2026 London Municipal Election: Ian Sterling Leishman – Councilor Ward 6

Name: Ian Sterling Leishman

What position are you running for? Councilor Ward 6

What do you see as the principal opportunities and obstacles facing London’s economy over the next Council term? What should the City do to support business growth, job creation, entrepreneurship and investment, and how should it work with employers, Western University, Fanshawe College and others to attract and retain the talent London needs?

One of the biggest obstacles facing London’s economy over the next Council term may be uncertainty in our economic and trading relationship with the United States. We cannot control what happens internationally, so London needs to focus on what we can control and build on our strengths. I was glad to be part of the development of London’s 2026–2030 Economic Development Strategy through the Old South Business Association and agree with its direction. We have Western and Fanshawe producing incredible talent, major employers in health care, defence and manufacturing, and an excellent location between Toronto and Detroit.

We need to do everything we can to keep more graduates here, help existing London businesses succeed and expand, support entrepreneurs, and continue attracting new investment. That means working closely with employers and our post-secondary institutions, continuing long-term investments in industrial land, and making London an easier and more predictable place to do business. We also need to stay ahead of the curve by supporting emerging technologies and industries that build on what London already does well. We do not need to chase every new trend. We need to grow from our strengths.

London now has a new Downtown Plan. Which elements would you prioritize and what results should Londoners expect to see during the next Council term? Please address the downtown business environment, public spaces, housing and office conversions, cultural and civic destinations, safety, transportation and implementation accountability.

I think the new Downtown Plan makes sense. My priorities would be filling vacancies, improving safety, encouraging housing and investment, and continuing to build downtown as a cultural destination. There is already good momentum. Dundas Place has become increasingly vibrant with music, food and events, while Covent Garden Market continues to add greatly to downtown culture. We need to listen to downtown businesses, encourage investment and jobs, and make it easier to fill vacant spaces, including through more housing and office-to-residential conversions. Safety remains the biggest challenge. We need the Province to provide proper mental health, addiction and wraparound supports for those experiencing homelessness, while ensuring meaningful consequences for those who repeatedly break the law.

London faces an urgent health and homelessness crisis. Residents, employees and businesses also have concerns about violence, property crime, public disorder and confidence in public spaces. These conditions require related but distinct responses. What actions would you support in each area, and what responsibilities should fall to the City, police, the health system, other orders of government and community partners?

I believe London has reached the point where we need to declare a state of emergency over the homelessness crisis. We are in crisis management, and the City cannot solve this problem through property taxes and municipal services alone. People experiencing homelessness need varying levels of support. That means housing, food and, most importantly, healthcare, including mental health care, addiction treatment, supportive housing and other services tailored to individual needs. These are primarily provincial responsibilities, and the Ontario government must step up, with support from the federal government, to provide the resources and level of care people need. The City should coordinate local services and maintain safe public spaces, while police focus on violence, property crime and dangerous behaviour. Our community organizations are doing tremendous work, but they cannot carry this crisis alone. The economy is challenging right now, but we cannot afford not to make this investment.

Thriving downtowns in London and across Ontario mean more businesses, jobs, investment and ultimately more tax revenue for all levels of government. As a side note, I would personally be willing to accept a 0.5% to 1% provincial tax increase dedicated exclusively to addressing this crisis, not general government spending. It would need a clear business plan, proven strategies, measurable results, public accountability and aggressive timelines. It should also have an exit strategy. As people receive the help they need, facilities and supports are put in place, downtowns recover and government revenues grow, the additional tax should be reduced or eliminated. We need to invest now, get measurable results and build a system that is sustainable for the future.

What changes would you support to increase housing supply and affordability and create neighbourhoods with access to employment, services, transportation and public amenities?

One of the biggest barriers to increasing housing supply is how long it takes to get answers and move projects through City Hall. Just as businesses track customer service times, the City should use analytics to measure response times, identify unnecessary delays and improve accountability and service.

London’s nearly half-billion-dollar investment in Bus Rapid Transit should improve access to jobs, services and amenities. We should also expand and better connect the Thames Valley Parkway, making cycling a safer and more practical way to travel across the city.
For affordable housing, London should leverage municipal funding to attract provincial and federal investment, aiming to turn every $1 locally invested into $3. We should also encourage practical conversions of underused commercial and office space, particularly downtown, to add housing, bring more residents downtown and make better use of existing infrastructure.

London’s cultural facilities, venues and public spaces are essential to the life of the city, and several face age, capacity or funding pressures. What cultural infrastructure should be prioritised during the next Council term, and how should the City decide where to invest?

London has some significant cultural infrastructure costs coming that we simply have to deal with. The downtown steam-heating system is being phased out, meaning buildings need entirely new heating systems. For City Hall, Centennial Hall, Museum London and the Central Library, that work is now estimated at about $11 million. It’s frustrating to have to spend that kind of money on boilers and HVAC rather than something exciting that people can see, but it has to be done. Protecting and maintaining the cultural spaces we already have should be a priority. At the same time, we need to remember why these buildings matter. Arts and culture inspire us, bring us together and help us through difficult times. They make London a more interesting, vibrant and connected city. I would prioritize urgent maintenance first, while continuing to invest in the artists, programs and spaces that give those buildings life.

London’s economic success depends on reliable local, regional, national and international connections. How would you improve local transit and service to major employment areas and shift workers, intercity bus and air links, and passenger rail? What should businesses and employees be able to expect in terms of frequency, reliability and access?

London’s economy depends on reliable transportation. The BRT project has grown from about $281 million to $454 million while delivering only about half of the original project, which points to serious mismanagement. Now, we need to ensure Londoners get real value from that investment.
Transit reliability also has to improve. The London Transit Commission’s 90% on-time target should be a minimum standard. When performance is often between 70% and 85%, people cannot consistently depend on transit to get to work on time, especially those working early, late or overnight shifts.

We also need stronger connections beyond London. I’m happy to see Porter Airlines starting up in London, and would like to see further similar developments that would expand service out of our airport. I also see huge long-term potential in high-speed rail connecting London to Windsor, Toronto and Quebec. Better connections mean more jobs, investment and economic opportunity.

What changes would you make to municipal approvals, regulation, procurement and customer service to make it easier to invest, build and operate a business in London?

I’ve touched on much of this in my answer to question four. I believe one of the biggest barriers to investment and growth in London is how long it can sometimes take to get answers and move projects through City Hall. Time matters. The City should be using analytics to track its own response times. How long does it take to reply to an email, return a phone call, answer a question, move an application to a next step, more than just time to approval.

We should identify where unnecessary delays are happening and work with both City staff and the people using these services to find practical ways to improve them. That same approach should extend to regulation, procurement and customer service. We need clearer processes, greater accountability, predictable timelines and a culture at City Hall that sees businesses and investors as partners in building London’s future.

London City Council approved the 2025–2035 ReconciliAction Plan in May 2025, committing the City to 155 actions over ten years. What should the next Council do to translate these commitments into a clear, properly resourced implementation plan developed with Indigenous partners? How would you advance reconciliation through economic development, procurement, planning, cultural investment and municipal services?

The next Council will need to work with City staff, but ultimately this work must be led by and developed in genuine partnership with Indigenous partners as the City moves into the next stage, the implementation strategy, with timelines, resources, responsibilities and measurable results.The London Police Service motto, “Deeds Not Words,” comes to mind when I think about this. Reconciliation cannot simply be words coming from the city. Londoners should be able to see it reflected in our actions, decisions, budgets and municipal services. That means setting priorities, assigning responsibility, providing funding and publicly reporting on our progress.It also means advancing reconciliation through economic development and procurement by creating opportunities for Indigenous businesses, as well as through planning, cultural investment and the way municipal services are delivered.Indigenous partners need to be involved throughout this work. We should not develop the implementation strategy internally and then ask Indigenous communities what they think after decisions have already been made.

They should be partners in determining priorities, implementation and what successful outcomes look like.The next Council’s responsibility is to turn these commitments into action, with clear deadlines, accountability, resources and measurable results. That is how we move from words to deeds.

London’s growth depends on roads, transit, water and wastewater systems, emergency services and community facilities. How would you determine which investments proceed first, pay for growth fairly and maintain competitive property taxes?

In my business dealings, someone once said something that has always stuck with me: “Don’t build a superhighway for a dirt road problem.” Essentially, build for what you have while preparing responsibly for what you can reasonably expect. London could start building infrastructure today for a city the size of Toronto, but could go broke trying to build and maintain infrastructure we may not need for decades. A good example of questionable value are massive 3 bay bus shelters rolled out with the BRT that cost about $250,000 each. They’re huge even by London England standards, and to me, a gigantic waste of money.

We need to ask what we actually need, what it will accomplish, and whether there is a more cost-effective way to do it. I would prioritize public safety and essential infrastructure first. What needs repair before it fails? Where do we have capacity problems today? Then we should invest based on realistic, evidence-based population and economic growth. We also need to consider whether spending today prevents a much larger bill tomorrow, or whether an investment can unlock housing, jobs and private investment. London should aggressively pursue provincial and federal infrastructure funding.

London City Council approved the Climate Emergency Action Plan in 2022. The Plan calls for a 55 per cent reduction in community-wide greenhouse-gas emissions from 2005 levels by 2030. Which elements of the Plan would you prioritise, accelerate or change during the next Council term? How would you ensure that climate action strengthens resilience, affordability and economic competitiveness for residents and businesses?

We need to focus first on the actions that will deliver the largest, measurable reductions in emissions, while ensuring they remain affordable for Londoners. I would start from the inside out. Before the City asks residents and businesses to make changes, we should look at our own operations and lead by example. I would ask staff to identify the most cost-effective ways to reduce energy use and emissions in City buildings, facilities and operations, with clear reporting on costs, savings and actual results. That should be brought to the forefront as we make a major decision about the future of City Hall. Whether we undertake a significant renovation of the existing building or move elsewhere, this is a rare opportunity to significantly improve energy efficiency and reduce long-term operating costs. Whatever option we choose needs to make sense environmentally and financially.

Transportation is another major opportunity. We have made significant investments in transit and BRT, but transit has to be reliable if we expect people to use it to get to work. Finally, everything we do should have measurable results. We should accelerate what works, change what doesn’t, and aggressively pursue provincial and federal funding so London taxpayers aren’t carrying the entire burden.

How should Council respond when strong-mayor powers are exercised, and how would you use your role as a councillor to provide effective scrutiny and accountability?

Strong-mayor powers should not mean less accountability. Council still has an important responsibility to scrutinize decisions, ask difficult questions and ensure that the public interest comes first. As a councillor, If a decision is supported by evidence, delivers measurable results and makes sense for London, I would support it. If it does not, I would challenge it. Major decisions should be based on clear evidence of what works, with defined goals and measurable outcomes so Council and the public can determine whether those decisions are actually delivering results. Transparency is also essential. Councillors should demand clear information about how and why decisions are being made, particularly when strong-mayor powers are used. Where possible, the public should have meaningful opportunities to provide input and understand the choices being made. Ultimately, the Mayor and Council are making decisions on behalf of Londoners. Stronger executive authority must therefore be matched by strong scrutiny, transparency and accountability

What role should arts, culture and the creative industries play in London’s economic and community development? How should the City support cultural organisations, artists, venues, festivals and creative businesses while ensuring that municipal investment produces lasting public value?

Arts, culture and the creative industries strengthen London’s economy, quality of life and sense of community. They create jobs, attract visitors and investment, and make our downtown and neighbourhoods more vibrant.

We should build on successes like Dundas Place, Covent Garden Market, our festivals and London’s UNESCO City of Music designation. The City should reduce barriers, help activate vacant spaces and support cultural initiatives that deliver clear public benefits. Municipal investment should be accountable and focused on initiatives that increase participation, economic activity and lasting community value.