Ward 5 Councillor Mark Doble hopes to bring more trade jobs and revitalize North Lindsay

This is the sixth in an anticipated eight-part series where Kawartha Lakes Weekly is sitting down with councillors from all eight wards about the issues most important to their residents.

Having only been on the job since the end of April after winning a byelection to replace former Councillor Eric Smeaton, new Ward 5 Councillor Mark Doble has his eyes set on getting a lot done.

One of his biggest dreams for the city is to get more trade jobs in the area.“The provincial government has made a commitment to investing in the trades,” he said. “Wouldn’t it be great if we could bring some of those skilled trade programs that currently exist in Peterborough up to our Lindsay campus for our folks here to take advantage of?”

He has plans to talk to Fleming College about it, to secure more opportunities for people from Lindsay.

Part of this want for more trade jobs, comes from the growth he’s been seeing in his ward, which is anything north of Kent Street. Due to this, Doble is hoping to be able to see a revitalization of several services in the area. “That means parks, that means libraries, that means creating a vibrant cultural community.” Doble hopes that those coming here to set up businesses and industries, like doctor offices, can look at the area and envision themselves raising a family here, and being able to offer a place where employees will enjoy working. The need is not just to entice people to come here, but to get them to stay.

He hasn’t been on the job long, but he’s heard his fair share of traffic complaints. “It’s a problem that we will never, ever be able to completely solve,” he said, however, that doesn’t mean he isn’t looking to try by introducing more all-way stops and designated drop-off spots at schools.

As a strong believer of active transportation, Doble hopes to be able to convince people to get around in other ways when they’re able to. With recently installed bike racks at the library and a variety of walking trails available, he says there are plenty of options besides driving. “The problem is we haven’t communicated it, and it needs to be better promoted,” he said, with a goal of trying to better educate people on these options.

Doble says he’s been enjoying the job so far, and he’s been able to use some of the skills he learned in his old career doing property tax assessment in his new role. “The opportunity to be able to help people solve some problems, address their issues, is something that I’ve done before, and I’m happy to be doing it again.”

He’s found himself being a little quiet in council meetings so far, but come the fall and the budget, he’s eager to jump in and talk about the projects that should be considered.

While he knows he still has a lot to learn, he’s glad to have a ward with good constituents and a good team at the city. “We’ve got great people.”