Goderich Council Candidate: Vanessa McMillan

By: Kate Smith

Born and raised in Huron County, Goderich has been Vanessa McMillan’s home for the last 12 years.

A mom of three kids aged 11, 13 and 19, McMillan is running for a second term after serving the last four years on Goderich Council.

“My children are always my biggest ‘why’ in anything I do,” admitted McMillan.

“Having the opportunity to make their community a better place is extremely important to me.”

Over the years, McMillan operated a licensed home childcare, worked as an educational assistant and has also worked in sales and marketing off and on for nearly 20 years.

Currently, McMillan is a salesperson at the Brick in town, allowing her to balance responsibilities as a councillor, parent and volunteer.

Serving this last term with council provided McMillan the opportunity for meaningful work, learning about municipal governance and the importance of collaboration with community members, town staff, community organisations and service clubs.

McMillan says she is incredibly of the work council has accomplished in the last four years, despite challenges they faced, such as aging infrastructure, social and housing issues, and rising costs of maintaining services.

“Having the opportunity to build on this experience, and to continue to seek creative and collaborative solutions to these issues, and new ones as they arise, would be incredibly rewarding,” expressed McMillan.

Apart from work and serving on council, McMillan has also put her time into volunteering where her children attend school, and she has provided childcare for families in town.

McMillan has also participated in and directed various fundraising initiatives within the community. She currently sits on a committee that raises and disperses emergency funds for newcomers in Huron County.

To be a part of council, McMillan believes that good leadership is a team effort, and when it’s a team composed of people with various backgrounds, at different stages in life, these varied perspectives guide the decision-making process, truly reflecting the needs of the town.

“As a single parent and single income earned of my household, a mother of a child with unique needs, a former educator, a resident of the east end, a French speaker and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I can bring a unique perspective and experience to the table,” stressed McMillan.

Advocacy is a passion for McMillan and she believes this is a big part of her job as a councillor. To advocate for members of this community, McMillan believes it is important to understand the needs, challenges, priorities and goals of the people who live here.

McMillan says she remains committed to learning from the people who live here.

“For me, municipal governance is about leadership through connection, engagement and respect for the best interests of community members,” McMillan explained.

“I believe a community is defined by how we treat our most vulnerable.”

One of the things McMillan says she loved most about her term on council was having a strategic plan to work from. Creating a plan provides direction, measurable goals and keeps everyone on the same page.

McMillan explains that a good plan also serves as a roadmap and guides the decision-making process as new issues arise.

“Having a plan, which uses measurable data, based on the feedback from community members, town staff and other stakeholders allows for the prioritisation of needs and leads to the achievement of common goals,” McMillan added.

If re-elected, McMillan would like to see council attack a few top priority issues, which includes examining the aging infrastructure and existing assets, supporting the town’s aging population, while focusing on finding ways to strengthen connections to take a step forward with solutions during an age of rising costs of living and external economic factors.

According to McMillan, fostering a sense of belonging for every member of this community is the foundation for sustainability, resilience and growth.

“That means making sure everyone feels like they have a place at the table, both in council chambers and in the community at large,” McMillan said.

For McMillan, this is done through continuous communication and feedback loops, transparency, and continuously seeking new and meaningful ways to connect.

“When people feel heard, when people feel seen, they feel valued,” expressed McMillan.

“When people feel valued, it has a way of inspiring them to contribute to meaningful solutions to the challenges we face. When we hold space for different perspectives, experiences and ideas, we create a climate of opportunity and an environment where we can all thrive.”

If re-elected, within the next four years, McMillan’s hope would be to work with the community and town staff to create a strategic plan, which examines present needs, strengths, weaknesses and a plan to address them.

McMillan says this would include measurable and attainable goals, as well as a strategy and timelines to achieve them.

“By fostering a relationship with town staff and trusting them as experts in their fields, as the ones who do the work at the ground level, we will be able to achieve these goals,” added McMillan.

“My goal is to continue to strengthen connections in this community, so that we can achieve common goals, face challenges and grow together.”

Each candidate was presented with the same interview questions. What is presented in these profiles, is a result of the responses received.