THUNDER BAY – Stephanie Danylko promises to bring fairness, change, sustainability and transparency to city hall if she’s elected to represent McKellar Ward on Oct. 24.
Uncensored in her honesty, the first-time candidate says politicians of the past have rarely been the answer for which people are searching. Those answers usually come from the grassroots, with community-driven ideas better serving the public than those dictated from above.
Danylko said she was inspired to run after realizing no one had yet put their name forward in McKellar, and that was concerning.
“Was there no one that cares, that wants to put themselves forward? I need to tell you, I’m not political whatsoever. But community is extremely important to me and I felt this fear and nervousness inside and I just knew I had to step up,” she said.
“I was actually the first person who signed up for the ward.”
Three others would follow, but Danylko believes her honesty and integrity help set her apart from the rest of the pack.
A union steward in her workplace who advocated for human rights at work and in the community, Danylko said she started hosting community pot luck dinners late in the pandemic, opening her doors to anyone who wanted to join in.
She also hosted community walks.
Looking at the ward, Danylko says her top issue is to work toward addressing mental illness and crime.
“And it’s not just in my ward, it’s everywhere. I feel it’s important to be planting the seed that the people’s voice is really important. A lot of people have the idea that I’m going to elect that person, and that person is the leader,” she said.
“But the thing is, every single one of us is the voice. Every single one of us is a leader. We just need to stand up in our own integrity, in our authority, and we need to speak up. It’s a good idea to be uncensored in our honesty.”
Danylko is concerned that Thunder Bay is not united, that there’s too much divisiveness and danger in the community.
“I grew up in a time when you got off the school bus and you met the kids in the park and you played. And it was safe. Now at this point, that’s not the case anymore, and we need to address that. People are scared and they don’t know their neighbours anymore and people just stay inside,” she said.
Turning to the proposed indoor turf facility, Danylko said it’s an important project, but before it goes ahead, the people of the community should have a say.
"This isn’t just about one exclusive group being soccer," she said. "Soccer is very important, but what about everyone else. What about these other sports?"
"And then we have to ask ourselves, [are] a lot of low-income families going to be able to afford to go there? You might only be able to send your child there once or twice a year. I find that’s exclusive and not inclusive, and we really need to address that.”
