Sarita Van Dyke – Candidate for Councillor of City of Belleville, ON

Sarita Van Dyke is running as a candidate for councillor in the City of Belleville in the 2022 municipal election.

Community involvement

• Director of Congregational Life & Mission at Maranatha Church in Belleville
• 17 Years as a volunteer Youth Director
• Advocating within the child welfare system

Career

• 20 plus years as a Registered Nurse RN, CHPCN(C). with focus in Palliative Care.
• 12 Years in Health Management/Education
• Qualified High School Teacher
• Bilingual in French/English
• Lifetime Artist, Film Actor and lover of the Arts

On her IMDb page, it says Van Dyke is known for Wedding Season (2022), The Moodys (2019) and Christmas at Maple Creek (2020).

From an acting profile on AccessReelworld.ca:

Born and raised in Cornwall Ontario, Now living just outside of the Toronto GTA. Sarita grew up on stage with dancing, acting, and later modeling.  She is fluent in French and English but can understand and speak a bit of Hindi and Marathi.  Her training for film and television has mostly come out of Toronto and includes basic stunt fighting and voice. Sarita began singing over 25 years ago in church and has not stopped since.

2022 election priorities

From her website:

New Ideas, Fresh Perspective.

Why city council?

Belleville is a city filled with many opportunities and committed people. This is a good time for New Ideas and Fresh Perspective. It’s an opportunity to learn from the people who have successfully managed this city, and encourage new comers and young people to get involved in a city they call home. A City council comprised of an authentic representation of voters, is a healthy one, as they can see through the eyes of the diverse people they represent. I am passionate about people, community, and about doing community together. I get excited about taking an assessment of the big picture, seeing the holes, and providing creative solutions to them. I’m looking forward to the possibility of working with such a dedicated team of Belleville citizens.

Healthcare

The healthcare crisis is not new. During the pandemic health care facilities suffered, resulting in less primary care for people in need. As a Clinical Manager, my branch did not fall under this crisis in the way other organizations did. We doubled our marketshare, grew abundantly in staff, and was able to provide more care to our community. I have worked collaboratively with our Home and Community Care Support Services (formally known as the LHIN), in positive ways to work through the identified barriers and come out winning together. Our local branch’s recruitment and retention included job creation right here in Belleville. This required innovation and creativity, New Ideas. Changes do not happen overnight, but they can be made quickly and efficiently provided there is a good plan and execution in place. In a crisis, things need to be actioned and advocated appropriately. If you want this experience at the table, Vote Van Dyke.

Housing

There is a difference between low-income housing, geared to income housing, and affordable housing. We need to acknowledge these separately and have identified plans for each one. Once executed, this has a snowball effect that has the potential to change so many areas of our city in a positive way. The first step is to identify other cities who are doing this well and gather the needed information to develop at an innovative plan.

Homelessness

The problem is not homelessness, but lack of sufficient supports to solve the root problems. We need to provide support and guidance, and build trust. We need to support the organizations who are helping to solve the root problems. If addiction is the problem, then where are our affordable addictions centres? Detox is a short-term plan to prepare people for the next stage of their journey to sobriety. Those who are homeless do not have the means to afford an in-residence long term recovery centre. This is unacceptable. If mental health is the problem, then where is the appropriate housing with in-house supports which help people win the daily battle of mental health. We have some but not nearly enough. Those who are marginalized deserve dignified housing options with mentorship type supports. Again, we need to look to the cities who are doing this well and explore New Ideas, without having to raise taxes. Addressing this problem with love and dignity is the heart of where I come from. New Ideas, Fresh Perspective is what I bring.

Regarding homelessness and businesses in the downtown area

1. I do not think it’s appropriate or fair to businesses downtown to have people sleeping and setting up camp outside their business. Years ago, my husband and I had a small cafe downtown in another city that would have suffered loss if it had people living on the street outside.
2. I don’t think it is appropriate for families to be walking the streets in places where other people are inhabiting the space by sleeping and living there. It takes away a sense of safety and security. Given not all, but, many people who are homeless suffer mental health problems and are unwell, again, another reason why it takes away from a sense of safety and security.
3. I don’t think it’s appropriate for human beings to be sleeping on the street, period. We have a clear lack of mental health apartment complexes with in-house mental health supports that can with there dialy [sic] struggles.

Personal life

Sarita Van Dyke is married.

Contact

• Email: email@votevandyke.ca
• Phone: 343-467-6055
• Website
• Facebook
• Campaign Instagram, Personal Instagram
• Twitter
• IMDb page

Over to you

What do you think of Sarita Van Dyke as a councillor candidate for Belleville?