On the phone with long-time area resident Kevin Foran, District 4

“Cole Harbour is a great place,” says Kevin Foran about the town where he’s lived for 46 of his 50 years. With the district’s current municipal councillor, Lorelei Nicoll, retiring from politics instead of running this election, Foran was inspired to throw his hat into the ring for District 4 (Cole Harbour–Westphal). “I have lots of connections and resources in this area, and I feel like I'd be a good advocate for our community.”

Foran has several campaign commitments, but one of the things residents frequently bring to his attention is the need for more traffic calming. “Everyone’s always mentioning speed is an issue,” he says. “There’s a couple of intersections in Cole Harbour that are concerning and lots of traffic backup happening,” For him, part of solving community traffic issues would involve a collaborative effort between community members and the RCMP.

He also shares concerns for park and trail maintenance and is a strong supporter of more outdoor recreational spaces. “The environment is very important," he says. “We have great trails, and I'd love to see some more expansion on those trails and more upkeep.”

The candidate would also like to work with businesses on drumming up community spirit. “We have lots of people who leave District 4 to go to restaurants or to visit other venues outside of our area. We have a lot to offer in this area, so I'd love to see if we can entice people to come here and spend their money and help support our local businesses.”

With 24 years working as a residential youth counsellor under his belt, Foran says he’s learned patience, how to be a good listener and problem-solving skills, things that will come in handy representing his constituents on council. “I’m very empathic. I see everybody's side. I’m not there to judge anybody. If someone has an issue, then I would definitely advocate for them regardless of what the issue is.”