Kristin Murray is running for Council in Ward 5 in Timmins.
Kristin (she/her/kwe) is a registered member of Chapleau Cree First Nation and is a descendant of a signatory to Treaty 9. She graduated from Laurentian University with a B.A., with a concentration in Equity, Diversity and Human Rights. She holds a certificate in Leadership from the COADY Institute at St. Francis Xavier University. She also holds a Diploma in Social Services and Drug and Alcohol Counselling diploma, both from Northern College. Kristin has over 19 years of experience working in the social services sector in the Timmins area. She is experienced in community development personally, and professionally and in her current role as Municipal Councillor. She is dedicated to Indigenous health promotion and policy in addressing the unique challenges of racialized people across Northern Ontario. Kristin’s areas of interest are Indigenous Affairs, child welfare, and environmental sustainability.
Why are you running for this position?
I have actively been engaged in our community even prior to my time on council. Being on Council has allowed me to elevate the voices of those in our community. I'm seeking re-election to be able to continue the community engaged grassroots work that I am authentically committed to carrying out, whether that be in the arts and culture space, growing our future leaders through mentorship opportunities, and utilizing innovative approaches to addressing our community’s challenges.
What innovative projects would enhance life in your municipality?
Over the past 4 years, we have not had any infrastructure for our children, youth and families; yet every time I connect with residents they always share that they wish they had somewhere to go and play sports, connect with community and most importantly, a place in Timmins that they can be proud of. I would love for our community to have a community centre; what the community centre looks like and has contained within its walls should be shaped by community through engagement sessions. We must also ensure that all levels of government can assist with the cost to keep our municipal contribution to a minimum.
If you received a $1 million grant to use for your municipality any way you wanted, what would you do with it?
As a Councillor, my role is to represent the public. If the City received $1 million in grant money, I would engage the residents in how they would like the $1 million dollars to be spent. Often times residents feel disconnected from Council and city affairs because they feel as though there is no mechanism for engagement.
What do you think are the greatest challenges your municipality faces?
There are so many important day-to-day challenges that require our attention. The lack of housing stock has been a far-reaching problem that has affected too many residents and also impacts the future growth of our community. As with many other communities, the opioid epidemic is another challenge that we are faced with.
Other than the official communication methods (minutes, municipal notes), how else will you reach out to your constituents to involve them in the decision making process?
In-person, social media, phone and email have all been great ways to engage residents throughout the large Ward that I have represented and hope to continue to represent. The Ward is so diverse that it is not realistic to rely on only one mechanism for engagement. What I hope to do in the future is have Town Hall sessions to involve members of the Ward in decisions making.
What is your favourite thing to do in your municipality?
I love hiking, stand up paddle boarding and taking my dog for a walk in my Ward.
Why do you think it’s important for women to be represented in civic leadership, including on committees, boards and municipal councils?
Women can often provide a different perspective to the conversations being had. We take into consideration a female perspective that men don’t always have the ability to do. By having women engaged, the specific needs of women are brought forth.
What does a ‘feminist city’ mean to you?
A feminist city would be one that considered everyone. Similar to using an equity, diversity, inclusion and justice lens when creating policy. The low-income, racialized those that are differently abled will be considered in the planning and development of the community. The committees that are established by the city would include the membership of all the voices within our community.
