Email: [email protected]Website: voterossmclaren.caTelephone: 460-8167 (cell)
About
Like many former journalists, Ross works in public relations now, for Communications Nova Scotia. He is currently the communications director for the Nova Scotia Department of Energy. He coached minor hockey in Spryfield and raised money for NSCAD (Off the Wall) and Clean Nova Scotia. He uses the bus or bikes to work "most days." He likes to go to the farmer's market every Saturday and he likes to hang out with friends (he is the only candidate to say - he actually has friends - kind of an important declaration).
Goals and Issues
Ross, like all other candidates, is all for strong, safe neighbourhoods. But he is the only one who mentions "healthy local businesses" in Fourteen.
You can tell Ross bikes, because his biking solutions are practical. Sure, he wants bike lanes and bike parking, but he says downtown office buildings must have showers. Can't very well stink all day after biking half and hour or more every day to work. He also is the only one to mention the stigma attached to taking the bus. Bus use needs to be promoted to the middle class. He says buses need to be "attractive to commuters."
Not ony was Ross pissed about Chebucto widening - "they didn't even add bike lanes." As for proposed Bayers Road widening, he thinks the city needs to do some community consulting first.
Ross says "we need to stop talking about the new central library and build it" already. He says it will improve the whole system and bring people downtown. He wants new buildings to adopt LEED Silver or Gold environmental standards by 2020 and include affordable housing in large developments.
He's also for an HRM policy that would encourage community gardens and set aside land for gardens. He's for adopting a "sustainable food policy for city facilities," which would mean buying local and no plastics.
He's one of the few candidates to recognize the importance of the arts and the role of a neighbourhood in promoting it. He wants to "dedicate a section of the city to arts and culture."
On the record
Listen to an interview with Ross.
Read his speech to the all candidates
Affiliations
Ross has no affiliation with a political party. He belongs to the Canadian Public Relations Society.
Source
Ross' response to our questionnaire and his website.