By JAKE DAVIDSON
Despite being in his mid-20s and new to Cambridge City Council, Nicholas Ermeta has big plans for the city.
After being elected as Ward 8 councillor in October 2010 he started small, such as getting the councillors to sing O Canada at council meetings once a month. He has also worked with the youth advisory committee to get more things for today’s youth to do, such as the new BMX park set up in Riverside Park. He has also asked for the decision on a proposal to put roundabouts on Franklin Boulevard be delayed to give residents more time to comment on the plan. However, the region hasn’t acted on the proposal as of yet.
Another thing Ermeta and the council have been trying to do is get free public transit for seniors. Council passed a motion to have the region look at it but they haven’t heard back from them. He also lobbied hard to get the light rail system extended all the way through Cambridge, but failed.
“I did stand up for my city and I put up a good fight that was a battle we didn’t win but I at least put in the legwork and tried my best to get Cambridge a better deal,” Ermeta said.
He hosts neighbourhood meetings in his ward once a month so that people can bring their concerns to him and so he can get some feedback. One of the items on his agenda is to get better public transit for the city. Some areas of his ward only get bus service until noon and then again from later in the afternoon until six in the evening. He wants to expand service so that the people on Townline Road get buses as well.
The council has been trying to get the mayors from Milton, Mississauga and all the towns in between to throw their support behind having the Go train run through Cambridge.
“Nicholas brings a young perspective to council,” said Mayor Doug Craig in a phone interview. “He is very strong in the planning aspects of his community. He has contributed very much to the debates.”
Ermeta became a councillor because he wanted to get people involved in the community. He wants to be out helping others face to face. As a councillor he gets to take on a leadership role and he has the power to make decisions.
“I love people, I love making a difference in their lives,” said Ermeta.
He said he doesn’t have any immediate plans for the future. However, he does intend on running again for his position because he wants to be in it for the long term. But things could change and he might decide to do something else. In the meantime, Ermeta will continue to work hard at making sure the people in his ward are happy.
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