Name: Barbara Young

Ward You’re Running In: 1

Current Occupation: Trustee, Past Chair, Regina Public School Division #4, Organizational Development Consultant, mediator

Voter Information: 584-2040, voteyoung.ca, barbarayoung124@gmail.com

I am an educator with 40 years of experience as a teacher, administrator, consultlant and chair of government, municipal and community boards. I have a Bachelors Degree in Biology, a Masters Degree in Education, a Masters Degree in Science & a Doctorate in Policy and Administration. Work experiences  include senior administration, policy development, consulting and facilitation for Provincial, Ministries, School Boards, and community organizations with a focus on governance, leadership in social policy development and conflict resolution.

QUESTION AND ANSWER

1. Briefly, why are you running for council/mayor?
The challenges and rapid growth facing the City of Regina provide great opportunities for sustainable development for the economy, the environment, the community.  When so many issues are commanding attention and change of this magnitude is possible in all facets of city life, the appetite for innovation and thinking across boundaries are higher than they have been in some time. My career has focused on involving people in social change — the possibilities are exciting.  City Council has a critical leadership role to play in engaging the community in developing the future of Regina.  I want to be part of that leadership.

2. What is the single most pressing issue facing Regina? How would you solve it?
The single most pressing issue facing Regina is developing a plan for the city with priorities, actions and benchmarks for measuring progress and reporting all of this to the public so they are aware of the scope of the issues we face and how we are going to manage moving forward. The plan should be more than RRI which is specific to the downtown business area.

3. Imagine the Regina Of The Future that you want to help build. What will it look like?
The Design Regina priorities.  The list describes a city that meets residents needs in areas that include housing, transportation, recreation, healthy lifestyles, public engagement, neighborhood development etc.

4. Beyond immediate concerns like housing, the stadium and infrastructure renewal, what “big idea” project do you want to work on that nobody seems to be talking about?
An idea that may not be perceived as “big” is an educated public – communication, engagement opportunities.   As I speak with residents during this campaign I am faced with people who need and want good information that they can easily find, that is written in “public language” rather than “corporate speak” and that tells them the scope of the problems, the plan to move forward and reports on how well we have accomplished the critical initiatives.  After 4 months of researching city documents on the web site and talking with people I still don’t have the whole picture.  How many people have the time to even do that much work to mine information?

5. Name something the last council got right.
Design Regina, the public knows the needs and knows what it wants.

6. Now, point out their biggest mistake.
Lack of proper planning and project management. Example is the Plaza Project.  No engineering study before digging, no traffic study before changing downtown, no thought as to how merchants will be affected, no enforcement of parking until recently.

7. What are you reading these days?
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Sklott; Mystery: The Black Echo by Michael Connelly.

8. Beyond your residence, do you own any property in Regina or in the immediate area?
No

* * * * *

FUN QUESTIONS!

1. What is your favourite Regina restaurant?
Hard one: Crave, Earls

2. Who is your favourite Regina artist?
Globe Theatre actors; Diane Warren writer

3. What actor would play you in the gritty cable drama, Queen City Hall?
Meryl Streep

4. How would your character die?
Laughing

* * * * *

PICK A SIDE

Cats or Dogs? Cats

Vampires or Werewolves? Vampires

Boxing or Roller Derby? Ugh!

Steak or Sushi? Sushi

Hill Towers or Legislative Building? Legislative Building

Quance Street or Dewdney Avenue? Quance St.

Artesian or Wascana Park Gazebo? Artesian

Prairie Dog or Richardson Ground Squirrel? Richardson’s Ground Squirrel (organizes around female kinship!)

Giant Grasshopper or Stegosaurus? Stegosaurus

Saskaboom or SaskAdvantage? Sask Advantage

Bike or Sports Car? Sports Car

Le Macaron or Five Guys? Le Macaron

The Beatles or the Rolling Stones? Rolling Stones

* * * * *

BONUS QUESTION: Make up your own question (And answer it, of course!)
Who can hardly wait until October 25th?
Answer: A municipal candidate

* * * * *

Follow all of our online election coverage — including interviews, analysis and podcasts — and read other candidate profiles on our Regina City Election 2012 page.