Angela Panacci running for Ward 6 Councillor

Panacci has a background in economics and human resources

By Zachary Roman

Angela Panacci said advocacy doesn't stop when the election stops.

Panacci, a candidate for Ward 6 Councillor, has lived in Caledon for 12 years with her husband and they have three sons.

She has a degree in economics and, in 2020, she completed a postgraduate human resources program. In 2018, Panacci ran for Ward 5 Regional Councillor but was unsuccessful, and is now running for the newly-created Ward 6 Councillor position.

While she lives just outside of the Ward 6 boundaries, Panacci said her life and community involvement has been centred in Bolton and that's the reason she's running for office there.

Panacci said leading resistance to an asphalt plant and delegating to Council against removing Regional Councillor positions are two of the ways she's been involved in advocating for her community before.

She's a member of the board of directors of Caledon Community Services, the largest non-profit organization in Caledon.

“I've always liked to be involved in my community,” said Panacci. “Being at the table where decisions are made, that's where I can really best serve.”

She said Caledon's ward boundary update gives Bolton a chance to have a stronger voice at the Council table.

Panacci said her history of advocacy and her being unafraid to go against the grain makes her a good candidate to be one of those voices. Panacci wants to continue with the revitalization of Downtown Bolton if elected as she said it's a vital gathering point that's important now more than ever. Downtown Bolton, she said, should be a place where businesses are thriving, that's bike and pedestrian friendly, and attracts people to stop and park and check it out.

“We need to introduce more activities and engagement… by people coming to Downtown Bolton, you're uniting the community, but you're also contributing to the wellbeing of the businesses by spending your money locally,” said Panacci.

Panacci said she likes to put a strong emphasis on the arts because they're great for the community and mental health. She said the new Humber River Centre could be used to host concerts, vendor markets, and more when it's opened and that she'd advocate for those sorts of things if elected. 

“[We can] increase community engagement through social activities; concerts and local events,” said Panacci. “Caledon has a large population of seniors, and young families, and we need to be able to have a community that fits the whole group.”

Housing is a problem in Caledon, said Panacci, and she said building strong relationships with the provincial and federal governments is key in fixing it.

She explained Caledon does not yet have the infrastructure in place it needs to accommodate the growth that's being mandated by the Province, nor does it have the social programs.

Panacci said growth is good, but it needs to be done in a responsible manner.

Panacci said she has a very friendly nature as a person, and because of this her leadership style is collaborative. She said if elected, it's as though the constituents of Ward 6 hired her to do a job and get things done for them. 

“They're not asking me to be besties with anyone… but I do need to be able to be professional enough to put the needs of my community first,” said Panacci.  “I have a very collaborative approach. I would like to say that I'm aware of body language and what people are thinking and feeling, and have the ability to be able to anticipate any roadblocks, so that I can mitigate some of the setbacks.”

Panacci said she's willing to listen to the concerns of the community and that it's important for a Councillor to always hear a constituent out, even if there's not immediately a way to solve their problem.

Given the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic, Panacci said Caledon's current Council did a good job of uniting and doing what they thought was best for the community.

While she said you'll never find someone who was 100 per cent happy with a term of Council, she felt those at the table for the current term were there working with the best of intentions.

On the flipside, Panacci said she felt there was too much bickering and “school yard” behaviour on Council at times. “As a community, we all expect our leaders to behave with the highest standards,” she said. “I think that more could have been achieved for Bolton if less bickering happened.”

Panacci explained there doesn't need to be an “us vs. them” approach when it comes to Bolton and the rest of Caledon's villages and hamlets. She said Caledon is all one community, and that if one community succeeds, it only means good things for the others in Town too.

As Caledon grows, Panacci said it's important for it to maintain its small-town feel, and that municipal government plays a big role in that. Through recreation and community events, Panacci said municipal governments can be instrumental in bringing together neighbours living in new developments.

“It's our job as leaders to ensure that we welcome those that are coming to our community, and that they integrate well into our community,” said Panacci.

makes her a good candidate to be one of those voices. Panacci wants to continue with the revitalization of Downtown Bolton if elected as she said it's a vital gathering point that's important now more than ever. Downtown Bolton, she said, should be a place where businesses are thriving, that's bike and pedestrian friendly, and attracts people to stop and park and check it out.

“We need to introduce more activities and engagement… by people coming to Downtown Bolton, you're uniting the community, but you're also contributing to the wellbeing of the businesses by spending your money locally,” said Panacci.

Panacci said she likes to put a strong emphasis on the arts because they're great for the community and mental health. She said the new Humber River Centre could be used to host concerts, vendor markets, and more when it's opened and that she'd advocate for those sorts of things if elected. 

“[We can] increase community engagement through social activities; concerts and local events,” said Panacci. “Caledon has a large population of seniors, and young families, and we need to be able to have a community that fits the whole group.”

Housing is a problem in Caledon, said Panacci, and she said building strong relationships with the provincial and federal governments is key in fixing it.

She explained Caledon does not yet have the infrastructure in place it needs to accommodate the growth that's being mandated by the Province, nor does it have the social programs.

Panacci said growth is good, but it needs to be done in a responsible manner.

Panacci said she has a very friendly nature as a person, and because of this her leadership style is collaborative. She said if elected, it's as though the constituents of Ward 6 hired her to do a job and get things done for them. 

“They're not asking me to be besties with anyone… but I do need to be able to be professional enough to put the needs of my community first,” said Panacci.  “I have a very collaborative approach. I would like to say that I'm aware of body language and what people are thinking and feeling, and have the ability to be able to anticipate any roadblocks, so that I can mitigate some of the setbacks.”

Panacci said she's willing to listen to the concerns of the community and that it's important for a Councillor to always hear a constituent out, even if there's not immediately a way to solve their problem.

Given the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic, Panacci said Caledon's current Council did a good job of uniting and doing what they thought was best for the community.

While she said you'll never find someone who was 100 per cent happy with a term of Council, she felt those at the table for the current term were there working with the best of intentions.

On the flipside, Panacci said she felt there was too much bickering and “school yard” behaviour on Council at times. “As a community, we all expect our leaders to behave with the highest standards,” she said. “I think that more could have been achieved for Bolton if less bickering happened.”

Panacci explained there doesn't need to be an “us vs. them” approach when it comes to Bolton and the rest of Caledon's villages and hamlets. She said Caledon is all one community, and that if one community succeeds, it only means good things for the others in Town too.

As Caledon grows, Panacci said it's important for it to maintain its small-town feel, and that municipal government plays a big role in that. Through recreation and community events, Panacci said municipal governments can be instrumental in bringing together neighbours living in new developments.

“It's our job as leaders to ensure that we welcome those that are coming to our community, and that they integrate well into our community,” said Panacci.