Skip to content

Pelham's Ward 2 race: Rybiak has many reasons to run

BY JOHN SWART VOICE Correspondent It was not a single item that triggered Barbara (Barb) Rybiak's run to become a Ward 2 councillor.
Barb_Rybiak
Pelham Town Council Ward 2 candidate Barbara Rybiak. JOHN SWART PHOTO

BY JOHN SWART VOICE Correspondent

It was not a single item that triggered Barbara (Barb) Rybiak's run to become a Ward 2 councillor.

She says she has a great deal of love for her community, and is concerned that common decency and respect are eroding. Rybiak believes in the Golden Rule—treat others as you want to be treated—and is motivated to bring that philosophy to council if elected.

The issue of Airbnbs, home rentals and absentee landlords, about which she has grave concerns, motivated her.

She would like to see stronger representation for women on Pelham council, providing another reason to run this year.

Rybiak also wants to advocate for the needs of our senior population, especially regarding long term care in Pelham.

Rybiak shares details about each of these concerns, and many more, as she explains her "Positive Change" platform.

"I will do everything under my power and the law to regulate or stop absentee [home-hotel] ownership," states Rybiak.

She is a resident of Ward 2, and says there are seven homes in her area that are accessed by lock boxes. Neighbourhood safety is her prime concern with short term rentals. Rybiak says a total ban is not fair, however. There are residents who need the income, people who have lost a job, seniors, and others who should be allowed the opportunity to rent for three months.

She does not see bed and breakfasts presenting the same threat, and finds positives in them. She mentions the recent International Canoe Polo Tournament, upcoming Canada Games, and many other events as opportunities for B&Bs to expose Pelham to international guests, and help our citizens "understand this world.”

The discussion of B&Bs led Rybiak to comment, unsolicited, on the Voice.

"It's our lifeline, our means of knowing local events. One of my things would be to make sure we have a local newspaper."

This would include pressing Minister of Canadian Heritage Melanie Joly for Pelham's share of any funds available to support local newspapers.

She continues, "I'll be honest, I won't pander. Barb Wiens [Director of Planning and Development] did a good job on the [home-hotel] report that went to Council. This is an example of reporting that needs to be accurate."

Seniors and their needs hold a special place for Rybiak. She sees the redevelopment of the old arena property on Haist Street as an opportunity to benefit older Pelham residents.

"The parkland shouldn't be touched, and those that put money into the old building should be recognized somehow. [The balance of the property] would be ideal for a state-of-the-art long term care facility. Something innovative that we don't have in Pelham, perhaps a combination of public and private."

With this comes accessibility, which is a concern for Rybiak. "People need to go from point A to B with no hindrances," she says.

Rybiak, who is a Family Council Member at Woodlands of Sunset on Pelham Street in Welland, uses this long-term care facility as an example. Seniors who want to walk outdoors, and the workers, whom she loves, need proper sidewalks to access the community and walk to work safely from Pelham. Rybiak would support extending sidewalks along Pelham Street.

She is pleased with the public transit we have now, and will do everything possible to obtain future support grants as they become available.

Rybiak does not favour more audits of Town finances. As a teacher for 35 years, she has seen the financial services firm KPMG performing school audits, and has confidence in them. "You step aside when they come in. They are stringent and they don't cherry-pick. They know what they're doing. There is no need to revisit this, and spend more money to get the same result."

Summerfest is important to Rybiak, and she sees no reason to move it.

"Everyone has a blast meeting friends," she says. In her opinion, the Summerfest Committee did everything they could to avoid problems, and Rybiak was particularly impressed with the safety measures. She recognizes that any future decisions will be taken by the new council if necessary.

Rybiak does not see the re-opening past non-disclosure agreements with Town staff who have left as a productive move.

"Some wanted to move on. To think they would stay in one job is not reality, hopefully they moved on positively. We have good people working here, and they've stuck with us."

Working togethaer with other councillors constructively is important to Rybiak.

"I don't have any conflicts of interest," she says with a smile, "I only own my house."

The odour in Ward 3 is an example.

"I'm concerned about the pot smell. It's not my ward, but it's something that I'd stand up for, support other ward councillors," states Rybiak.

[Editor's note: Among those other current councillors is Ward 1’s Richard Rybiak, Barb’s brother, who is running for re-election.]

As a teacher, Rybiak did her masters thesis on empowering children, and sees many parallels between what she teaches her students, and the philosophy she will bring to council.

"I teach them not to sit back, that you are responsible for what you say and do. You need to break out of your biases and listen to every person. You have to be informed to make decisions, need to know the facts, look at things without preconceived bias. I listen and make things happen. I will not sit back, and will not be part of something I do not believe in. I want good things for our people, I really do."

 

RELATED: 2018 candidate interviews

RELATED: Which ward do I live in?