Five questions with Angela Kelman, candidate for Leeds and the Thousand Islands 2026 municipal election

Editor’s note: To help voters to be better informed, Brockvilleist will be asking the same five questions of all Leeds and the Thousand Islands council candidates in advance of the municipal election, which will be held on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. Questions were sent to all candidates on Sept. 23, 2026. We will publish their responses as we receive them. Below are the responses from candidate Angela Kelman. 

1. Tell us a little bit about your professional background, including any prior municipal or other political participation, as well as about you, personally. What made you want to run for council?

I moved to the village of Lyndhurst in the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands when I was a young teenager. After attending university, my husband and I bought our home on Old Briar Hill Road where we’ve lived for 25 years and raised our four sons.

I worked as an office administrator and in group insurance at Empire Life in Kingston, but after my first child was born, I happily became a stay-at-home mom. I returned to work as a school bus driver and am now driving for my eleventh year. In May 2023, I was appointed to the Township Council following the untimely passing of then Deputy Mayor Gordon Ohlke.

For decades, I’ve dedicated much of my time to volunteering in my community. With the encouragement of individuals that I really respected, I decided that becoming a councillor was an opportunity to serve my community in a new way. I currently represent Council on the Township Recreation Working Group, the LTI Public Library Board, and the Cataraqui Conservation Full Authority Board.

I am running in this election because I feel that I represent my constituents honestly, fairly, and with integrity. I am always willing to listen, and I consider each issue that comes before Council with a balanced perspective.

2. How would you describe your personal political ideology and/or affiliation?

A government is not a machine. It is people. And much of the work of any government carries on regardless of the individuals holding elected office or any political party affiliation. It is very important that municipal politicians remain politically neutral.

We depend on our provincial and federal counterparts to advocate for improvements and funding for our municipalities. We interact with our MPs and MPPs at community events, meetings, and conferences. There should always be a baseline of respect and congeniality amongst political colleagues at all levels of government. We are all tasked with serving our constituents in the way that is most beneficial.

3. What are the three most common issues voters bring up to you as you campaign?

The most common issue that I have been hearing about from voters is their concern that civility and professionalism remain the norm at the TLTI Council table. For the last eight years, our Council has conducted itself with respect for one another, for the office that we hold, for our constituents, and for our staff – regardless of whether we agree on any particular issue or not.

This was not always the case with former councils, and more recently, our community has witnessed the dysfunction that ensued in neighbouring municipalities when personality politics prevailed. This level of dysfunction impacts the trust of constituents and staff morale, and delays or disrupts results. Many voters also tell me that they would like to see new ways that the Township can support economic development.

This is a community that promotes and respects its small businesses. These businesses serve our residents and draw visitors and future residents to the area. Finally, voters appreciate a wide range of recreational opportunities in the community that they live in, whether those programs are offered by the township, library, or facilitators. I always receive great feedback on what we’re already doing and suggestions for the future.

4. What three issues are most pressing/important to address locally in your opinion?

I think that the most important issue that our council will face over the next four years will be fiscal management – balancing rising costs, changing and more stringent regulations, and the requirements of our asset management plan with the desire to keep our tax rate one of the lowest in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, upgrade facilities, add new programming, and build for the future.

Supporting environmental protections will become increasingly important. What makes our township such a desirable place to live and visit is its natural heritage and beauty. We have many partners – provincial and national parks, land trusts, the conservation authority, lake associations, the Frontenac Arch Biosphere, and other environmentally focused organizations and groups – that are ready and willing to work with the Township to protect our natural heritage for generations to come. And housing is a significant issue. We have a dearth of rental properties in the Township, and affordable housing for young families looking to buy their first home or seniors hoping to downsize.

5. What do you feel sets you apart from other candidates?

I can not say that I have a young family myself anymore – my youngest son just started his last year of high school -but I still have a strong connection to this demographic in our community. For more than twenty years I’ve been a local school parent and school council member. I volunteer in our local schools and sit on the school board’s Parent Involvement Committee. I also represent council on the North Leeds Youth Coordinating Committee…And I drive a school bus! I hear from parents and I hear from kids, of all ages – what they like to do and what they wish was in their neighbourhood.

It is so important to listen to all our voters, but I always think that it’s very important to ask kids what they think. They’re honest and they have no expectations or biases. Working parents often don’t have time to volunteer or attend meetings. Their community means a lot to them too, whether they grew up here or have moved here from elsewhere, and they have new ideas and perspectives to share.