Joey Cyples: CK Election & Sports Interview

Below are the responses to our CK Election & Sports interview for Ward 4, North Kent candidate Joey Cyples.

Name: Joey Cyples
Hometown and Ward: Hometown is Cambridge, Ontario and running in Ward 4 North Kent

What’s your sports/recreation background?
Sports has always been an important aspect of my life. As a young child, I participated in a multitude of sports, whether it being local organized fastball, in the school playground or in the backyard with my younger siblings. Some of my best childhood memories include watching sports with my family, especially my Dad and Grandpa. As an adult, I have grown to love golfing in the summer, taking my motorcycle on the track and have been spending my winters on the ice at the Sydenham Curling Club. My volunteer initiatives include being a past board member of the Sydenham Curling Club and I currently sit as the Treasurer for the Wallaceburg Sports Hall of Fame.

What are your thoughts, or what value do you place in sports and recreation for the citizens of Chatham-Kent overall, and/or when showcasing Chatham-Kent to newcomers?
Sports and recreation is an integral part of a community. It provides a hub for people and families to come together. It promotes health and fitness, pride in our communities, and provides an avenue to help reduce the time children spend behind screens. Sports and recreation also create opportunities for economic growth in areas such as employment, business development, and tourism.

One of the hot topics leading up to the election, and over the past decade has been a new twin pad arena for Chatham-Kent. Where do you stand on this? What thoughts do you have?
The current state of both Memorial and William K. Erikson arenas call for severely needed improvements, as do many other facilities within the municipality. To determine if these two Chatham arenas should be replaced by a new twin pad arena, an exhaustive report needs to be completed to consider whether the best course of action is to upgrade existing facilities or build new.

This report must include all the associated costs, financing plan, potential risks, timelines, and how decommissioning would occur if a new arena was built. All this information is required to make the best decision for the municipality as a whole.

Of course it would be great to build a new arena in Chatham, just as it would be nice to have a new arena in each of the other communities in Chatham-Kent, however, this obviously is not a feasible solution. Once a full report has been completed, it is imperative that all relevant information be made publicly available to ensure full transparency and fiscal responsibility is achieved. As an issue that seems to have run on for years, this is something that should be addressed in the near future. A completed report should be made available to the new council for a vote on the best option, at which point, the implementation should begin.

Do you have any other ideas or plans that would impact health, wellness, sports, or recreation in Chatham-Kent, and specifically in your Ward?

I would like to see a Recreation, Parks and Sports Tourism committee established. This committee’s role would be to look for ways to improve and market Chatham-Kent’s parks, sports, and recreation facilities and develop sports tourism in Chatham-Kent. By having a membership that consists of volunteer members and councillors it can advise council on new and updates to policies, highlight priorities and help direct council on how it should proceed to the current and upcoming needs of the Municipality.

Anything else you’d like to tell our readers and voters?

When I first moved to Chatham-Kent, I had a feeling that this would be a great place to not only raise a family and grow my career but also to call home. Ten years later, that feeling has become a reality and I am proud to call Chatham-Kent my home. Being elected to council will give me the opportunity to give back to the community and help ensure that Chatham-Kent continues to progress in a positive way. I am young, energetic, and motivated. I feel that my professional background, as well as my leadership skills, would be a great asset to council and the municipality. At the end of the day, my goal is very simple; I would like the opportunity to help make our great municipality even better.

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