Oshawa mayoral challenger Sara Lear is hoping arduous work makes the distinction

In her second attempt at running for mayor of Oshawa, challenger Sara Lear said she’s hoping her hard work will produce a different outcome.

She jokes she was “first of the losers” after garnering 11 per cent of the vote in 2018 and finishing second to incumbent Dan Carter.

“The biggest thing that’s changed for me, having been through it once, I’m much more organized this time around,” Lear said, adding that she kept a journal last time of everything she did.

“I was able to learn from last time around, kind of how the ebb and flow happens.”

A construction estimator and project manager who works out of downtown Oshawa, Lear said she’s self-funding her campaign and not taking campaign donations, and she believes she has the makings of an effective mayor.

“Yes experience is important, but good judgment is more important,” she said, adding that instead of asking for donations, she’s simply asking the public to show up for her on voting day.

Lear is looking to bring new ideas to the table in Oshawa.

For example, she would like to see a needle return program similar to the one used for liquor and beer sales where every time a needle is returned, there is a fee refund of five or 10 cents, although she’s not sure what the exact number should be.

“I can tell you when you walk up and down the streets of Oshawa — as someone who lives and works in Ward 4 — you will not see a single beer can or wine bottle anywhere, as they have a nominal value.”

Lear said she’s hoping a program with a fee refund would reduce the number of needles in parks and on private property.

She’s also passionate about the issue that she describes as “responsible, managed, construction.”

She has concerns about building too high in the downtown as well as the availability of parking in the downtown, pointing out that spaces were lost recently on King Street with a sidewalk widening project. Lear also has questions about developers being allowed to build with a reduced number of parking spots.

“I’m not against development, I work in construction, I’m wearing steel-toed boots right now in the office … what are we supposed to do, ask people to park at the Oshawa Center and bus them into downtown? We’re not doing intelligent design.”

Find out more about Lear at saralear.ca.

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