Survey Questions – Ward 4 Candidates
Inform Your Vote
Ward 4 Councillor Candidates for the 2026 Municipal Election Share Their Insights
Cheryl Connors
Pat Fortini
Heather French
Paul Parete
Q & As
1. If elected to Council, what would be your top priority, and how will you address it?
Cheryl Connors:
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Pat Fortini:
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Heather French:
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Paul Parete: Ward 4 residents made their priorities clear: safe streets, protected green spaces, and responsible growth. To safeguard our community’s quality of life, I will focus on three key areas:
Safe Streets & Infrastructure: Proactive traffic calming near schools and residential areas, alongside prioritized road maintenance.
Balanced Growth: Data-driven planning that pairs development with necessary services, recreational facilities, and environmental protections.
Fiscal Management: Sound budget oversight and strong partnerships with Peel Region and neighboring municipalities.
Guided by evidence, transparency, and resident input, I will ensure Ward 4 remains vibrant, safe, and well-managed.
2. How have your education, skills and experiences prepared you for the role of Councillor?
Cheryl Connors:
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Pat Fortini:
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Heather French:
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Paul Parete: My background combines roots in Caledon with 25 years of professional governance experience:
1. Lived Community Experience: As a 25-year resident of Caledon, I have raised my family, worked, and re-created here. My involvement as a volunteer and parent gives me firsthand insight into the daily needs, priorities, and values of our families and neighbourhoods across Ward 4.
2. Professional Experience: 25 years as a physical scientist in the federal public service, I bring extensive experience in intergovernmental collaboration and complex problem-solving. I have a proven track record of delivering transparent, evidence-based results while ensuring responsible management of taxpayer dollars.
3. How does the use of Strong Mayor Powers impact the role of Council? How will you move your priorities forward in a Strong Mayor environment?
Cheryl Connors:
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Pat Fortini:
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Heather French:
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Paul Parete: Strong Mayor Powers shift key executive authorities—such as budget drafting and veto power—from Council to the Mayor, reducing traditional Council oversight. To navigate this, a Councillor must be an exceptional collaborator.
I will advance Ward 4 priorities by building strong, constructive relationships across all of Council. By finding common ground where Ward 4 needs align with Caledon-wide goals, Peel Region services, and Provincial funding priorities, I will ensure our community’s voice remains central. Strong Mayor powers cannot replace real consensus—evidence-based policy, transparent communication, and solid partnerships are the key to delivering results for our residents.
4. How will you balance the needs of your own ward(s) with the needs of the Town as a whole?
Cheryl Connors:
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Pat Fortini:
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Heather French:
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Paul Parete: Balancing Ward 4’s needs with Caledon’s broader goals requires recognizing that our local success directly drives the town’s overall strength. Ward 4 priorities—safe streets, infrastructure upgrades, and environmental protection—are fundamental to a thriving Caledon.
5. How will you balance maintaining affordable property taxes while investing in the services and infrastructure residents rely on?
Cheryl Connors:
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Pat Fortini:
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Heather French:
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Paul Parete: Balancing taxes with services requires disciplined fiscal management. With 25 years of federal public service experience managing taxpayer funds responsibly, I know how to deliver cost-effective results on budget.
Discipline includes investing in Caledon’s core infrastructure, roads, and community services by:
• Prioritizing essential local services and reviewing non-essential spending.
• Examining funding by pursuing provincial and regional partnerships that could offset costs.
• Applying rigorous financial oversight to ensure every tax dollar delivers real, measurable value.
Smart budgeting and proven experience will protect services while keeping Caledon affordable.
6. How will you manage growth while protecting Caledon’s agricultural lands, natural environment and water table?
Cheryl Connors:
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Pat Fortini:
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Heather French:
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Paul Parete: Managing growth while safeguarding Caledon’s natural heritage requires evidence-based decision-making. We cannot compromise our prime agricultural lands, green spaces, or drinking water supply.
For 25 years as a federal public servant, I have dedicated my career to protecting/restoring water quality and ecosystem health. I will bring this technical expertise and environmental governance experience to Council.
Manage responsible growth by:
Ensuring development never jeopardizes our water table, wells, or sensitive watersheds.
Directing growth to designated urban boundaries to protect local agriculture.
Evidence-Based Planning: Applying data to ensure sustainable, resilient communities.
7. How will you keep residents informed and engaged, ensuring transparency and accountability at Town Hall?
Cheryl Connors:
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Pat Fortini:
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Heather French:
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Paul Parete: True municipal governance requires moving beyond passive notice boards to active, open communication. Grounded in my 25-year federal public service career, I will bring proven transparency to Caledon through a clear engagement plan:
Focused Town Halls: Dedicated Ward 4 meetings before major zoning, by-law, or budget votes so residents have an early, direct say.
Accessible Outreach: An interactive digital tracking board for local requests, plus informal weekend “Walk-and-Talks.”
Proactive Updates: Regular, plain-language summaries on Council decisions and budgets.
8. What is one challenge facing Caledon that you believe deserves more attention? How will you move this forward?
Cheryl Connors:
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Pat Fortini:
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Heather French:
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Paul Parete: One critical challenge facing Caledon is funding our local infrastructure—such as roads, emergency services, and community facilities—amid growth, without overburdening taxpayers.
To move this forward, I will draw on my 25-year public service career, where relationship building, intergovernmental collaboration, and fiscal accountability were central to delivering results. I will advocate for:
strong relationships and partnerships with Peel Region and Ontario to address infrastructure funding.
Aligning municipal priorities across levels of government to stretch tax dollars further.
9. How will residents know whether you have been successful at the end of your four-year term?
Cheryl Connors:
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Pat Fortini:
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Heather French:
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Paul Parete: At the end of four years, success won’t be measured by politicians’ speeches, but by visible, practical results:
Safer Streets: You’ll see completed traffic-calming measures near schools, local road infrastructure, and safe intersections.
As the community grows, our green spaces, farm fields, and water will remain protected through data-driven planning.
Tax dollars will be spent transparently, leveraging regional and provincial partnerships for infrastructure on time and on budget.
Open Government: You won’t have to guess what Town Hall is doing—regular town halls and direct updates will keep you in the loop.
If you feel heard, safe, and confident in Caledon’s direction, we succeeded.
10. Is there anything else that you would like voters to know about you or your priorities for Caledon?
Cheryl Connors:
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Pat Fortini:
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Heather French:
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Paul Parete: Beyond managing roads and budgets, our truest test on Council is leaving Caledon stronger than we found it. We can’t do that if civic leadership remains exclusive to the present generation.