Platform & Vision

Building the Kingston
of Tomorrow

The Case for Change

Kingston is a city with everything going for it… except affordability.

We have world-class institutions, stunning scenery, deep history, and a growing economy. What we don't have is enough housing that Kingstonians can actually afford. That's not bad luck — it's the symptom of inaction in response to local and global trends by the private sector and all levels of government.

I believe the city itself can be the solution. Not through endless subsidies, but through smart, direct investment in city-owned housing — the kind that not only pays for itself, but generates surplus revenue to fund better public services. It will also be able to stabilize rental costs below current market rates to provide

That's not a radical idea. We already have the Kingston Frontenac Housing Corporation doing exactly that. The question is scale, and I'm running to scale it.

Alongside the expansion of the KFHC, Kingston should develop a municipal service corporation to operate as a close-to-market rate housing operator. It will develop and deliver apartments at and slightly below current market rates for similar units. This will be possible because public entities can borrow at more competitive rates than private borrowers, and these savings can be passed down directly to tenants.

In the long term these assets will appreciate into strong positive revenue generation streams for the city, reducing pressure on property tax as a means to provide municipal services. This means that everyone can have nice things at no extra cost.

Cataraqui Bay

A flagship development for a generation.

There is a lot of land available throughout the city to explore such developments, but the most appropriate are the Collins Bay Penitentiary farmlands. An area that I like to refer to as Cataraqui Bay. Clean fields clear of obstructions, ideally located near major utility hubs for fresh water, wastewater, and electrical. Central to Kingston with good access to primary transport arteries such as Gardiner's Road, Day's Road, Bath Road, and Front Road/King Street.

I will lobby the Government of Canada and the Correctional Service of Canada to release these lands in our public interest to develop a city-scale master planned community. While the housing plan would not be restricted to these lands, they would be the flagship long-term goal of the City.

My Commitments

What I promise to provide.

My platform runs on practical ideas and long term thinking. I commit to seeking the opinion of experts in planning, architecture, the environment, and more in order to execute this plan correctly and precisely.

The projects I’m proposing are decade-spanning endeavours. I commit not to yield to shortcuts, ensuring that the city delivers these projects as high quality long-term assets and at no added cost to taxpayers.

The city is obligated to provide first-class services in every aspect of its operations, and Kingstonians have every right to know how that’s being done. I commit to running on a platform of transparency and accountability.

It's Been Done Before

High-density urban development next to open land

Cities around the world implement high density development alongside robust natural parks. The opportunity at Cataraqui Bay is no different, and we can unlock a park over one-third the size of Central Park in New York City for everyone in the city to enjoy.

Boston, USA
Boston, USA
New York City, USA
New York City, USA
Madrid, Spain
Madrid, Spain
Vienna, Austria
Vienna, Austria
Paris, France
Paris, France
Prague, Czechia
Prague, Czecia
Theoretical development concept for Cataraqui Bay

Theoretical development concept: Cataraqui Bay master planned community, Collins Bay Penitentiary farmlands, Kingston, Ontario

Platform

What I'll do as Mayor

01

Scale local housing construction

KFHC currently manages a modest number of units. I want to grow that dramatically over ten years — using a combination of municipal land, federal CMHC funding, and the Housing Accelerator Fund. A new municipally-owned housing corporation should be developed alongside KFHC in order to unlock more development opportunities for the City.

02

Treat housing as a revenue asset, not just a cost

A municipally-owned corporation borrowing against the city's balance sheet can access capital at rates no private developer can match. Lower borrowing costs mean lower development costs — and that margin doesn't disappear into profit, it gets passed directly to tenants in the form of lower rents. The city retains the land, builds the units, collects the rent, and holds a permanently appreciating asset. Scale that up and it becomes a meaningful non-tax revenue stream. The competitive advantage of public ownership isn't ideology — it's math.

03

Bring housing costs down for the middle, not just the margins

Affordable housing programs too often focus narrowly on those in acute need. I believe the city should be building for teachers, nurses, early-career professionals, and young families — people who earn too much for social housing but can't compete in Kingston's housing market. Expanding rental supply at all price points benefits everyone, and improving the Home Ownership Program will provide more options to first-time buyers who want to exit the rental market.

04

Fiscal discipline and transparency

Every platform commitment will be grounded in honest accounting of what it costs and how it's funded. A project is viable when it services its debt, covers its operating costs, and returns revenue to the city. That is the standard I will apply, and I will publish the analysis that supports it.

05

Fight for the environment

Whether you like to swim, sail, hike, bike, hunt, or hang out inside and play video games — doing that in a clean space devoid of toxic chemicals is imperative. Having a clean and healthy environment is apolitical, and I will fight to ensure environmental accountability across our city.

Background

About Stephen

I was born and raised in Kingston. I attended Winston Churchill Public School, Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute, and St. Lawrence College, where I studied Wind Turbine Technology and Civil Engineering Technology. I've spent the majority of my professional career here — currently as a facilities and project manager for a locally owned commercial real estate holdings company.

That background isn't incidental to this campaign. I know what it costs to build things, how financing structures work, and what separates a well-managed asset from a poorly planned one. That's the lens I'm bringing to City Hall.

Let's build a better Kingston.