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 Sarah Nicholson, running for Ward 1 in Lambton Shores had to say.
TRANSCRIBED AUDIO:
“Hello, I am Sarah Nicholson. I am running for Ward 1 Councillor in Lambton Shores. I’m running because Grand Bend isn’t just where I live. It’s been my home for 40 years. I grew up here. I spent summers here. I worked on the strip for 20 years. I watched my parents build businesses here. I built lifelong friendships here. And now I’ve started my own business here. Over the years, I have watched Grand Bend grow and I’ve watched some of the same concerns come up year after year without seeing any sort of progress people have been asking for.
I reached the point where I thought instead of just continuing to talk about what the needs are, maybe it’s time for me to step up and be part of the solution. I believe council needs to be people who actually listen to the residents, understand the concerns of our businesses and our year-round community, and then put in the work for practical solutions. I’m not running because I think I have a very answer. I’m running because I deeply care about this community and I’m willing to listen, show up and follow through.
I don’t have any formal political experience and I’m very upfront with that, but I do have 40 years of experience of being part of this community and a professional background that I believe translates very well into municipal government. I’ve held management and leadership positions in big buck retail, service markets and other retail environments. I’ve also worked in equipment management with the fire departments across Ontario, including Toronto, Brampton, Seneca College, Ajax, and Port Hope. I believe that those have taught me how to manage budgets, competing priorities, difficult solutions, and most importantly, how to listen. And now as the owner and operator of BeachRunner Express, I have experienced firsthand what it takes to operate a business increment, work with municipal rules, and deal with the challenges of tourism and listen to the residents and visitors every day. So while I haven’t spent years in politics, I have spent my life learning how to lead, manage, listen, and get things done.
What is the biggest issue our community is facing right now? I think the biggest issue that our community has is that our community has grown, but our planning hasn’t kept up with the pace of the growth. Grand Bend isn’t the same community it was 20 or 30 years ago. We have more year-round residents, more homes, more tourism, larger crowds during the summer, and growth itself isn’t a bad thing. In fact, I think growth can be very positive for Grand Bend. The problem is that we are reacting to that growth and not planning for it. You see things like parking, traffic, large summer events, safety, infrastructure, municipal services, and the pressure placed on local businesses. I also think we need to better communicate between our municipality, residents and businesses.
The people living and working here have tremendous amounts of knowledge about what is actually happening on the ground. That’s why I think regular opportunities for residents and business owners to sit down with council, not just after the problem happens, but before the busy season and after to evaluate what worked and what didn’t. We need to stop being surprised by problems we already know are coming.
Grand Bend is going to continue to grow. My focus is to making sure that we grow responsibly, plan ahead, and protect what makes this community so special. I think the residents should vote for me if they want a counselor who will listen and show up for them and then follow through. I’m not a career politician. I’m a lifelong member of this community who has experience from different perspectives all over Grand Bend. I’ve been a kid growing up here. I’ve been an employee. I’ve been a daughter watching my parents build businesses here. I’ve been a manager, and now I’m a business owner of myself. I’m also a year round resident. I understand what it means to work hard for something and be responsible with money. I also believe taxpayers deserve to know what their money is being spent on and is being spent responsibly. I don’t believe in spending money simply because we can. I believe we should ask whether something is necessary, practical, and cost effective. And most importantly, I want people to know that when they bring me a concern, I’m not gonna simply say, I’ll look into it and disappear. I’ll listen. I’ll do the work. I’ll find out where things stand and I will get back to you.
I can’t promise I’m going to be able to fix every problem, but I can promise that I will take your concerns seriously, represent you honestly, and stand up for this community. Grand Bend has given me a lot over the last 40 years and I’m ready to give back.”
