MEET TESS

Orangeville has been my home since 2011. It is where my husband Ryan and I chose to raise our two children, where I teach, volunteer and spend most of my time. I love this town, and I am always thinking about how to make it work better.

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I am an Ontario Certified Teacher and have just reduced my position to part time, teaching French, to dedicate set days to the town. I also hold a bilingual honours degree in International Studies and History. Professional development is essential to being an effective Councillor, I am actively participating in municipal climate adaption seminars and workshops. 

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I think being a teacher has a lot to do with how I approach Council. I listen. I research. I ask questions. I like understanding how things work and why they aren't working when they should be. My education also taught me to look beyond what is immediately in front of me and understand an issue in a broader context.

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I was elected to Orangeville Council in 2022. Since then, I have served as Chair of Sustainable Orangeville, Vice-Chair of the Orangeville Public Library Board and on the Affordable Housing Task Force. I am also a Scout leader and recently joined the Credit Valley Conservation Foundation Board.

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One of the things I like most about municipal government is how tangible it can be. The Challenger Baseball accessibility pathway started with a conversation I overheard at the ball diamond. A resident can contact me about an unsafe crossing and I can bring it to staff, research it and keep pushing for an answer. An idea about pollinator protection can eventually become an actual plan, a garden and a different conversation about how we use public land.

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I also spend a lot of time looking ahead. My work on data centres started because I wanted us asking questions about water, electricity, infrastructure and economic benefit before an application arrived, not after. The same thinking applies to our water supply, growth, extreme weather and infrastructure. I would rather understand a problem early than scramble to deal with it later.

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I work collaboratively, but I think independently. I don't always agree with my Council colleagues, and they don't always agree with me. That's okay. Municipal government is non-partisan. My decisions and votes are my own.

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Four years on Council have taught me a lot. I understand Town Hall better, I know where Orangeville can act directly and where we need to push other levels of government, and I have a much better understanding of how to move an idea forward.

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I have reduced my teaching role to part-time so I can dedicate more time to Council, specifically to pursue grants and funding.

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There is still a lot I want to get done. We have built some real momentum over the last four years, and I want to keep working.