2026 London Municipal Election: Waseem Kazzah – Councilor Ward 7

Name: Waseem Kazzah

What position are you running for? Councilor Ward 7

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’s opportunities are significant: our location on the Highway 401/402 trade corridor, strong health and education sectors, advanced manufacturing, a diverse population, and the talent produced by Western and Fanshawe. The main obstacles are housing costs, infrastructure that has not kept pace with growth, skilled labor shortages, congestion, and municipal processes that can be slow or uncertain.

I would implement London’s 2026-2030 Economic Development Strategy with annual targets for business retention, investment, jobs and permit timelines. The City should maintain sector tables with employers and small businesses, provide one accountable point of contact, service employment lands, and make it easier for entrepreneurs to open and expand. Economic development must include existing businesses, not only new investment announcements.

With employers, Western, Fanshawe and employment agencies, I would support work integrated learning, paid placements, entrepreneurship and commercialization programs aligned with local labour needs. We should also market London jointly to graduates and newcomers, improve connections between campuses and employment areas, and address the housing and transportation barriers that cause talented people to leave.

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 support the Downtown Plan’s four Big Moves but I would begin with the governance and accountability model because the other 57 actions will not succeed without clear ownership. Council should approve a funded implementation schedule, identify a lead for each action, publish milestones and costs, and report results annually.

The first term priorities should be a clean, safe and welcoming public realm; faster conversion of vacant or underused buildings into housing and active commercial space; stronger connections to the Thames River; and regular programming that builds on London’s UNESCO City of Music designation. Dundas Place and surrounding streets need consistent cleaning, maintenance, lighting, washrooms, wayfinding and coordinated outreach not occasional interventions. Enforcement should focus on harmful behaviour while treating poverty, addiction and illness through appropriate services.

The City should work with business groups, property owners, institutions and cultural organizations to reduce vacancy, support events, and attract residents and employers. Success should be measured through foot traffic, vacancy, housing, business openings and closures, safety perceptions, and public-space use.

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 needs compassion and clear standards at the same time. People in crisis deserve care and a path to housing; residents, employees and businesses deserve public spaces where they feel safe.

The City should lead system coordination, homelessness prevention, shelter and supportive-housing planning, local public space management and transparent outcome reporting. I would support the Housing Stability Action Plan, effective Hubs and highly supportive housing, while requiring measures such as housing placements, returns to homelessness, service connections and neighbourhood impacts. Outreach, sanitation and needle collection must be reliable, and problems around service sites must be addressed quickly.

Police should focus on violence, weapons, trafficking, exploitation and repeat property crime, using data and community policing not serve as the default mental health system. Hospitals and provincial health agencies must provide adequate mental-health, addiction, withdrawal management and primary care capacity. The province must fund health care, supportive housing and income supports and the federal government must support deeply affordable housing; and community and Indigenous partners should deliver services in their areas of expertise. Council’s role is to insist on shared targets, defined responsibilities and public reporting so people do not continue falling between systems.

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

London must sustain the momentum that allowed it to exceed its Housing Accelerator Fund target, while focusing more directly on affordability and complete communities. I would support more as of right housing including duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, small apartments and additional residential units near transit, schools, services and commercial areas. We should expand mixed-use zoning and make it easier to add neighbourhood scale shops, childcare and services so daily needs are closer to home.

Approvals should have published service standards, early issue identification, one accountable file lead and parallel technical reviews. Standard projects that comply with policy should move quickly; complex applications should receive a clear decision path rather than repeated redesign. Parking rules and fees should reflect location and actual need instead of adding unnecessary costs.

Supply alone will not meet every need. The City should use public land, incentives and partnerships with non profit and co-operative providers for affordable and supportive homes, with long-term affordability agreements and measurable results. New neighbourhoods must be coordinated with roads, transit, water, wastewater, parks, fire protection and other amenities so residents are not left waiting years for essential 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?

The next Council should first make a clear decision on Centennial Hall by comparing the costs and benefits of renovating it, replacing it or developing a new facility through partnerships. We should also prioritize accessibility and essential repairs at Museum London, London Public Library branches, the Grand Theatre and neighbourhood community spaces.

The City should create more affordable rehearsal, studio, exhibition and performance spaces by using vacant or underused municipal buildings. It should also improve public spaces such as Dundas Place and Victoria Park to support more festivals, concerts and cultural events.

Investments should be ranked based on facility condition, accessibility, attendance, community demand, operating costs, economic activity and benefits to local artists. Every major project should include a sustainable operating and maintenance plan, measurable outcomes and annual public reporting.

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?

Businesses and employees should expect transportation that is frequent, reliable, safe and accessible. For local transit, I would prioritize service hours and frequency on high demand routes, employment-area connections, reliable transfers, accurate real-time information and transit priority where it produces measurable benefits. Route level performance should be public.

London also needs better regional connections. I support a demand based transit link to London International Airport, coordinated regional buses and a mobility hub connecting local transit with VIA Rail and intercity buses. The City should work with employers on shift friendly and first/last mile options.

Rail is mainly a federal and provincial responsibility but London should advocate with regional partners for more frequent, reliable passenger service and long-term corridor investment.

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?

Municipal processes should be predictable and easy to navigate. Major approvals need plain language checklists, service standards, online status tracking and one accountable contact. Pre-consultation should identify issues early, reviews should occur concurrently where possible, and applicants should receive consolidated comments. Regulation should be risk based so routine, compliant applications move quickly.

Procurement must remain competitive and transparent while becoming more accessible to small and medium sized businesses. I support simpler documents, advance notice, supplier education, reasonable insurance and bonding requirements, prompt payment and useful debriefs. Contracts should be evaluated on total value including performance, lifecycle cost and appropriate social, environmental and Indigenous objectives not price alone. Vendor performance and major contract outcomes should be reported consistently.

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 should treat the 2025–2035 ReconciliAction Plan as an implementation obligation. Its 155 actions should become a public work plan showing the responsible service area, Indigenous partner involvement, budget, milestone, deadline and outcome measure. Delays should be explained publicly.

Implementation must be co-developed with local First Nations and urban Indigenous organizations, with appropriate compensation for their expertise. Council should identify which actions require operating funds, capital investment or other-government support. Staff and Council also need ongoing education about treaties, local histories, Indigenous rights and culturally safe services.

I would advance Indigenous supplier outreach, make procurement opportunities easier to navigate and track participation and outcomes. Indigenous voices should be included early in planning, culture, housing, homelessness and employment initiatives.

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?

I would prioritize infrastructure using clear criteria: public safety, asset condition, service risk, homes and jobs enabled, congestion, equity, climate resilience, project readiness and lifecycle cost. The capital plan, asset management plans and Growth Management Implementation Strategy must align so projects have realistic funding and delivery schedules.

Development charges should fund a fair share of growth infrastructure while remaining evidence based and competitive. Existing assets require disciplined lifecycle reserves. Grants and partnerships should be pursued, and debt reserved for long-lived, high-priority projects with clear repayment plans.

Competitive taxes require prioritization and better value, not deferred maintenance. I would require business cases, value engineering, competitive procurement, post-project reviews and public reporting on budgets, schedules and results. Assessment growth should first cover the cost of serving growth.

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?

I would prioritize climate actions that reduce emissions, lower long term costs and improve resilience. Key measures include better transit and active transportation, compact growth, energy-efficient municipal buildings, practical retrofit support, tree-canopy protection, flood management and heat response planning.

The 2030 target needs a schedule tied to the capital budget. Each major action should disclose its cost, expected emission reduction, savings, funding source and affordability impact. Council should publish annual community and corporate emissions results and redirect funding when measures are ineffective.

Climate policy should support competitiveness. The City can help businesses access efficiency programs, support clean-technology innovation and use lifecycle costing in procurement. Federal, provincial and utility funding should be pursued so local taxpayers do not bear the full cost.

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 do not remove Council’s duty to represent residents, protect financial integrity and scrutinize decisions. When these powers are used, the written decision, legal authority, evidence, financial implications and intended results should be published promptly.

As a councilor, I would evaluate each decision on its merits, question the supporting analysis publicly, propose improvements and use Council’s statutory amendment or override powers when necessary. I would support sound decisions regardless of how they were introduced, but speed cannot replace due diligence.

Major budget and administrative decisions require adequate review time and independent financial and legal advice. Delegated authority should be documented and results reported publicly. I would also explain my votes and hold regular ward conversations so residents understand how their concerns were considered.

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 should be central to London’s economic and community development. They create jobs, attract visitors and investment, support downtown revitalization and make London a more vibrant place to live.

The City should provide stable and transparent support for cultural organizations, local artists, venues, festivals and creative businesses. Priorities should include maintaining existing cultural facilities, providing affordable spaces for performances and exhibitions, simplifying event approvals and promoting year-round programming across the city.

Municipal investments should follow clear criteria and produce measurable public value, including attendance, accessibility, local employment, economic activity and community participation. Major projects should also have sustainable operating and maintenance plans. The goal should be to strengthen local talent, expand public access to culture and ensure investments deliver lasting benefits for Londoners.