London Ward 6 candidate Ian Leishman pledges late-night transit, tax relief

LONDON · Ian Leishman, a real estate broker and president of the Old South Business Association, is running to represent Ward 6 on London’s City Council. The lifelong Londoner said conversations with residents about mishandled issues prompted his candidacy. His platform focuses on extending bus service to 3 a.m., managing construction better and changing garbage rules for students. He also identified a 26.9 percent property tax increase over four years as a major affordability threat.

Leishman said his professional background has equipped him for council work. His role with the business association involves collaborating with local businesses and residents on community matters. He also cited his real estate career for developing teamwork and negotiation abilities he considers vital for working with 14 other councillors. “When it comes to being a city councillor, you can't move anything forward unless you're able to work with others,” Leishman said. He proposes keeping London Transit Commission buses running until 3 a.m. for student safety and cost reasons. “I think there's enough demand, and students ride the bus more than anyone else, so the city of London should really pay attention to [their] number one customer,” he added. He emphasized service reliability, noting the system’s on-time performance was under 70 percent in the first half of the year against a 90 percent target.

Better construction management to avoid simultaneous road closures is another priority, with Leishman suggesting overnight work to speed completion. “You don't want to have someone using a jackhammer at 11 p.m. if you're trying to sleep, right? But for busy roads, Highbury, Adelaide, Oxford, why don't we get these done faster?” He also pledged to advocate for more frequent garbage collection and higher bag limits, calling the current rules confusing and restrictive for student households. “I know there are some houses that have quite a few people in them, and you have too much garbage, and you have this bag limit. That is ridiculous.”

Leishman said the steep property tax hike directly impacts renters through higher charges from landlords. “Even if you're renting, property taxes affect you because that means your landlord can turn around and up how much they're charging you, and a 26.9% increase is not affordable, and we're in an affordability crisis.” On homelessness, he said the crisis merits declaring a “a state of emergency” and requires “full wraparound support,” including “mental health and addiction supports.” He previously managed 103.1 Fresh Radio in London and taught radio broadcasting at Fanshawe College. Leishman said his deep ties to Western University, through his upbringing and his son’s enrollment, inform his focus on student needs. “There's about 40,000 students that are here, putting a lot of money into the city of London with not just groceries, but rent and spending time enjoying yourselves, and hopefully you enjoy London enough that you want to stay here.” Leishman faces incumbent Sam Trosow, a former Western University professor, in the Ward 6 race. Other candidates are former London Transit Commission chair Stephanie Marentette and longtime LGBTQ+ rights advocate Naomi Nadea.

With files from The Gazette • Western University's Newspaper