User:Theayeaye/sandbox/Diane Therrien

Diane Therrien is a Canadian municipal politician who is the mayor of Peterborough, Ontario, a position she won in the 2018 Ontario municipal elections. Therrien is the third woman to be mayor of the city. Prior to becoming mayor, she was a city councillor for Ward 3 (Town Ward) from 2014 to 2018.

Early life
Therrien grew up in Mississauga, Ontario.

She attended McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario where she received an undergraduate degree in History and Peace Studies.

In 2010, Therrien began a Master's degree at Trent University in the Canadian Indigenous Studies program. In this program, she completed a Major Research Paper entitled, "'This land is their land': Newcomer Perceptions of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada". and graduated in 2012. She worked as a teaching assistant in the Canadian Studies program and became involved with the executive committee of the Canadian Union of Public Employees CUPE Local 3908 Unit 1 – which represents part-time working employees at Trent University; she served as a General Vice President and as President.

Therrien took work in Toronto as a policy advisor with Ontario's Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs, while still living in Peterborough.

Therrien worked as a facilitator of community education and engagement with the Peterborough Poverty Reduction Network, where she worked to draft a five-year poverty reduction strategy. At this time she also worked at Fleming College as a teaching assistant.

Municipal politics
In January 2014, Therrien filed nomination papers to run as a candidate for City Councillor of Town Ward. During this campaign, she listed her priorities as reinvestment in infrastructure, safe and affordable housing, and public transit. One of the major issues of the 2014 municipal election was the contentious plan to build a bridge through the city's largest greenspace, Jackson Park as part of a major thoroughfare known as The Parkway. The issue came up at many candidate debates and interviews. A newly founded group against the Parkway, called Parks Not Parkways, gave candidate endorsements to candidates who had issued statements against the plans, including Therrien.

The election was held on October 27, 2014. Dean Pappas was re-elected, and Therrien replaced incumbent candidate Bill Juby, winning her seat with 2,066 votes. Analysis on the election suggested that Juby's defeat and Therrien's win came as a result of their stance on the Parkway plans.

Tenure as City Councillor
Therrien and the other elected City Councillors were sworn into office on Monday December 1, 2014. At the following Council meeting, Therrien was appointed Chair of the Parks and Recreation portfolio and Chair of the Youth portfolio.

During her time as City Councillor, Therrien established herself as a voice for progressive issues, oftentimes bringing her into conflict with more conservative members of Council, including then Mayor Daryl Bennett.

In January 2015, Therrien lead a push at Council to amend the 2015 budget and halt spending on the Parkway project, which was subsequently voted down. The question of the Parkway returned to council after the provincial review board ordered a new environmental assessment in 2016, delaying a decision by several years.

Therrien distinguished herself on many issues before Council during her term as City Councillor. She was a strong voice against anti-abortion advertisements on Peterborough Transit vehicles. She was an opposing voice to the proposal for building a casino downtown. She is a proponent of bike lanes and safe streets for cyclists.

One of the biggest issues for this Council was the sale of Peterborough Distribution Inc. (PDI), which was highly controversial among constituents. In 2015, the Province of Ontario announced that 60% of the company would be privatized to raise money for construction projects – in September of that year, Therrien lead a motion to have the Peterborough City Council oppose the province's decision in a letter. In February 2016, Mayor Daryl Bennett and CAO Allan Seabrooke said they were engaging in negotiations with Hydro One to sell the municipally-owned utility PDI – Therrien is quoted saying, “Local distribution companies are community assets and revenue generators, and the long-term implications – longer than five years - need to be thoroughly considered." During public consultations, there was strong opposition from citizens to the sale, and Council votes on the issue regularly came down to 6-5 decisions, with Therrien consistently voting against the sale. On December 7, 2016, Peterborough City Council voted to sell PDI to Hydro One for $105 million with six councillors voting for, and five against, including Therrien.

Tenure as Mayor
On August 13, 2019, Peterborough City Council unanimously passed a by-law to eliminate camping in City Parks. Therrien has stated publicly she will not allow the police to enforce the bylaws as written.

Over 1700 members of the local community have signed a petition requesting the removal of Tent City. Therrien has not yet responded to the petition.