Fred Ngounjo

Background

I am a research scientist with the Canadian government. I have contributed to over 10 publications in the field of microbial engineering applied to converting low-value organic resources into green energy. I am bilingual, 50 years old, and have happily lived in Cornwall for over a decade with my wife and two children. I have also been involved in organizing amateur sports on a part-time basis. I am a member of the Knights of Columbus and other community organizations. I was encouraged to run for office by Bernadette Clement, and I am deeply grateful for her support. Since being elected to City Council in 2022, at every opportunity I have worked to bring hope and vision to the Council table. For instance I have sought to get us moving towards enhancing access to post-secondary education in our community. Prior to being elected, I have been actively involved with the development of amateur sports activities here. I have organized annual tournaments which brought together local as well as regional sports enthusiasts in a spirit of goodwill towards one another and of enthusiasm for our community. I think this has helped us be seen as a welcoming and positive place. In 2022, I became the first Black man to serve on the City Council. I welcomed that honour. But adapting Martin Luther King’s words, I prefer to be judged on the content of my character than on the colour of my skin. I have worked to make sure we benefit as a community from all voices who seek to contribute. As Councllor, I bring the wisdom to listen, and the courage to speak up.

Top Priorities

My priorities are: Getting our finances in better shape with a thorough review of all our spending and our debt level. I feel that our current rate of spending is unwise. That’s why I voted against a budget with a 5.41% tax increase. We must address fundamentally just how this City is run. We have great assets as a community, but we are lagging behind in tackling various significant challenges. A top priority is for our City Council to play an innovative, unifying leadership role, making sure we get the best advice, guided by a vision of what our beautiful city can become. We must, and can do better. Council needs to take charge of its own agenda. We need to develop a list of priorities and keep plugging away at them until we get the job done. While health care is not a direct municipal responsibility, it is a critical need of our people. Especially with our aging population, healthcare needs are definitely a major and growing concern for Cornwall residents. Few needs are more crucial than this. A refreshed City Council must speak out more clearly and more powerfully to our provincial government so that greater funding is made available to our Community hospital. Very many of our local residents must travel regularly to Ottawa to access specialized healthcare, and despite volunteer assistance, have trouble getting to that care. It is time to consider a Cornwall Transit Healthcare Link which would provide the possibility of travel to Ottawa for medical care at an affordable rate. This is a proper role for a municipal government that meets the needs of its citizens. And it also time to work to remove any obstacles that may prevent new doctors from coming to Cornwall. Council must work even more closely with physicians and health care providers as well as with the Cornwall Community Hospital to make sure they feel respected and that their needs are fully met. In fact, I believe that the City of Cornwall should be represented within the governance of our Hospital. We must also support the work of our outstanding first responders.

1. The 2026 Budget & Property Taxes: The 2026 municipal budget passed with a 5.41% increase to the property tax levy, bringing the "average" residential property tax bill to nearly $3,270. As a City Councillor, how will you approach future budget deliberations to balance the necessity of maintaining essential city services while ensuring the commercial tax rate remains competitive enough to attract new investment?

Getting our finances in better shape with a thorough review of all our spending and our debt level. I feel that our current rate of spending is unwise, and our debt level is excessive. That’s why I voted against a budget with a 5.41% tax increase.

2. Red Tape & Business Licensing: The City has been working to modernize its Business Licensing By-law to consolidate decades-old regulations and reduce licensing categories. If elected to Council, what specific steps will you champion to further streamline the permitting, zoning, and licensing processes and reduce the administrative burden on small business owners?

To be fair, I think that we have made some progress on this. And remember that what some may call red tape is fundanentally a question of making sure people are kept safe, and on that no one would want to cut corners. But like Prime Minister Carney, who wants to get things done for the good of Cornwall, I believe there needs to be a reasonable time limit from beginning to end for a builder to be able to secure approvals. I would even suggest that Council test the process with a simulation at a public meeting between Council, planners and entrepreneurs. It’s time to be innovative to get the job done right.

3. Infrastructure Prioritization: The City's Asset Management Plan indicates a significant backlog of infrastructure renewal projects. Which specific municipal infrastructure investments (e.g., road maintenance, transit expansion, water/wastewater upgrades) will you advocate for as an immediate priority over the next four years to support local industry and residents?

My view of our priorities definitely puts providing safe pure drinking water and ensuring public health at the very top of the list. Our economic development is closely tied to this. We will need to carefully build in a program to renew roads and other facilities to keep up with our needs. For too many years, maintenance was put off to the future just to lower taxes. We are paying a penalty now for that bad government.

4. The Port Lands Development: The 16-acre Port Lands, jointly owned by the municipality and the Akwesasne First Nation, is a major waterfront asset. What is your vision for the future development of this parcel, and how will you work within Council to ensure the partnership fosters mutually beneficial economic growth for the region?

The slow progress with the Portlands has been deplorable. Cornwall currently has no anchor tourism attraction. Tourism is a modern economic driver, especially in an era where Canadians will seek more and more to travel within Canada. I have a vision of Cornwall working closely and respectfully with the people of Akwesasne to build a truly attractive and interesting multi-media Centre highlighting the history and culture of Indigenous Peoples. This would be part of the Portlands (jointly owned by Akwesasne and the City of Cornwall) on the shores of the St-Lawrence River, not far from where the Mohawks first guided the Loyalists to what is present day Cornwall in 1784, some 242 years ago. Attracting visitors here will benefit the city in three ways: 1. It will significantly advance the cause of Truth and our Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. 2. It will instill greater pride in our own community, something which in itself can help to move us forward 3. It will bring direct economic benefits. 4. Among the many visitors may well be future investors.

5. Housing Supply & Affordability: Cornwall is facing a critical housing shortage across all income brackets. What specific municipal actions will you advocate for at the Council table (e.g., zoning amendments, targeted development incentives, utilizing city-owned land) to accelerate residential development and ensure a mix of affordable options?

I see a role for our municipal government as a leader in addressing the need for affordable housing in our community. We can no longer just be bystanders waiting for developers to make a move. We don’t have time for that. We need to be proactive as some other municipalities in Canada have been. That is the kind of municipal government I believe in. Creating more available land for housing is crucial. This means tackling the issue of cleaning up the polluted huge former industrial lands which waste so much land in the West and East ends. We must as well actively pursue every possible funding from Federal and Provincial programs. A Housing Task Force must actively pursue all possibilities.

6. Addressing Homelessness: Complex social issues like homelessness affect vulnerable individuals and impact the downtown business community. As a Councillor, what is your strategy for ensuring the municipality effectively supports collaborative community initiatives (like The Stepping Stone project), and what specific city resources or policies will you commit to reducing the number of unhoused individuals?

Working with others around the Council table, I would make sure that we build affordable housing in Cornwall first before anywhere else in the Counties. The need is felt mostly right here. I would also make sure that we took time to listen to get things right the first time instead of having to start all over again as we did with Massey Commons. And I would call for the involvement of all three levels of government to effectively address the terrible impact of illegal drugs in our community. Homelessness is a complex issue but solutions come from something simple: the determination to get the job done right.

7. Youth Retention & Workforce Development: A common challenge for local businesses is attracting and retaining skilled talent. How will you use your position on Council to work with local institutions like St. Lawrence College and the business community to encourage youth to build their careers in Cornwall rather than relocating to larger urban centers?

The development of innovative post-secondary education opportunities - namely access to some university level programs with an affiliation to the University of Ottawa, using modern technology is a key component of our future. Such access is essential to keeping more of our youth here. The soon to be former St-Lawrence Secondary School is an interesting possibility as a locale. We also need to be more vocal as a Council in standing up for the Cornwall campus of St-Lawrence College.

8. Industrial Expansion & Logistics: Cornwall has a strong history as a logistics and industrial hub, recently seeing investments like the Michelin Distribution Centre, but the city must remain competitive. How will you support the transportation sector and advocate for infrastructure improvements that meet the evolving needs of local industry?

It is true that we are in competition with other municipalities. We need to keep in close touch with industry and commerce to make sure we understand what is most important to them and make sure we are able to provide it. I believe that there must be improvements to access to the Industrial Park from the 401 and that exits needs to be improved upon.

9. Tourism, Events, & Local Initiatives: Tourism is a significant economic driver for our local hospitality and retail sectors. How can City Council better support local events, festivals, and community initiatives to drive tourism, and what municipal resources or support do you believe should be provided to ensure their success?

We currently have no single major tourism attraction to draw large numbers of visitors to Cornwall. Hopefully the Portlands will provide such an opportunity and I invite you to read my reply to Question #4 about that. But we do have various events which attract interest, and with wise funding from the Tourism Development Corporation drawn from taxes on visitor stays at hotels, we can continue to develop an even brighter array of such tourism opportunities.

10. Council Dynamics & Community Voice: The 2026 municipal budget was passed utilizing provincial "Strong Mayor" powers. Regardless of your stance on those specific powers, how will you ensure that as a City Councillor, you effectively represent the voice of the public and the business community in major municipal decisions, ensuring accountability and transparency at City Hall?

For me, the following is not just a campaign slogan, it has been and will continue to be my whole approach to my life as a Councillor: The wisdom to listen, the courage to speak up. To be a proper voice, one must first listen. Listen and learn how people are feeling and thinking and what their needs are.

11. Maintaining Decorum and Handling Misinformation: City Councillors are increasingly subject to intense public scrutiny and are often the target of misinformation or disinformation spread across social media. Additionally, this scrutiny can sometimes escalate into harassment or abusive language. The City’s Code of Conduct requires Councillors to treat everyone with respect and maintain professional decorum, even when facing hostile or factually incorrect public discourse. How will you personally handle the pressures of social media, combat local misinformation without escalating conflicts, and ensure that your interactions—both online and offline—foster a respectful, constructive environment that upholds the integrity of City Council?

It has always been in my nature to remain calm under pressure and this will continue to be my approach. I respect that sometimes disagreement can be helpful in bringing about the best solutions but it serves no purpose to be disagreeable. The people of Cornwall are not interested in squabbles. They want solutions.