Over A Decade of Proven Leadership
A Record of Showing Up and Getting Things Done
Since first being elected to Bradford West Gwillimbury Council in 2014, Peter has focused on being present, accessible and involved in the decisions that shape our community. Over three terms on Council, his approach has remained consistent: listen to residents, ask questions, do the homework and work with others to find practical solutions.
Parks & Recreation
Investing in Our Parks and Quality of Life
Great communities are about more than roads and buildings. They are about the places where families gather, children play, teams compete and neighbours come together. Throughout his time on Council, Peter has supported continued investment in the parks, recreation facilities and public spaces that contribute to BWG’s quality of life.
- Henderson Park: Peter worked to help advance significant improvements at Henderson Memorial Community Park, including a new 2,400-square-foot pavilion providing much-needed shade, washrooms and gathering space for families, sports teams and community events.
- Joe Magani Park: Continued work is underway on improvements at Joe Magani Park and future baseball-diamond planning, helping ensure recreational amenities continue to evolve alongside the needs of the community.
- Investing in Existing Parks: Peter has consistently supported the importance of maintaining and improving the parks residents already use and love. As BWG grows, renewing existing neighbourhood parks is just as important as building new facilities.
- Recreation for a Growing Community: Over three terms on Council, Peter has supported investments in recreation and community infrastructure that recognize the changing needs of a growing BWG. He believes recreational planning should be driven by how residents actually use facilities and where future demand is headed.
- Quality of Life Matters: Peter has advocated for parks, trails, sports facilities and gathering spaces as essential parts of a complete community. Growth should not simply bring more homes — it should also contribute to the amenities and public spaces that make BWG a great place to live.
Traffic & Safety
Community and Traffic Safety
Safer Neighbourhood Streets
Peter has consistently brought residents' concerns about speeding and neighbourhood traffic to the table, advocating for practical traffic-calming measures where warranted.
Pedestrian Crossovers
Helped deliver Pedestrian Crossovers at high-risk locations, providing safer crossing opportunities for pedestrians and families.
Traffic-Calming Infrastructure
Supported the use of tools including speed bumps, flexible bollards and radar speed display boards to help address speeding and encourage safer driving behaviour in residential areas.
Improving Road Safety
Supported continued investment in road-safety measures and emerging technology, including BWG's move toward red-light cameras at appropriate intersections.
Active Transportation
Supported investments in multi-use trails, cycling infrastructure and safer connections that provide residents with more options to move throughout the community.
Listening to Residents
Peter's approach to traffic safety has often started with the people who know their streets best — the residents who live there. Community feedback, combined with traffic data and professional analysis, has helped guide his advocacy for improvements.
Working with South Simcoe Police
Peter recognizes the importance of BWG having its own local police service and the value of a strong working relationship with South Simcoe Police. Community safety, traffic enforcement and road safety require collaboration between the Town, police and residents.
Advocating for BWG with the County
Many important roads and intersections serving BWG fall under the responsibility of the County of Simcoe. Peter has supported strong advocacy and collaboration with the County to ensure BWG's transportation and infrastructure needs receive the attention they deserve.
Accountability & Transparency
Open Government, Open Communication
Residents deserve to understand how decisions are made, how their tax dollars are spent and how those decisions will affect their community. Throughout his time on Council, Peter has worked to remain accessible to residents and believes accountability begins with being willing to listen, answer questions and explain where you stand.
Line-by-Line Budget Review
Peter takes the annual budget process seriously, reviewing budgets in detail, asking questions and looking for opportunities to find savings while protecting the core municipal services residents rely on.
Accessible to Residents
Since 2014, Peter has made accessibility a defining part of how he serves. He is the representative people know they can call, message, approach at an event or see out in the community. That direct connection with residents has helped inform his understanding of the issues facing neighbourhoods and families throughout BWG.
Communication is Key
Peter believes good communication works both ways. It means keeping residents informed, but it also means listening when residents raise concerns, ask difficult questions or bring forward ideas.
Asking Questions
Accountability sometimes means asking questions when something does not make sense or when more information is needed before making a decision. Peter believes Council has a responsibility to understand the decisions before it and ensure residents' interests are represented at the table.
Resident-Focused
Decision-Making
Peter approaches Council decisions by considering their impact on the people who live and work in BWG. Whether the issue involves development, taxes, traffic, parks or municipal services, the interests of the community should remain at the centre of the conversation.
Being Present
For Peter, representing the community has never been limited to attending Council meetings. It means being present at community events, speaking with residents, visiting neighbourhoods and staying connected to what is happening throughout BWG.
Conservation Leadership
Protecting Our Prime Agricultural Land, Lake Simcoe & Natural Heritage
Peter's commitment to environmental stewardship and responsible growth extends beyond the Council table. Through his leadership as Chair of the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and his service on the Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation Board of Directors, Peter has gained valuable regional experience working on issues that cross municipal boundaries.
Lake Simcoe Leadership
As Chair of the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, Peter has provided leadership within the organization responsible for protecting and restoring the Lake Simcoe watershed across multiple municipalities. This experience has given him a broader understanding of the relationship between growth, water quality, natural heritage, flood management and long-term environmental planning.
Protecting the Holland Marsh and Prime Agricultural Land
Throughout his time on Council, Peter has been a strong advocate for respecting and protecting BWG's important agricultural lands, including the Holland Marsh. He believes responsible growth must recognize that prime agricultural land is a finite and irreplaceable resource - one that contributes to our economy, food supply, environment and the identity of Bradford West Gwillimbury.
Scanlon Creek Nature Centre
As a member of the Connect Campaign, Peter contributed to the effort to bring the new Nature Centre at Scanlon Creek Conservation Area to life - strengthening environmental education and helping introduce future generations to the importance of conservation.
Supporting Scanlon Creek
Peter believes Scanlon Creek Conservation Park is one of BWG's hidden jewels. Its trails, forests and natural areas provide an important connection to nature right here in our community and deserve to be recognized and valued as part of BWG's quality of life.
Farmland & Water Preservation
Peter has consistently promoted the importance of protecting the farmland, water resources and natural heritage systems that help define BWG. He believes environmental protection and responsible economic growth can - and must - be considered together when planning for the community's future.
Regional Experience
Serving in leadership roles beyond the municipal Council table has given Peter experience bringing different municipalities, organizations and perspectives together around common challenges - experience that is increasingly important as BWG continues to grow.
Financial Stewardship
Tax Management & Fiscal Discipline
12
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Respecting the Taxpayer
Every dollar spent by the Town comes from somewhere. Peter believes Council should never lose sight of the fact that municipal spending ultimately belongs to the taxpayers. His approach has been straightforward: understand where the money is going, ask questions, look for efficiencies and protect the services residents depend on.
More Than a Decade of Budget Reviews
Since joining Council in 2014, Peter has participated in more than a decade of municipal budget deliberations, gaining extensive experience reviewing the financial decisions that determine both today's tax bill and BWG's long-term financial position.
Line-by-Line Review
Peter has taken a detailed approach to municipal budgets, reviewing spending line by line and questioning areas where potential savings or efficiencies may exist.
Holding the Line Where Possible
Peter has worked with Council to find opportunities to reduce or hold the municipal portion of taxation steady where possible, while maintaining the core services residents expect from their municipality.
Protecting Core Services
Fiscal responsibility is not simply about cutting spending. Peter believes responsible budgeting means finding the right balance between affordability for taxpayers and maintaining the roads, parks, recreation, emergency services and infrastructure residents rely on every day.
Long-Term Financial Thinking
The true cost of a municipal decision is not always what appears in the first year's budget. Peter believes Council must consider the long-term operating, maintenance and replacement costs of infrastructure and facilities before making major decisions.
Value for Money
Peter supports continually examining how municipal services are delivered and looking for opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce unnecessary duplication and ensure taxpayers receive good value for the money they contribute.
Committees & Leadership
Service Record
Over a decade of showing up, leading committees, and delivering results for Bradford West Gwillimbury.
Councillor, Ward 5
Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury
2014 – Present
Chair
Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority
2026 – Present
Vice-Chair
Strategic Initiatives Committee, Town of BWG
2024 – Present
Chair
Community and Traffic Safety Committee
2022 – 2024
Chair
Healthy Communities Committee
2018 – 2022
Chair
Downtown Revitalization Committee
2014 – 2018
Vice-Chair
Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority
2020 – 2024
Board Member
Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation
2018 – 2024 & 2026 – Present
Board Member
Connect Campaign for Scanlon Creek Nature Centre
2018 – 2024
Community Leadership
Showing Up for BWG
Perhaps the most important part of Peter’s record cannot be measured by a single project or Council vote. It is a record of being present. For more than a decade, Peter has made it a priority to be accessible to the people he represents, at community events, in neighbourhoods, on the phone, through messages and in everyday conversations throughout BWG.
- Three Terms of Municipal Experience: Since first being elected in 2014, Peter has served three terms on Bradford West Gwillimbury Council, providing him with more than a decade of experience navigating municipal government, budgets, planning, infrastructure and community issues.
- Leadership at the Council Table: In addition to representing residents as a Councillor, Peter has taken on leadership responsibilities through committees and regional organizations, gaining experience chairing meetings, working collaboratively and bringing different perspectives together.
- A Voice for Residents: Whether helping an individual resident navigate a Town issue or bringing a broader neighbourhood concern forward, Peter has worked to make sure residents know they have someone they can reach.
- Community Presence: Peter believes elected officials need to be part of the community they represent. Being visible and involved provides a better understanding of what residents, businesses, community organizations and families are experiencing.
- Experience Beyond BWG: Through his work with regional organizations and the County of Simcoe, Peter has gained experience representing BWG’s interests beyond Town Hall and working with other municipal leaders on issues that cross municipal boundaries.
- Twelve Years of Listening: Peter’s record is not about claiming credit for everything that has happened in BWG. Municipal government is a team effort involving Council, Town staff, community organizations, businesses and, most importantly, residents. His record is about the role he has played in that work: showing up, listening, asking questions, advocating for residents and helping move good ideas forward. After three terms on Council, Peter brings a record residents can look at, experience they can measure and a commitment to BWG that has been demonstrated through more than a decade of public service.
Ready to Lead
Experience Matters
The role of Mayor is about more than having ideas for the future. It requires experience, leadership and a clear understanding of how a municipality actually works. Over more than a decade of public service and three terms on Bradford West Gwillimbury Council, Peter has built that experience firsthand.
Understanding the Role
He understands the role of Council and the responsibilities of the Mayor. He understands the importance of working collaboratively with fellow members of Council, municipal staff, the County of Simcoe, other levels of government and community partners. He has experience with budgets, planning, infrastructure, community safety, recreation, conservation and the many complex issues that come before Council.
Collaborative Leadership
Just as importantly, Peter understands that a Mayor cannot accomplish things alone. Strong leadership means bringing people together, building consensus, asking the right questions and ensuring Council remains focused on the needs of the community. It means knowing when to lead, when to listen and how to work with others to move BWG forward.
More Than a Decade of Experience
Through his service on Council, his leadership on committees and his experience representing BWG through regional organizations, Peter has spent more than a decade building the knowledge, relationships and leadership experience needed to take on greater responsibility.
Respecting the Process
Good municipal leadership starts with understanding the role. The Mayor must provide leadership at the Council table while respecting the responsibilities of Council and professional municipal staff, represent the community beyond Town Hall and be a strong and consistent voice for BWG.
Peter has spent the past twelve years listening, learning, serving and leading. He is proud of the experience he has built, grateful for the trust residents have placed in him, and ready to take the next step - serving Bradford West Gwillimbury as Mayor
A Proven Record is Just the Beginning
From Henderson Park to Lake Simcoe, from safer streets to fiscal restraint Peter Ferragine has the track record BWG needs in its next Mayor.