Hello, my name is Dakota and I live in Ward 5 with my partner. 

I am running for City Council because I’ve spent my life doing this kind of work, not because it’s been my job, but because it’s my calling and what I genuinely love to do. As a kid, I told anyone who would listen that I wanted to be the first female Prime Minister. I’d line up my stuffed animals, and my three younger siblings, and give passionate speeches about stray cats, climate change, or how Rob Ford wanted to get rid of cyclists. 

That passion has never left me. I studied politics in Ottawa, worked at Indigenous Services Canada in the regional infrastructure and development branch, and even spent a year campaigning door-to-door for my aunt who is now a City Councillor in Rideau-Rockcliffe. I learned more in the year I spent knocking on doors than I did in my entire four-year political science degree. That experience taught me that the most meaningful change doesn’t come from the top down. It comes from the ground up: from neighbours talking to neighbours, from listening before acting, and from people showing up because they genuinely care. I’ve been doing community-based work ever since.

For the past eight years, I’ve supported nonprofits, social enterprises, and remote First Nations. I’ve written grants, designed programs, and helped grassroots organizations access over $1 million in funding. I helped set up a planning strategy for Hillside’s Indigenous Circle, and recently supported Guelph’s Community FEWD in securing a grant that will increase their ability to serve free or by donation meals across Guelph. During COVID, I also completed my Master’s degree studying food security and food sovereignty, supported by the Arrell Food Institute.
While degrees and work experience are important, I do feel it’s also necessary to mention the lived experience I bring to this role. The experience of being a young adult working multiple part-time jobs to make ends meet, of growing up underhoused in downtown Toronto, and of facing food insecurity firsthand as a child. These experiences shape how I approach public service, and allow me to better relate to the concerns of residents in Ward 5 and across the city.

But you aren’t just putting your trust in me, I am far from an expert on every topic. What I do have is a wide network of peers, that are experts in their respective fields, who never fail to pick up the phone on the first ring. Farmers, engineers, environmentalists, early childhood educators… together with you, we can build a Guelph where everyone feels seen, supported, and at home. 

Thank you for taking the time to get to know me. I love you Guelph.