Today, I had the privilege of speaking to youth voters at St. James Catholic School. During the debate, a student pressed me on an issue that has frustrated our community for years: how I would solve the lack of a grocery store in Guelph’s East End.
In my response, I wanted to pull back the curtain on why this problem is so difficult to solve under our current system. Most people don’t realize that the biggest barrier to a new grocery store isn’t a lack of commercial interest—it’s a legal mechanism called a restrictive covenant. When major food retailers control a piece of land or exit a lease, they routinely lock down the property layout to ensure a competing grocery store can never open in that spot.
Traditional municipal approaches have failed to keep pace with our neighborhood growth because City Hall hasn’t adapted to these private real estate hurdles.
Our “Change to Grow” platform is built on the reality that a thriving city must adapt its structures to support its people. We cannot expect the East End to grow into a complete community if we allow outdated municipal rules to let vacant properties sit frozen.
As your Mayor, I will prioritize structural zoning reform to ensure every neighborhood has sustainable access to fresh food. I will work alongside federal watchdogs like the Competition Bureau to challenge anti-competitive property restrictions locally, and I will rewrite our zoning rules to serve families, not corporate land-hoarding. The youth at St. James asked the exact right question today, and I am ready to deliver the change we need to grow.
