Ward Three Candidates
By John Swartz
SUNonline/Orillia’s municipal election coverage, as with all elections, publishes information about each of the candidates running for office. Election Day is October 26. All candidates were asked to forward a brief bio about their connection to Orillia, and paragraphs outlining two of their platform issues. We publish the responses as written with no editing, expect for obvious typos.
In addition they were asked to answer three questions and all responses were subjected to a word count limit. So let’s meet the Ward Three candidates.
Jeff Czetwerzuk 
Jay Fallis
Jeff Czetwerzuk: My name is Jeff Czetwerzuk (Cheddar-Chuck). I am running for re-election in Ward 3. I have gained a lot of knowledge and experience during this term and I want to be able to hit the ground running if re-elected.
I am a motivated young professional and lifelong Orillia resident and am proud to call Ward 3. I have attended local schools and received both my Social Work Degree and Child and Youth Care Diploma here in Orillia. In my professional life I am a dedicated community professional with more than eight years of experience supporting vulnerable individuals in our community. I help individuals reach their full potential and promote independence in the community.
Working with vulnerable individuals, I see firsthand a lot of the issues that people face when it comes to housing, social well-being, and accessing supports and services. In my personal life, I love to volunteer and participate in community events. I began volunteering at a young age and love to help out and give back to the community any chance I get. I have contributed over one thousand volunteer hours and have attended hundreds of community events and initiatives.
Recently, I have served as a volunteer coordinator for initiatives including Canada Day, Ontario Winter Games, and Ride for Refuge. I also like to volunteer on local boards including, VP on BBBS. I bring a young and fresh perspective to Council that is grounded in compassion and a sense for the issues many face in our community. I approach all decisions and issues with an open mind. I am dedicated to continuing to learn and do research and if I do not know the answer to a question, I will work hard to find it. I am committed to being accessible and reachable any time.
Jay Fallis: My name is Jay Fallis and I have been serving as one of your Orillia City Councillors in Ward 3 for the past eight years.
As a young professional, I am energetic and hardworking. If you have a problem, I’ll be the person on your doorstep making sure it gets fixed. Additionally, I am very active in Orillia. I teach at Georgian College; I volunteer for Helping Hands; and I wrote for the Packet & Times as a columnist. Growing up, I was a student at Park Street Collegiate Institute.
I also have experience in politics and journalism. I have a master’s degree in political science from the University of Toronto, and I have worked as a political aide at Queen’s Park and the House of Commons. Additionally, I have been published in thirty Canadian newspapers including the Toronto Star, and Ottawa Citizen.
For questions, issues, or comments: 1-705-801-VOTE fallisforthefuture@gmail.com
Alasoba Kelsy-Braide
James Krawecki
Alasoba Kelsy-Braide: I have lived in Orillia for the past 15 years. I am the senior founding pastor of Jubilee Celebration Centre and have lived in, and served the community of Orillia for the past 15 years in this capacity. We have been a local church having weekly services, have a food program to help families in the city and launched a prayer line during the pandemic to provide support and encouragement and prayer for families in need. We have been involved in distributing backpacks with school items to support back to school programs for our city. For the past two years I have been on the Orillia Waste Management Committee during this time through the introduction of clear plastic garbage bags this has resulted in Orillia’s landfill being reduced by about 40%. I am a member of the ministerial of churches for Orillia and served as a president for two terms. During that time I organized the first city wide Good Friday church service in Orillia. This yearly multi-church event continues to this day. I am an ordained minister with Ministers network.
James Krawecki: My name is James Krawecki. I received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a Specialization in Research and Statistics from Wilfrid Laurier University. Since then I have applied that background to the realm of supply chain analytics for the past 6-7 years. My wife and I got married and moved to the city a few years ago, and we have grown to love Orillia and all that it has to offer. However, there are some things that I would like to see improved.
I decided to run for office because I saw that Orillia City Council seemed to be getting away from the issues that actually matter to residents: high property taxes, aging infrastructure, and winter management that left a lot to be desired. As a resident and taxpayer, I decided that I could either complain about these issues, or decide to take a stand and be part of the change I want to see. I am hoping to bring my data oriented and budget conscious mind to the council table, and help Orillians receive the basic services that they should expect from their city.
Issue Number 1
Jeff Czetwerzuk: Community safety is the top concern by survey and very frequently comes up at the doors. People want to feel safe and have reported many instances of crime in neighbourhoods and across the city. The next term of council needs to work diligently to help address issues with community safety. I believe addressing community safety involves working with the OPP to advocate for effective policing, more frequent patrols, and dealing with criminal activity.
The other part of community safety is using existing tools such addictions and mental health services, housing and community supports, as well as city design and lighting to deter criminal activity and to ensure people are able to receive the help and support they need. It’s about both compassion and accountability, ensuring people receive the care they need, criminal activity is addressed, and people feel safe in the community.
Jay Fallis: My top priority for this campaign is to improve snow removal services in Orillia. Over the past two years, I have called on our council to invest more in road and sidewalk clearing as well as snowbank removal. Despite the many efforts I have made over the past two budget cycles, we have seen little change, and yet the snow piles up! Our city needs to be prepared for the most extreme winters! We cannot afford to go through another winter with deep ruts in various roads, countless sidewalks that are challenging to navigate, and snowbanks pouring into laneways.
If re-elected I will champion the proposal going to this year’s budget which would significantly help to address all three of those categories: road clearing, sidewalk clearing, and snowbank removal. We need action on this matter, and we need to be prepared for the worst!
Alasoba Kelsy-Braide:
Inclusive Programs and Community Wellbeing for seniors, young families, youth and newcomers. One of the priorities is to ensure that we have accessible programs for seniors, young families, youths and newcomers. Affordable Programs that can support their wellbeing and bring people together.
As an individual who has felt isolation and loneliness in my early days when I moved to Orillia with my two young children. I have a firsthand experience on these issues. Most of our seniors, newcomers, youths and young families in our community are affected by isolated and loneliness. I will ensure to partner and collaborate with local organizations to support affordable, accessible and meaningful programs that would benefit and build connections an also strengthen the wellbeing of individuals who need help in this area.
James Krawecki: My top issue is improving our infrastructure maintenance to ensure both better public safety, as well as to make the city more economically viable. On the east side of Highway 11, there are plenty of roads and sidewalks that have waited too long for re-surfacing. On the west side, we have poorly marked intersections and traffic issues contributing to safety concerns. In the winter, our response to snow clearing and removal has been far too slow for most residents, preventing people from getting to work and contributing to the local economy.
These are the issues that comprise most of my conversations at doors, and they are the basic services I would like to see our city improve – especially given how much we pay in taxes.
Issue Number 2
Jeff Czetwerzuk: Basic Infrastructure – This encompasses winter control, traffic calming, pothole repairs and sidewalk and road maintenance. These issues have been expressed frequently at the doors and I believe we need to allocate more resources to help with these concerns. Taking care of these issues and ensuring basic infrastructure is a priority, will help improve safety and connectivity. Regarding winter control, residents want to feel safe and comfortable navigating the roads and sidewalks in the winter. I am very supportive of increasing resources and adjusting policy to meet the needs of the winters we face. With traffic calming, residents want to see solutions to speeding on streets and safer intersections. I will continue to work hard and advocate for solutions to these concerns. With the roads and sidewalks, I will continue to advocate for these to be a top priority and addressed/repaired in a timely manner.
Jay Fallis: Traffic calming and traffic safety is another one of my priority areas. I have long advocated for improved traffic calming and safety measures throughout Ward 3 and the city. This impacts many neighbourhoods, especially in West Ridge. Along with countless traffic calming petitions, I pushed to have our Traffic Calming Policy updated last term and I have committed again to pushing for further updates. This policy needs to prioritize roads that are long, without interruptions (intersections/signage), and have hundreds of families living on them. I was glad to see some efforts come to fruition: speed humps on Skyline and Alexander, along with safety zones, signage, and safety measures being implemented at Lions Oval Elementary School, Orchard Park Elementary School, OSS, and Samuel de Champlain Elementary School. Additionally, I am a strong advocate for the 40 km/h Safer Streets pilot proposal for West Ridge and Rynard subdivisions coming to the 2027 budget.
Alasoba Kelsy-Braide: Homelessness and Mental Health. Where people talk about homelessness, how many of them have truly experienced it? Well, I have walked in those shoes. Orillia continues to face the rising cost of homelessness that is being driven by housing costs which leads to most mental health issues.
With various services providers partnering between housing services, mental health services and community partners/agencies, these individuals that are experiencing homelessness and mental health challenges can receive the help they need. What these individuals need is a stable place/house and consistent support and making sure people are not bounced between services and at the end get frustrated. We need to be empathetic when handling or dealing with issues like this because we do not know the stories behind their struggles.
Someone mentioned to me that if they can find (supportive housing) a space for them to sleep, being fed and a space, where they can keep their belongings. That’s what truly matters. Just like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the psychology needs which is shelter, food, clothing etc.
James Krawecki: My second issue is directly related to the first: Fiscal Responsibility. While we want to see better road maintenance year-round, we have to have the money to make these improvements. I believe that we can find efficiencies in our current spending in order to get our basic city services under control, while not seeing tax increases on already high taxes. We are in an affordability crisis, and the city should be doing its utmost to not contribute to it through higher taxes (and higher rent costs by extension).
SUNonline/Orillia Question Number 1
All candidates were asked for their position regarding the Champlain Monument. This is perhaps the most obvious and frequent topic of late. SUNonline/Orillia would not normally ask about anything that is an ongoing community debate, instead of topics we think should be the attention of the public, but we are curious if any candidate has an argument that does not rely on an emotional response.
Jeff Czetwerzuk: I believe there is a path forward with the monument. However, work needs to be done first including a formal community consultation including indigenous voices. Any path forward, options, or discussion around the monument needs to be grounding in truth and reconciliation, and ensuring all voices are represented in the discussion.
Jay Fallis:
Moving forward, any decision on the Champlain monument should be made only after extensive consultation with Indigenous communities. Our focus needs to be on finding a resolution that is reflective of reconciliation efforts and Orillia’s kind and inclusive spirit. These are the principles and the direction I will advocate for at the council table if re-elected.
I would also say that I was very critical of Council’s decision to reacquire the statue from Parks Canada. In 1955, the city released the statue to Parks Canada because the costs associated with maintenance were getting too high. In the decades since, costs associated have only gone up. Through reacquiring the statue, Orillia will now be on the hook for all costs related to the statue including moving, storage, reinstallation, security, and maintenance. This is a financial burden that we did not need to take on as a city.
Alasoba Kelsy-Braide: My take to the Champlain monument is that there needs to be an honest, approachable and respectful way to handle this issue. This is a sensitive matter and must be handled with care. I believe that with the historical significance, there needs to be a consensus on how to make the best decisions possible for everyone.
James Krawecki: My position regarding the Champlain monument is directly representative of the constituents I have been speaking with at the door. Of those that care about the monument, the consistent opinion I have heard is that residents want the monument back, but with appropriate historical context, and the other statues placed elsewhere in the park. In addition to this feedback, I would like to see the taxpayer dollars that have already been spent on storage, movement, and indigenous consultation not go to waste. Therefore going forward I would support my constituents’ wishes on this issue.
SUNonline/Orillia Question Number 2
Candidates were asked for their proposals regarding economic development, in the context of a new direction taken in 2014 – but not fully utilized, and international developments that could mean many more manufacturers who may establish, or expand production of goods here in Canada while they may have little or no capacity at the current time. In short, what is the plan to get ahead of the curve in a changing economic climate?
Jeff Czetwerzuk: Economic Development is a large concern for many in our community. If re-elected I would bring forward a proposal to create an economic development committee and have the mandate be focused on bringing actionable recommendations to council, exploring investment opportunities, job creation and business retention. Orillia is marked for significant growth over the next 25 years, and we need to start now to attract opportunities for the future. Council needs to explore opportunities that help market Orillia as the place to grow, invest and expand business. This includes supporting current local businesses, streamlining processes, investing in supporting infrastructure, and creating opportunities and space for business development and growth. We also have to market Orillia as somewhere that people want to live, work and play by showcasing all the great things we have to offer such as the historic downtown, our beautiful lakes, recreation opportunities and arts/culture.
Jay Fallis: There are many measures that could strengthen our local economy. Here are just a few ideas:
- Create an Economic Development Advocacy Working Group. This would be a group of local citizens, empowered by the city, tasked with business attraction, retention, and advocacy. This would be done through attending conferences, events, and getting the word out to businesses about the potential our city has to offer. This group could include the local Chamber of Commerce, Downtown BIA, County of Simcoe Economic Development Office, and other local business groups.
- Become a destination for remote employees. As more employers offer remote work, we can be a location where young workers choose to live. Our city already offers strong internet connectivity and conducive environments. However, we can do more! Building and promoting ‘third spaces’ where workers can access what they need and want could be a big selling feature for our city.
Alasoba Kelsy-Braide: Response will be added when received
James Krawecki: We need to make Orillia a desirable place to do business, in order to create jobs and stimulate economic development. Currently the landscape is unfavorable to businesses given the significantly high taxes they are charged to simply operate within the city limits. The city can turn this around if it operates more responsibly fiscally, and it starts to address the other issues in the city impacting desirability (infrastructure, crime, homelessness, mental health, addictions, downtown attractiveness, etc.). However, it will take all of council to pull together with ideas and solutions to make this happen – I will not claim to have all the answers myself.
SUNonline/Orillia Question Number 3
The state and scope of homelessness is not something of Orillia’s making; other levels of governments bear responsibility by way of legislation, regulation and lack of using the tools available to get corporations to play ball. Yet, those levels of government are comfortable leaving municipalities to clean up the mess when municipalities do not have the financial and human resources to do much of anything. Governments in other countries have solutions that appear to stick and work, what do you know of them? So, what are you willing to do to put pressure on higher levels of government for meaningful change?
Jeff Czetwerzuk: I believe strongly that we need to advocate to the county, and the higher levels of government for resources to help address homelessness. It is difficult to manage this alone as a municipality and we need a larger toolbox to ensure we are able to implement effective solutions. Research shows that deeply affordable housing is a strong solution to help homelessness by getting people into safe and stable housing to be better able to access needed services and supports. We need to be a stronger voice in advocating to higher levels of government for housing solutions, and deeply affordable and attainable units. A concept I have been researching more frequently is rent control which is an area we can better advocate with the province to address. Council needs to work directly with our local representatives make formal requests for funding and services, while being persistent until we see progress.
Jay Fallis: Provincial and Federal Governments need to step up and solve this problem at a systemic level! To date, Council has pushed these levels of government twice in the last term to increase stagnant social assistance rates. One key contributing factor to achieving lower national poverty rates is through higher levels of social supports which has been demonstrated internationally (by the Economic Policy Institute).
I supported Council’s advocacy in this area and I even led the charge for one of those requests. I will continue to support this advocacy.
While there is more to do locally, Orillia has made some strides in affordable housing. Through building up our Affordable Housing Reserve and creating a Housing Coordinator, over 100 new non-profit affordable units are soon to be built here. Our Housing Coordinator also successfully applied for the Federal Housing Accelerator grant which brought in $4.5 Million for non-profit affordable housing builds to our city.
Alasoba Kelsy-Braide: Unfortunately, the municipality cannot solve this issue without the help of the federal government. A news release issued on August 17, 2026 stated that the federal government strengthened support for municipalities in Ontario, which addresses the homelessness crisis but that funding did not include the city of Orillia. So what can we do to put pressure on higher levels of government for a meaningful change? We need to amplify the voices of community members while coordinating advocacy across service providers, the municipality can show provincial and federal government exactly where support is falling short and why stronger, more responsive investment is urgently needed to meet Orillia’s challenges in homelessness. The federal government needs to have clear data that is consistent with our current situation.
James Krawecki: I think there are a lot of expectations on the municipality to be able to solve the issues with respect to homelessness completely. Unfortunately, there is a lot of help required from other levels of government and the issue is multi-faceted.
Included in “homelessness” is an addiction crisis, a mental health crisis, an issue with repeat offenders, and all of these are being looped in with people who are simply trying to live a better life, but are impacted by the affordability crisis. The city needs to put pressure on the provincial and federal governments to ensure that criminals are locked-up and rehabilitated to ease the burden on our emergency services. We also need to pressure those same governments to allow for rehabilitation and detox of those addicted to drugs, and help for those with mental health issues. This way we can ensure safety for those homeless individuals who are going through a hard time, as well as the general public. At that point all the city would need to contribute is a safe place to help people get back on their feet.
However, I won’t pretend that the problem is that easy to solve, and it will take each municipality working in tandem to prevent the overloading of one area. That being said, there are measurable steps that we can take to move forward on reducing the issue of
Casting Your Vote
Voting has already begun. There are advance polls at the Orillia recreation Centre October 14 from 1 to 7 p.m. and October 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The West Orillia sports complex has advance polls October 20 from 1 to 7 p.m. and October 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Election Day is October 26 and polling stations are open from 10 a..m. to 8 p.m. at the following locations:
Ward 1 at the Gill Street community Complex
Ward 2 at the Orillia Recreation Centre
Ward 3 at the West Orillia sports Complex
Ward 4 Simcoe County Community Hub, 250 West Street North
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia and Supplied)
Mayoral Candidate Steve Clarke
Mayoral Candidate Whitney Smith
