Municipal Elections are taking place in October. As one of the main media outlets in the City of Cornwall, The Seeker is always eager to getting to know the candidates. As such, we send each candidate a questionnaire requesting for them to give their position on the most pressing issues near and dear to you, our readers. During the upcoming weeks, we will be publishing the answers from each candidate who choses to respond. Every candidate was sent 11 questions, penned by our own, Jason Setnyk. They can choose to answer as many as they want. We will post them online as they come in. Here are Abid Hussain’s Questions and Answers. Click on any question to reveal the answer.
1 – Please give us a brief biography / tell the readers about yourself.
(e.g., work/family/education/experience)
I raised my children in Cornwall and currently I am working with Royal Lepage Performance as a Realtor. Throughout my entire life I have been involved in politics and volunteer work. I was a volunteer with the Catholic Immigrant services of Ottawa. In May 2019 I was Fundraiser and Coordinator of the Walk to Support for Children Treatment Centre in Cornwall. For the past few years I have been donating funds to a shelter home in Cornwall. I am also a poet and writer and I have three books published in the Urdu language.
2 – If you were on Council the previous term, tell us about your accomplishments during the past four years. If you were not on City Council this last term, please tell us why you are running and what you hope to accomplish.
As city councilor I will get the job done! I will prove that I’m more than ready for the job. I will work hard for the people of Cornwall.
Affordable Housing:
Cornwall is currently facing high cost of living and other major issues surrounding affordability. The people of Cornwall need affordable housing. The rents have gone up so much and the housing prices have as well therefore I will help build more affordable housing.
Walk-in-Clinics:
McConnell Walk-In Clinic has permanently closed its doors on June 12, 2022. Hospital emergency departments are overloaded with higher wait times and less doctors, the situation is dire. There is also a shortage of (local) family doctors. We need to solve this problem.
Homelessness Crisis and Mental Health:
Cornwall needs to develop a homeless shelter; individuals are currently sleeping on the streets. The homeless are dealing with addictions and mental health issues.
Waterfront:
The Waterfront Trail is a true gem. We are able to enjoy the wonderful landmarks and rest areas along the way. However we need more development at the water front.
Senior Citizens Support Services:
I support helping seniors to stay in their homes longer by increasing independence and promoting health and safety.
3 – With rents skyrocketing, what can City Council in Cornwall do to prevent renovictions like those at Cumberland Gardens that have impacted many in our community?
Everybody knows housing is a fundamental human right. I support affordable housing projects. For Cumberland Gardens if the landlord is doing renovation, after completing the renovations the landlord should take all the tenants back with same rent.
4 – In 2018, the City of Cornwall purchased the old Bank of Montreal building in our downtown for $450,000 as the future home of Cornwall’s Art Centre. In 2019, Council heard a report that renovations would cost an additional $4 to $6 million dollars. In addition to the fundraising already being done, will you support some public tax dollars going towards a Cornwall Art Centre, or should the municipality pause any additional financial support?
I Support Cornwall Art Centre. I hope when it is fully functional it bears it’s expenses by arranging multiple exhibitions and program.
5 – Post-pandemic, what can Council do to improve Economic Development for the city and support existing businesses?
In order for our economy to recover and grow we need to make sure that we support our existing businesses. The Canada recovery hiring program helps to achieve that. By extending the Canada recovery hiring program, the government can encourage employers to hire back workers and increase workers’ hours and wages. On November 24, 2021, the government introduced the necessary legislation to extend the Canada Recovery Hiring Program until May 7, 2022, for eligible employers with current revenue losses above 10 per cent, and to increase the subsidy rate to 50 per cent. I strongly support that this program date should be extended for existing businesses until we recover our economy. In the coming days the Great wolf lodge family resort will bring more business and job opportunities for Cornwall. The Great wolf resorts are North America’s largest family of indoor water park resorts.
6 – What are your thoughts on the McConnell Medical Clinic closure? Although health care is a provincial issue, is there anything Council can do to attract more doctors and nurses to our city?
I strongly believe that there should be some solution to reopen a walk-in clinic in Cornwall as soon as possible. We need to create more education supplements for doctors and nurses and ask that they commit to practice in the community for at least five years.
7 – While climate change is a global issue, what can the City do locally to keep our neighborhoods cool and protect natural resources like the St. Lawrence River?
Climate change is a global concern. The city of Cornwall’s waste management division made various plans but there is still no implementation of these plans such as food waste management. We need to think of innovative ways to recycle and manage our waste. In addition we can invest more in renewable energies such as wind and solar power. Our proximity to the United States can also help us gain more valuable jobs in the growing green auto sector.
8 – Many City businesses are open on Sundays, and many events happen on Sundays. Do you support Sunday service for Cornwall Transit?
Yes I support keeping the Cornwall Transit service open on Sundays as this will help a lot of people participate in social activities around Cornwall and also help local businesses.
9 – What can we do to improve social services in Cornwall? Examples include but are not limited to Cornwall Transit, childcare spaces, or LTR spaces.
Cornwall is a city that is growing but also has an aging population; therefore we have to look at increasing child care spaces for our young families and also look at increasing facilities that will support our seniors such as home care and adult day programs.
10 – Do you support keeping tax increases to a bare minimum? If yes, where would the savings come from, and would you support reducing some services? If you do not support keeping tax increases to a minimum, explain your reasoning why.
At this time inflation is at a historic high around Canada, therefore to help support families I would suggest keeping tax increases to a minimum. As inflation decreases and families are under less stress we can reconsider tax increases with input from the community.
11 – How can candidates contact you? Please provide a phone number and/or email and/or one website (or one social media link).
About the Author
when you say “develop the waterfront” what do you mean exactly?