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Name: Susan Stevenson

What position are you running for? Mayor

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?

London has enormous economic potential, supported by Western, Fanshawe, health care, research, manufacturing, technology and our strategic location. As Mayor, I will make City Hall a partner in prosperity. I will review red tape and business-support programs, establish a Roadwork Business Impact Protocol and improve access to employment areas. Downtown needs safer, cleaner public spaces, fewer commercial vacancies and a practical parking strategy. We must connect students and graduates with local employers and address skills shortages. London’s Economic Development Strategy must produce measurable results. Entrepreneurs should be able to start, employers grow, graduates build careers and taxpayers see clear value.

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.

London’s Downtown Plan contains promising ideas, but Londoners need visible results. I will prioritize reducing commercial vacancies, improving cleanliness and safety, coordinating road construction and implementing parking solutions. More downtown housing can support businesses, increase activity and use existing infrastructure more effectively. We should reduce red-tape for viable office-to-housing conversions. Cultural, entertainment and civic destinations must attract people downtown and support surrounding businesses. Compassion and accountability must work together through consistent enforcement and effective housing, treatment and recovery services. Each year, Council should publish priorities, budgets, responsible departments and measurable outcomes. Plans matter, but results matter more.

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?

London faces connected crises involving homelessness, mental health, addiction and public safety, but one response cannot solve them all. I will pursue addiction treatment capacity, recovery-oriented care, pre- and post-treatment shelters and sober housing. I will require a public review of homelessness spending and outcomes from 2020 through 2025. City-funded shelters and housing programs should have Good Neighbour Agreements, clear responsibilities and measurable standards. Police should address violence, trafficking, theft and property crime, while the City consistently enforces bylaws. Homelessness is not a crime. My approach is compassion with accountability: effective services, measurable results, safer communities and pathways toward stability.

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

London needs more housing, but growth must create neighbourhoods where people want to live. I support simple and clear zoning, faster approvals and more ownership, rental, apartment, townhouse, family-sized and infill options. Housing should be encouraged near employment, services and transportation, including viable office-to-residential conversions downtown. Residents must remain part of planning, so I will strengthen public notice and allow Ward Councillors to request Council consideration when warranted. Housing decisions must be coordinated with roads, transit, parks and municipal services. City Hall should reduce unnecessary fees and delays while maintaining proper standards. Success means homes built, greater choice and complete, well-maintained neighbourhoods.

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 should take care of the cultural facilities, venues and public spaces we already own before automatically funding new projects. Council needs information about each asset’s condition, accessibility, usage, repair needs and long-term costs. I will prioritize investments that protect existing assets, improve public use and support downtown and neighbourhood renewal. Before approving major projects, Council must publicly examine total construction, operating and maintenance costs, funding partners, expected benefits, risks and competing priorities. Partnerships, shared spaces, adaptive reuse and expanded programming may provide better value than another building. Taxpayers deserve cultural investments with demonstrated benefits, transparent costs and measurable results.

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 workers reaching jobs reliably and businesses connecting with customers, suppliers and markets. I support expanding transit to industrial parks and employment areas, including earlier mornings, later evenings and weekends where demand exists. Employers should help shape schedules around shift changes and workforce needs. Riders deserve reliable service, realistic schedules, safe shelters and public performance reporting. London must also improve connections among local transit, intercity buses, VIA Rail and the airport. As Mayor, I will advocate for regional rail and bus service and viable air routes. Transportation investments must measurably improve reliability, ridership and access to employment.

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?

City Hall must become easier for businesses to navigate. I will launch a red-tape and services review with businesses, developers, manufacturers and entrepreneurs to identify duplication, inconsistent interpretations and unnecessary delays. Applicants should know the requirements, responsible contact and decision date. Missed deadlines must come with explanations and revised timelines. I will review London’s business-support ecosystem, establish clear escalation routes and measure results. Procurement should remain transparent, competitive and accessible to businesses. An online delegated-authority register will improve accountability. We will publicly track approval times, missed standards, unresolved files and customer experience so businesses can invest, expand and create jobs.

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?

Council has approved 155 reconciliation actions over ten years. The next Council will establish priorities with Indigenous partners, assign responsibility, provide resources and report results. Success measures cannot be determined by City Hall alone. We must strengthen government-to-government relationships with Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, Oneida Nation of the Thames and Munsee Delaware Nation while respecting each Nation’s history and priorities. Londoners and Indigenous partners deserve to know what was promised, what has been accomplished, what remains outstanding and what difference the work makes.

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?

London’s growth requires infrastructure and services that keep pace. I will prioritize investments based on necessity, public benefit, growth pressures and affordability. Our first responsibility is maintaining roads, water and wastewater systems, emergency services and community facilities. New projects must address capacity, safety or growth needs and include construction, operating and lifecycle costs. Road construction plans should improve coordination and reduce disruption. Council deserves line-by-line actual expense to budget, reserve statements, debt projections and quarterly financial updates. Major projects require business cases showing costs, funding, benefits, risks and alternatives. Good growth means building infrastructure at the right time within a sustainable financial plan.

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?

Climate policy must be practical, affordable and focused on measurable results. I support efficiency investments in City buildings, equipment and vehicles where lifecycle costs and payback periods make sense. Preventing flooding, protecting critical infrastructure and maintaining trees can reduce future costs. Transit should connect people with employment, while signal coordination can improve traffic flow. Complete neighbourhoods can reduce travel distances and expand transportation choices. Climate measures should strengthen competitiveness, not create unjustified costs or red tape. Environmental responsibility, affordability and economic prosperity must reinforce one another.

Ontario’s strong-mayor legislation gives the Mayor of London enhanced authority in areas including the municipal budget, senior administration and matters connected to provincial priorities.
If you are a candidate for Mayor: How would you use these powers, when would you choose not to use them, and what standards of transparency and accountability would you apply?

I will fulfil the Mayor’s statutory responsibilities, including bringing forward a budget, but I will not use the strong mayor veto in the budget process. Londoners elect a Mayor and fourteen Councillors whose voices must count. Strong leadership means listening, building support, making choices and accepting responsibility. I will bring to Council a proposal for an Auditor General and a fraud and waste hotline. I will establish an online delegated-authority register and bring policy and spending decisions before elected representatives wherever permitted. Councillors need earlier access to agenda materials. Londoners deserve an empowered Council, transparent decisions and clear accountability for results.

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 creative industries are essential to London’s economy and community. They support jobs, attract visitors, strengthen pride and help retain talent. I support building on our UNESCO City of Music designation and using festivals, performances, galleries, museums and sporting events to generate activity for surrounding businesses. City Hall should provide welcoming public spaces, accessible permitting, coordinated construction, reliable transportation and parking. Creative entrepreneurs must be included in reviews of City services and red tape. Public funding should have clear objectives, proportionate reporting and measurable benefits while remaining accessible to smaller organizations, independent artists and creative voices across London.

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