Matt Howse for Ward 2

Taking a wee break from the campaign trail to help out at the Farmer's Market this afternoon! We'll be in Rabbittown in a couple of hours!

Happy City St. John's surveyed all the candidates about their perspectives on the issues facing Ward 2. Check out what everyone had to say... http://happycity.ca/events/ward-2-candidates/

Honoured to have Jim Dinn in my corner! #stjohnscentre #nlndp #nlpoli

When the people who request your signs already have other signs...#coincidence

It's a great turn-out at the Tessier Park Planting Day!

Thanks for taking a sign, Chris!

This morning's harvest. After all the talk of food security in the debate last night, I think it's important to keep in mind that not everyone in Ward 2 can grow their own food in their own yard. There are lots of tall trees and buildings that block the sun, many landlords won't permit raised beds and greenhouses on their properties, and many homes have no yards to begin with. This is why City Hall has to lead the way when it comes to locally-grown food. We can plant fruit-b...earing trees and shrubs in our parks and green spaces, and build raised beds in vacant lots to increase the number of community gardens--and make it easier for people to get plots. Good, healthy food does not have to be expensive. It only takes sun, rain, and time. Check out last night's debate on the Social Justice Co-Op Facebook page.

Papers filed, here we go!!!

STATEMENT ON MILE ONE PRIVATIZATION The privatization of Mile One is a scary thought. As a City, we cannot afford to sell off our public infrastructure, especially in times like these when the market is weak. Mile One was built at a cost of $20.5 million--$30.6 million in 2020 dollars. Will the people of St. John’s see a fair return on their investment if the building is sold? Definitely not! The privatization proponent says the money he pays for Mile One could solve our side...walk snow-clearing problem, but this is simply not true. That issue is about planning, co-ordination and priorities at City Hallmoney alone cannot solve it. Even if every dollar from the proposed sale went towards clearing sidewalks, the money would be gone in 10 years and we, the people of the City (and province, for that matter), would not have a large-scale cultural venue to call their own. Like Naomi Klein wrote in her book The Shock Doctrine, in moments of crisis, people are willing to hand over a great deal of power to anyone who claims to have a magic cure. A pandemic combined with a cash-strapped City Hall is no justification for a fire-sale on our collectively-owned infrastructure. We have to look to the future, beyond the pandemic, and imagine the City we want. For starters, why does St. John’s Sports and Entertainment (SJSE) rent out Mile One to third-party promotors who profit from events? The City should be directly involved in the booking process so the profits can be put back into the venue and its operations. If we did that, there would be no need for the annual SJSE subsidy. It seems like the present arrangement is designed to lose money for the City, and create a climate where the people are willing to sell their premier cultural centre. Also, as a piece of public infrastructure, Mile One should be more readily available to the population in times of crisis. In the past few years there have been winter nights when the power was out downtown and the stadium generators were fired up to host sporting events, instead of providing a warm place for people to spend the night. It is time to start operating Mile One like a true public building. Finally, public buildings are not meant to make a profitlike roads, schools, and hospitals, they are meant to provide services to the people and make their lives more meaningful. We don’t tear up our streets because they are too expensive to maintain; those streets are an integral part of making our city work, and a cultural venue like Mile One should be thought of in the same way. As your Ward 2 councillor I will oppose the privatization of Mile One, just like I will oppose the privatization of all other public buildings and services. http://ntv.ca/dean-macdonald-hyping-big-plans-if-he-can-b/

The website is up and running! Check it out: http://www.matthowseforward2.ca

Not sure if you're on the Ward 2 voter's list? You can register on-line! https://www.stjohns.ca//municipal-elect/voter-registration