Core Values & Primary Goals
Economic Stability
We are committed to ensuring Elliot Lake thrives through sustainable actions in creating job growth , attracting new businesses and encouraging entrepraneurs, and fair policies that empower every resident.
Community Safety
Investing in local infrastructure and public services to create a secure environment where families can live and prosper, and businesses want to invest and grow.
Growing our community
Advocating for increased funding through grants and projects and modernizing resources to prepare the next generation for global challenges.
Maintaining a stable internet presence for all areas of the city and surrounding areas.
We need to listen to The Voice of Elliot Lake
“For over two decades, Elliot Lake has been my home, the place where I’ve lived with my husband and built my business. I am running for City Council because I believe our leadership should be as dedicated as our citizens. My mission is rooted in radical transparency: ensuring that your voice isn’t just heard, but serves as the blueprint for every decision we make.
We are at a turning point, and we need a representative who views every resident—from our students and young professionals to our retirees and seniors—as a vital stakeholder in our shared success. This isn't just a campaign; it's a call to action for a city that prioritizes integrity, inclusivity, and bold progress.
Together, we can revitalize our local economy and secure a vibrant future for all generations. Join me in building a stronger, more accountable Elliot Lake. It is time to reclaim our seat at the table and lead with purpose. Your vote is the catalyst for the change we deserve.”
POSITIONS
These are answers to questions posed by Candidates Speak at Elliotlakecitizen.substck.com
It’s a big decision. Why did you decide to run for council?
It’s a big decision. Why did you decide to run for council?
Macknight: “Well, I decided to run for some type of political office many years ago, but the reason I decided to run this time is because I had been assisting my husband, who had dementia, for the last 10 years. So I could not do a lot in that time because I did care for him at home.
“But I’ve always been involved in political issues, I’ve always been involved in standing up for the issues I believed in ever since I was 15.
“I think I was in my ‘first parade,’ so to speak, at the age of 16. And I have been on many political campaigns through my years, stood up for many things, passed petitions out, donated, took time to give to other communities.
“And when I came here 26 years ago, I decided that if I had the opportunity, that I would like to try to make a difference in this city as well.
“I’ve done a number of things on other committees here. I’m the longest-standing surviving member of the Accessibilities Committee.
“I’ve been [on the committee] at least over 10 years. And I believe very strongly in supporting my community, and always have,” Macknight said.
Future Vision: What does Elliot Lake look like in 5 years; in 10 years?
Macknight: “In Elliot Lake in the next 5 years, I would expect it to look like projects have been finished, such as the arena, such as the pool. Things that need to be accomplished, such as the new semi-mall that’s going in beside Tim Hortons.
“That kind of rebuilding so that it would foster more people feeling comfortable here, feeling that their needs are met, and feel like we are growing.
“I would also, in 5 years, expect to see that the schools are being supported and more active, that we have more people of the teenage years, middle years, as well as elders, being available in the city to be volunteers again.
“When I came here, we had a massive amount of volunteers. They were everywhere. You couldn’t walk a block without falling over someone who was volunteering, and I’ve seen that decrease lately.
“People and volunteers is what makes a city work. That’s what makes the whole atmosphere feel invigorated so that you want to give to your community. I’d like to see that we have been able to change that culture back to the volunteering situation.
“In 10 years, I would love to see that we have been able to manage the multifaceted situation of having the wonderful environment that we have around us, protected and healthy.
“Of having people being able to be situated in proper housing, for people to be able to access the things that they need in Elliot Lake, regardless of their age - from babies all the way up to the end of their lives.
“I would like to see that we will have a situation where food will not be a commodity that people are worried about because we are able to access growing around the city as well.
“I would like to be able to see that you can buy clothing in Elliot Lake from not just one or two places, but a main place where people can feel that they can go and spend their money and get a good value for their dollar and clothe their children themselves, the elders, etc.
“And I’d like to see that we have a progressive economic balance where there is a reason to come into Elliot Lake as opposed to go out of Elliot Lake.
“When I came here 26 years ago, my husband told me that there had been a massive push to try to get people to be able to get most of their needs met in Elliot Lake and that they had been struggling with that for a while.
“He said more business tends to go out of Elliot Lake than come into Elliot Lake.
“We’re still struggling with that, but I think that there’s so many opportunities for people to develop small businesses that could help with that.
“Even larger businesses - we have the space, we have the ability to do that. And because of the situation in the world today, not just in Canada, we find that it’s getting to a situation where people want to come back to their base.
“They want to come back to an area they feel safe, they feel secure, and they feel that they are making an impact. So that’s what I’d like to see within 10 years,” Macknight said.
Elliot Lake: Strengths. Weaknesses. Opportunities. Threats.
Macknight: “The strengths of Elliot Lake are massive so I’m just going to highlight a few.
“The environment, being able to come here and actually breathe; see lakes around you, see pristine woods around here, see people able to enjoy that.
“The recreational establishment around here has really strived to make sure that people, when they do come up for recreational reasons, they understand the beauty and the use of Elliot Lake.
“The strengths of Elliot Lake include the people in general, but I have to say that diversity is one of the things that kept me here.
“When I came here, I had never been living in a city of less than 3 million people in my life.
“I’m used to a very diverse population. I’ve always worked with a very diverse population, and that’s my preference.
“And when I came here, my husband said that the thing that he loved about Elliot Lake, and he was one of the people - him, and his brother and his father, actually dragged some of the main trailers in when they started building here in Elliot Lake in the first place.
“He said one of his favorite things about Elliot Lake then was that there were people from all over the world. He said you could talk to anybody, and they would share their languages, they would share their stories, they would have picnics together, and there would be 20 different cultures represented there.
“And they all worked together because they understood that they all, no matter where they came from, wanted to be healthy.
“They all wanted to have good food to eat. They all wanted to be able to see their loved ones prosper and be healthy and well. And they all wanted to be able to work together to do that.
“I’ve marched in several pride parades in the last many years, and the fact that we do have such a diverse group of people with such a large amount of love and caring in their bodies for other people and other situations is one of the main strengths in Elliot Lake for me.
“The weaknesses are: Complacency. I’m probably going to take a hit for [saying] this, but I think a lot of times we, as a human group, become complacent. We think, ‘Oh, things are fine the way they are, or things will get better, or, well, we’ll wait a little while.’
“That happens here in Elliot Lake, too. But some of that, I believe, is on the people who also vote.
“And they say, well, all I have to do is just check a little box, and then they’ll take care of everything.
“And that’s not how it works. There has to be community involvement. There has to be the ability to express yourself.
“So it’s not just a situation of handing off the duties and having someone else do it. That ‘someone else’ should probably be you and other people as well. So that’s one of the main weaknesses.
“You have to be involved in your community in order to get what you need and want.
“The opportunities here are massive. There are so many opportunities to open up small businesses to many startup situations.
“We’re in an ideal focus area because we are in a nice small community where you can get internet and you can start up businesses online. You can arrange things. You can do consulting.
“There’s so many things that you can do online, but also just in the community, there are several things that are ripe to be focused on out there.
“There are sports opportunities that you could do out there. There are situations to help children with sports.
Macknight also described volunteering opportunities for building Elliot Lake’s future.
Macknight: “One of our threats is that I don’t think that we push enough for what we need in some situations, and I believe that that could possibly help drive people away because they don’t see that we really are truly very invested in getting something done,” she said.
Do you have a particular interest, project, or people group that brings you to this role?
Macknight: “Actually, I’m going to get in trouble on this one, too. I have never been a ‘pinpointed voter’ person. I’m not a ‘single vote situation.’
“I believe that when I vote for someone that I need to make sure that that person is going to be interested in more than one thing, and that is also my stand on being a candidate.
“I’m not going to be focused on any one thing.
“People who see me know that I have difficulty walking. They’re going to understand that accessibility is something that is important to me.
“They know that I’m a medical person, if they know me, and they realize that medical access and assistance is one of the high points.
“They know that my husband had dementia, and so dementia care and taking care of elders is definitely a high point.
“But I believe that we need to have focused help and focused progress on all stages of life and all stages of being,” Macknight said.
Are there other related strengths you bring to a council role?
Macknight: “My related strengths are that I absolutely love people. I love taking care of people, and I love helping people. I also love Elliot Lake as a community.
“I will fight as hard as I can for people’s rights, for people to be able to voice their opinion, and I’m a great listener, I have been told.
“And I truly believe in what I do, otherwise I don’t do it,” Macknight said.
Is there anything else that you want Elliot Lakers to know?
Macknight: “We are both running because we both feel very strongly about what we’re doing, and I told [Meyer] this morning that I am hoping that she gets in because she would be an amazing councillor, and I have no doubt that she would be very effective as an amazing councillor.
“And we equally respect each other, and we have the ability to disagree with someone, but respect them as a human being and respect that they have their right to have their opinion.
“We may argue, you know, like ever, about their opinion. We have, we have!
“But we respect each other and we understand that everyone is coming to it from a place where they believe strongly in that. They’re not being malicious. They’re not being vindictive.
“They just believe strongly in that,” Macknight said.
What do you think Elliot Lake should focus on for our future economic success and what result do you think is reasonable to set as a goal?
MACKNIGHT, Jacquelyn
The decision championed by Claire Dimock when the mines closed and people were leaving Elliot Lake in droves was a good decision for that time. It has helped this community come back from potentially becoming another ghost town of the north. We need a stronger redirect now to keep what is working well for retirement aged citizens who chose to come to Elliot while building on the things that attract young adults to the area.
We need to focus not only on sustainability but on progressive thinking. We need to keep our infrastructure intact so new ventures know we can support their needs. Open up the airport to air travel again, it would help the residents and visitors alike. Let’s use Elliot Lake businesses to complete builds.
We have a lower cost of living and housing, let’s encourage building onto existing houses for extended families that are looking for a change from the big cities and come here to be with their parents. Connect with colleges to set up satellite offices so students can learn at home. Use the talent pool we attract by being a small city, encourage entrepreneurs and investors. Promote the work life balance we see here, the sense of community, the amazing green spaces.
Lets ramp up our downtown areas so people want to browse through the areas increasing business, I just posted asking for where to purchase clothes in the city and found many options I was not aware of.
Promote farmers markets, festivals, holiday themed events and bring back the fair, revitalize downtown so visitors can see that we are an active community.
What policies, practices, or other measures would you promote to preserve or enhance the beauty of Elliot Lake within the city?
Elliot Lake is known as the Jewel of the Wilderness due to clear lakes, rocky hills, forests, and striking northern landscapes. It is a community shaped by nature, resilience, and pride. Here we have clean air, peaceful water, abundant wildlife, and the changing colors of all four seasons. Its lakes, trails, lookouts, and outdoor spaces support recreation, tourism, wellness, and a deep connection to the land. In a world that often moves too quickly, Elliot Lake gives us the value of quiet places, natural spaces, and a community that lives close to the outdoors.
The history includes Indigenous presence, fur harvesting, logging, mining, and reinvention once the mines closed. In many areas of mine reclamation, it is not easy to tell where all of the mines were. Maintaining this is important for our wildlife. Once known for uranium mining, Elliot Lake has continued to evolve, building a future rooted in retirement living, tourism, small business, outdoor recreation, and community spirit. We have faced change with determination and have continued to shine. And we will evolve again as all things need to progress.
Protecting and promoting Elliot Lake means supporting local businesses, preserving natural spaces, honoring its history, and investing in the people who give the community its heart. It means protecting the land by continuing to monitor the mining reclamation process to keep our water safe, make sure new builds around the bush use safe designs and materials, maintain water testing of new build areas, plant trees and plants along shorelines to prevent soil erosion and keep the fish healthy, maintain trails for year round safe use, and promote ecotourism to highlight the beauty of Elliot Lake.
As residents, leaders, and friends of Elliot Lake, we should continue to care for this remarkable place and share its value with pride.
What are your favorite ways to enjoy the summer in Elliot Lake?
My favorite ways to enjoy summer in Elliot Lake include starting the day at 5 a.m. with fresh coffee on the back deck, listening to morning birds and watching the dogs play.
I love watering the garden, picking vegetables, and meeting a friend for breakfast at one of our wonderful restaurants to catch up on everything since we last saw each other.
I enjoy driving to the Miners Memorial to watch the loons in the morning, visiting the beaches, stopping by the market next to the Moose, buying fresh baked goods from our amazing baker, and walking at Sheriff Creek.
Other favorites include attending Elliot Lake Women’s Circle events, listening to live music at local restaurants, enjoying Elliot Lake Entertainment Series performances, browsing shops for new finds and old treasures, visiting the Arts and Heritage Centre, and watching movies at the library.
I also value attending service club events and meetings, volunteering at the food bank, charity shops, and other organizations that help make Elliot Lake better.
Most of all, I enjoy spending time with friends in the best little city in Ontario. There are so many options and so little time.
I have meet and greets scheduled at the Heritage Lodge for:
September 3, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
September 10, 12:00 to 2:30 p.m.
September 24, 5:00 to 7:30 p.m.
October 8, 5:00 to 7:30 p.m.
YES or NO would you vote for this
“Be it resolved that the Procedure By-law be reviewed and that a Question Period balancing fairness to council and citizens, be developed and implemented for all council and committee meetings.”
Residents of all cities should have the ability to not only hear the information presented at council and committee meetings but ask questions and receive answers for clarity.
The issues that are discussed will cycle repeatedly if people are not allowed to voice their questions and concerns. What better way to do that than to have an in the moment discussion.
Let me know what you want to see happening in Elliot Lake in the next 4 years
GET INVOLVED
Empower our local future. Join our team of dedicated volunteers or sign up for campaign updates to help us succeed.