 SPEAKER_006: That was excellent.

00:02:40 SPEAKER_006: And how would you feel about electronic participation for people who can't meet us particular time slot?

00:02:49 SPEAKER_006: As for me, it should be any way you can communicate with people.

00:02:52 SPEAKER_006: We should open to all the mediums, like whichever we can.

00:02:55 SPEAKER_006: If somebody is at home, they I spoke to somebody who is working from home, and he/she has a kid today,

00:03:00 SPEAKER_006: and she is not able to come in person because there is nobody for her to, you know, look after the kid.

00:03:06 SPEAKER_006: So in that case, we can electronically communicate.

00:03:09 SPEAKER_006: That works because as for me, I'm open to any way we can communicate with people.

00:03:12 SPEAKER_006: It should be open to people, right?

00:03:14 SPEAKER_006: That's our bottom line.

00:03:15 SPEAKER_006: Okay, closing remarks.

00:03:17 SPEAKER_006: Go and vote.

00:03:18 SPEAKER_006: Go out and vote.

00:03:19 SPEAKER_006: That's the main thing, and vote for the person who believes in our sound, and look at their platform kindly, and vote based on that.

00:03:27 SPEAKER_006: If you want a change, you have to vote based on what the candidates are proposing.

00:03:32 SPEAKER_006: You can do things differently.

00:03:34 SPEAKER_006: All you need is you have to go out and vote for the right people.

00:03:37 SPEAKER_006: Thank you.