10/19/2026
Happy Monday everyone! We hope you had a great weekend. We are continuing to share responses to our questions from candidates for mayor and for Cornwall City Council. Our next responses are from mayoral candidate Sarah Good. Thanks to Sarah for taking the time to respond.
Question 1: Do you believe that 2SLGBTQ+ visibility is important? What role, if any, do the mayor and councillors play in increasing visibility, awareness and acceptance of marginalized communities?
Visibility matters because people should be able to see themselves reflected and welcomed in our community. The Mayor and Council have an important role in setting the tone for our community. That means speaking out against discrimination, supporting opportunities for education and awareness, ensuring municipal policies and services are inclusive, and creating public spaces where people from all walks of life know they belong.
During my term on Council, I have consistently supported equity, diversity and inclusion. I brought forward the motion that should have led to the creation of the City's external EDI committee through the Mayor's Task Force, I supported Cornwall becoming a signatory to the IDEA Community Coalition, and later brought forward a motion reaffirming the City's commitment to this work when progress had stalled.
I have participated in several Diversity Cornwall fundraisers over the years, beginning when I first attended a comedy show with my niece at La Maison back in 2019, continuing throughout the years, from the Online Auction to the Cold Plunge, marching in the Pride Parade with my family and friends and painting the fountain at City Hall. I have consistently made personal donations, and have shared events and shown up in support of Diversity Cornwall.
Visibility alone does not eliminate discrimination, but it sends an important message about the kind of community we want Cornwall to be: one where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
Question 2: Do you feel that the City of Cornwall's budget should include financial support for 2SLGBTQ+ organizations such as Diversity Cornwall?
I believe the City should be able to financially support organizations and initiatives that provide a demonstrated community benefit, including those serving the 2SLGBTQ+ community. I also believe municipal funding needs to be allocated through a fair, transparent and accountable process. One of the concerns I raised during the 2026 budget, which I had flagged previously in the term, was that the City did not have a clear policy for funding requests that fell outside our established Municipal Grants Program. That can create inconsistencies in how organizations are evaluated and funded.
I subsequently brought forward a motion to create a new funding stream for non-profit organizations whose work does not fit within the City's existing grants program. My goal is not to eliminate support for community organizations, but to create a more sustainable and transparent way of providing it.
Question 3: There has previously been mention at the council table that the City of Cornwall cannot continue to support Diversity Cornwall over the long term. However, there are many Canadian cities that do provide consistent funding to 2SLGBTQ+ organizations. Do you agree with the assertion that the City of Cornwall cannot continue to support Diversity Cornwall over the long term?
I would not make a blanket statement that the City cannot continue to support Diversity Cornwall over the long term. I believe the better question is how can we evaluate what services and outcomes the City is supporting, and what funding model is fair and sustainable. That is the standard I believe we should apply to all organizations seeking ongoing municipal support.
Diversity Cornwall has provided a growing list of programming, services, and events for 2SLGBTQ+ residents in Cornwall and the surrounding region. Those services serve an important need in our community. At the same time, I believe ongoing municipal funding for any independent organization should include clear expectations, accountability and an appropriate funding process.
As Mayor, I would support having that process in place so organizations such as Diversity Cornwall can seek municipal support based on the services they provide and the outcomes they achieve, rather than having their future funding determined through an ad hoc budget process each year.
Question 4: How have you previously voted on decisions impacting the 2SLGBTQ+ community of Cornwall, Akwesasne and SD&G? (For example: municipal funding decisions impacting Diversity Cornwall, the request for a rainbow crosswalk, etc).
Throughout my term, I have consistently supported initiatives that advance inclusion and visibility for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, including the completion and re-painting of rainbow crosswalk, Pride recognition and participation, the City’s EDI work, and municipal funding for Diversity Cornwall.
I have also brought forward motions to strengthen the City’s approach to equity, diversity and inclusion and to create a clearer, more sustainable funding process for community organizations.
During the 2026 budget, I first voted in favour of a motion that would have maintained the full proposed $35,000 for Diversity Cornwall and $30,000 for Your Arts Council, while also providing $54,000 to the Social Development Council. When that motion was defeated, I proposed what I felt was a reasonable compromise that provided $25,000 to each organization. That motion passed. The decision was not vetoed by the Mayor prior to the final budget approval in late January 2026. My record reflects a consistent commitment to ensuring that everyone in Cornwall feels welcome, respected and included.
