Q: What is your role with Quinte West, and how long have you been with the City?
A: As the Project and Development Coordinator, I am responsible for reviewing engineering drawings and development submissions for new developments in Quinte West. Projects can be anything from new subdivisions and site plans to roads and access/entrance permits. I review the infrastructure, grading, and more that is proposed and ensure it meets municipal and provincial engineering standards and requirements. In the two years that I have been with Quinte West, I have had the opportunity to establish relationships with developers, builders/contractors, community partners and residents. With new subdivision development, which begins at the draft plan stage and is carried right through to final assumption, and I’m a part of the project from beginning to end. It is a great feeling to be a part of a process that, when completed, becomes someone’s new neighbourhood.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I really love my job because it gives me the opportunity to help the residents of Quinte West. Education is the best way to help residents understand why things are designed a certain way, and how it benefits everyone. Being able to see the bigger picture and how my review of plans for new development impacts other departments and people in Quinte West is an important part of my job. I love development and being a part of new community projects, especially when they’re done correctly.
Q: What’s the most challenging/rewarding part of your job?
A: In my role, I work on many projects simultaneously and every site is different – they say variety is the spice of life. I am fortunate to work on the engineering and construction side of development which gives me the opportunity to work very closely with the planning and building departments as well as the conservation authorities. These entities each have their own perspectives, approach and requirements when it comes to development, but the most rewarding part is when all of the stakeholders working on a development come together to find solutions that work for everyone. Finding common ground and keeping in mind what’s best for the City is most important and I love when people collaborate and work towards a common goal.
Q: How does a person get into a career like yours?
A: I took a different educational path than many others in my field. I have my university degree in geography and a college diploma in urban and regional planning with a specialization in geographic information systems (GIS). I went on to take additional courses to become a designated certified technician in civil engineering and I am also a designated certified technician in geomatics with the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT). Engineering is an exciting field with multiple disciplines and there are opportunities to study at both the university and college levels.
Q: What is something you wish people knew about your job?
A: I want people to know that construction and development projects have lots of little details they don’t even know about, like specifications for roads and curbs and water drainage and it’s my job to make sure those things are done properly. New projects, whether they’re subdivisions, roads or sewer systems, need to be built properly, so when the City takes on maintenance of those assets, they will last as long as possible before needing to be replaced again.
Q: What’s your favourite thing to do/eat/see in Quinte West?
A: Some days, I still can’t believe that every day I can turn around and see the Trent River and the Bay of Quinte from my office window. I am so fortunate to visit so many job sites and see so many different and beautiful parts of Quinte West. I know that there are so many more to still see and explore but one place that I keep coming back to is Farmer’s Daughter Sub Shoppe! If you haven’t been there yet, you need to because the 1812 sandwich is amazing!