Safety isn't just another campaign issue for me. It's personal. My entire family lives here—my parents, my in-laws, my children, my grandchildren, my cousins, and so many of the people I care about most. When I talk about making Erin safer, I'm talking about protecting the people I love and every family that calls this community home.

About a year and a half ago, my husband was involved in a serious collision on Highway 124 when another driver blew through a stop sign. Our family went through months of trauma because of that one moment. It reinforced something I've believed for a long time: road safety isn't just about statistics. It's about real people whose lives can change in an instant.

The ongoing construction throughout our community has only made the problem worse. Traffic is constantly being redirected onto rural roads that were never designed for this volume of vehicles. Road closures often come with very little notice, leaving drivers frustrated, confused, and rushing to make up lost time. That frustration is showing up behind the wheel, and it's making our roads more dangerous for everyone.

As the wife of a dump truck driver, I've seen this from both sides. I've seen professional drivers who don't meet the standard they should, and I've seen passenger vehicles making reckless decisions around large trucks. When something goes wrong, everyone loses. Safety isn't about pointing fingers, it's about creating conditions where everyone can get home safely.

Our community is also changing. Erin is welcoming many new residents from larger urban centres, bringing different experiences and expectations with them. That diversity can strengthen our community, but it also means we need to be intentional about building trust, respect, and a shared sense of responsibility for one another. We can't simply assume everyone arrives with the same understanding of small-town life, we need to create the environment that encourages it.

That's why I believe we need a stronger, more visible police presence, including a functioning OPP office serving our community. Visible policing isn't just about enforcement; it's about prevention, community relationships, and helping people feel safe in their neighbourhoods.

Safety means protecting our children as they walk to school. It means making sure seniors can drive without fear. It means ensuring construction is managed with clear communication and better planning. It means encouraging responsible driving, improving road safety, and making sure our local government puts the well-being of residents at the centre of every decision.

A safe community is the foundation on which everything else is built. If people don't feel safe on our roads, in our neighbourhoods, or raising their families here, nothing else matters. That's why safety will always be one of my highest priorities.