Coun. Mike Stark wants to see more vision from city council

Cathy Dobson The current slate of city councillors is handling the pandemic well but not putting enough energy into the city’s economic future, says veteran Coun. Mike Stark.

Cathy Dobson

The current slate of city councillors is handling the pandemic well but not putting enough energy into the city’s economic future, says veteran Coun. Mike Stark.

He said he challenges his fellow councillors to do more to attract new industry and commerce to Sarnia.

“I want to hear members of council put themselves out there with some vision for improving the city,” said Stark.

He said he returned to municipal politics in 2018 because the former council’s deep divisions and Sarnia’s declining infrastructure frustrated him.

“What I’ve seen in the last two years, particularly with the hiring of (CAO) Chris Carter, is a 180-degree change in the infrastructure deficit.

“Notwithstanding COVID, we have turned the ship around, but I want to see continued improvement,” he said. “I don’t want to just listen to people talk in platitudes, including the mayor.”

Stark made his comments after addressing a recent Seaway Kiwanis Club meeting.

Sarnia’s economy will continue to depend on fossil fuels for the next 50 years but needs to diversify now to “non-oil-based industry,” he said.

The pandemic is presenting opportunity for local population growth because tens of thousands of people are leaving the GTA in search of new occupations and a less urban lifestyle, according to Stark.

Sarnia’s new director of economic development Kelly Provost can do her best to market community assets to these people, but she needs council’s co-operation and support, he said.

“This city needs to focus on employment opportunities for younger people and their families.”

He said Sarnia could become a hub for any number of emerging industries including electric car manufacturing, pharmaceutical research, or vaccine development and manufacturing.

“Why not get a teaching hospital at our Research Park?” Stark asked.

He wants Sarnia to improve its assets, “build up, not out” on city-owned parking lots in the downtown, attract a restaurant to the waterfront, and retain ownership of the airport.

He talked about building a multi-use sports complex in Mike Weir Park and lobbying harder for provincial dollars for shoreline protection.

“Our mayor often references big dreams…and it is time to dream big, but it’s my conjecture that it’s also time to turn dreams into reality.”

Councillors should set goals and hold themselves accountable to them, Stark said, adding that one of those goals should be to reach a population of 100,000 by 2050.

In 2019, Stark made a similar challenge for council to be more “visionary” but that hasn’t happened, he said.

Stark said he is frequently asked if he’ll run for mayor, and hasn’t ruled that out.

“I met with Mayor Bradley just after the election and said I’m not interested in his job,” he said.

But now he’s challenging council to work harder to diversify Sarnia’s economy and improve the community in the last two years of its term.

“If I see that momentum is waning I will run again – for something,” he said.