Nick Cadotte: CK Election & Sports Interview

Below are the Chatham-Kent Election and Sports interview responses for Ward 5, Wallaceburg council candidate Nick Cadotte.

Name: Nick Cadotte

Hometown and Ward: Wallaceburg – Ward 5

What’s your sports/recreation background?

I grew up playing sports in Wallaceburg. I played nearly every sport available to me in elementary school, and I beat a record in Grade 9 in the Tinman triathlon in Wallaceburg. These days, I love spending time on my boat and enjoying the local waterways.

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 physical activity in general is something I believe that all Chatham-Kent residents can benefit from. When it comes to trails, arenas, pools, and other recreational facilities and programs, I support all of them, as long as they can be funded responsibly.

Residents young and old, and of all abilities should have easy access to recreation in the community. As technology becomes a bigger part of our lives, I think we should all become more active, and take advantage of what’s available in Chatham-Kent right now.

Initiatives like Super Kids CK are already working on changing the mindsets of our youth – encouraging them to put down their devices and connect with the world around them. This encouragement of physical literacy is something I really believe in, and I think there are many ways to promote movement in the community.

Investing responsibly into more recreation in Chatham-Kent will have, in my opinion, a positive impact on Chatham-Kent’s image. Families will see Chatham-Kent as a community with lots to do, and current residents will be more likely to stay living here if they have more opportunities for recreation.

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?

A twin-pad arena in Chatham-Kent is a great idea, however I think it needs to be funded responsibly, and all options need to be considered. A new facility makes sense as our current arenas are aging and will cost millions to renovate completely.

If there’s an opportunity to obtain federal funding, or create partnerships with private corporations, I absolutely support a twin-pad arena. Council was presented with two options – a 4,200 seat event centre with an estimated cost of $52 million, and a 2,200 seat community facility with a cost of $25 million.

I think the 2,200-seat option fits our community best, but I’m not opposed to the more expensive option if we can secure funding for it, rather than using the taxpayers’ money.

Overall, I support a new arena. It will help support the many great sports teams we have locally, the new facility will give a good impression of Chatham-Kent to visiting teams and their friends and family, and it will also be a great place for concerts and shows.

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

I think we need to look at under-utilized municipal properties and consider using them for recreation. We also have a lot of natural resources in Chatham-Kent, such as waterways and trails, that we can invest some money into and encourage residents to get outside and be more active.

Investing in recreation costs money, and rather than increasing taxes, I’d like to see partnerships with local businesses and corporations to help cover some of these costs.

Having great recreational facilities in Chatham-Kent will be good for the local economy. It will also attract prospective athletes who are looking for a community with everything they need to train and practice.

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

I’m really pleased to see that the current term of council is supporting the pool and arena in Wallaceburg. I grew up using these facilities, and I’m glad today’s youth can continue to swim, skate, and more in the community.