This post is the twenty-first in a series in which we reached out to municipal candidates to ask their heritage platform. Responses will be posted in the order received.
The twenty-first to respond was Kevin O’Neil, Candidate for LaSalle Town Council. The responses are in the candidate’s own words only slightly edited in a way that doesn’t in any way change what they said.
I fully support heritage preservation and adaptive reuse. I have a personal interest in photographing and researching heritage railway stations, something I’ve been doing since childhood. Through this experience, I’ve learned to understand and appreciate the history of buildings and the stories they tell. I sat on the Town of LaSalle Committee of Adjustment for 12 years, including 7 years as chairperson. I also sat on the Town’s Planning Advisory Committee for 2 years. I have a working knowledge of the Planning Act and provincial policy on planning (Places to Grow).
My favourite historically designated structure is the Yorktown Square neon sign in south Windsor where I grew up. Suburbia is not often considered as a place to find historic buildings and structures. The focus is on the inner city. Preserving the built form of our suburbs is often overlooked. The Yorktown Square sign and adjacent plaza were built in the original Sandwich West Township before the urbanized areas were annexed to Windsor in 1966. It’s a prime example of the types of structures we need to preserve and reminds us of what needs to be considered as LaSalle continues to grow.
To reach out to Kevin O’Neil, visit him on Facebook or Twitter.
Picture provided by Kevin O’Neil.
To see a mini-documentary about the Yorktown Sign by Michael Evans, click here.
English (United States) 
English (Canada)