As part of 90.5 myFM’s 2026 Election Coverage, myFM reached out to candidates in South Huron, Bluewater, Lambton Shores and Lucan-Biddulph to hear why they believe residents should vote for them on October 26th.
Here’s what Winona Sangster, running for Zurich Ward in Bluewater had to say.
TRANSCRIBED AUDIO:
“Hello, I’m Winona Sangster and I’m seeking re-election for the Zurich Ward Council in the municipality of Bluewater. I’m a small person with a big heart and I care deeply about Zurich, the community that I call home. I’m passionate about the people, driven to make things happen, I’m creative in how I approach challenges and I bring knowledge and experience to the work I do. I believe leadership is about listening, showing up, asking questions, finding solutions and keeping going when things get tough.
Community is extremely important to me and it has always been important to me to give back to my home. These are the people I live beside, the businesses I support, the youth I see riding bikes down the street, those I see at the community events and those that supported me through my own personal health journey. I care deeply about our community and the rural lifestyle we have. I want people to be proud to live here, know they are safe and we are financially sustainable, laying the foundation for the next generations to come.
Four years ago, you, the people of Zurich, trusted me to represent you, and I am incredibly grateful for that opportunity. Thank you. Over those four years, I have learned a lot about municipal government, budgets, bylaws, and the projects that affect our community every day. More importantly, I have learned what it means to be there for you. When someone calls, they want someone to listen and help find a solution. I have strived hard to be that person. I’m seeking re-election because there’s still important work to be done, and I want to continue to be your voice for Zurich at the table.
A lot of municipal work we do is not glamorous. It is about the phone calls, about a pothole, water main breaks in the middle of the night, parking concerns, helping someone understand an application, or walking someone through a municipal process. Those things matter because that is everyday life. I have tried to be accessible and responsive and make sure residents know that when they contact me, I’m going to listen and follow up. You call me and I am there.
For me, it’s about making sure we are financially responsible while still moving our community forward. We need to be investing in smart growth, not growth just for the sake of growth, and making sure we protect what makes Zurich and the municipality of Bluewater unique while planning for future generations. I want to ensure financial stability through responsible debt-conscious growth and protecting our local heritage character.
I want to prioritize maximizing municipal budgets, managing development to align with infrastructure capacity and efficiently maintaining our existing assets and services. In rural areas such as ours, when looking at growth, we generally do not want total stagnation. However, we are terrified of massive debt projects that can cause property taxes to spike, putting financial strain on our households.
A combination of grants, reserves and proportional development charges can strike an exact balance to let our town grow naturally at its own pace and protect residents from future financial strains. An example of a future project is the Zurich Lagoon and how to fund future upgrades that will be required in the next five to 10 years as we continue to grow. Being proactive now to ensure we do not place debentures on residents or have to increase the tax burden to cover future upgrades.
As well, with the upcoming development charge study, we need to be looking at proportional growth, keeping fees lower for local families, building single homes and higher fees exclusively for large multi-lot subdivisions and apartment complexes that will actually put strain on our lagoon. Development charges are not one lump sum fee. They are fees added together for roads, emergency services, water and wastewater. The wastewater portion from these development charges for Zurich should be placed inside a dedicated Zurich Lagoon Reserve Fund, rather than pooled together with the other charges, to help fund the project in the future. As well, exploring grant opportunities as they come forward, and placing funds into the reserve now, to ensure no future debentures are placed on the Zurich users and users of the system.
Vote for me, as I’m already doing the work, I understand the municipality, I understand the processes, and I know the projects that are underway and I have four years of experience at the table.
I care deeply about where Zurich and the Municipality of Bluewater are going. I do not believe one person can fix everything, but I do believe together that every small step matters. Small acts make deeper changes, and I would like the opportunity to continue to keep taking those steps together with our community. Re-elect me for Zurich Ward Councilor for the municipality of Bluewater. Together, small acts, big changes. Thank you.
