Shannon Weber
Running for Mayor of Waterloo
Ran in 2022 and lost by 331 votes. Back on affordability, value for tax dollars and core city services she says are slipping.
Background
Shannon Weber has 30+ years working in municipal, non-profit, higher education and financial services sectors including serving in Executive Director and Chief of Staff roles. She has an MBA (Laurier) and is an HBA Economics (Waterloo) graduate. She is a former Business Faculty member (Conestoga) and a Professional Facilitator (Capacity Canada). She has served on Waterloo's Economic Development Advisory, Neighbourhood Strategy and Town & Gown Committees and volunteered with various non-profits including Waterloo Ravens, House of Friendship and Junior Achievement. She ran in the last mayoral race and lost by only 331 votes.
Where they stand
Each position pairs what they say with what they did.
AI data centres
Against water-intensive facilities
What they did:
Against water-intensive facilities.
Environment
Green growth, protected space
What they did:
She focuses her environmental approach on balancing sustainable urban growth with the protection of green spaces. Rather than treating climate action as an isolated issue, she integrates sustainability directly into her housing and infrastructure plans. Her definition of city "affordability" explicitly includes encouraging the development of green, energy-efficient, and sustainable infrastructure across Waterloo.
CTV, preview of the 2026 mayoral racesCBC, 2022 Waterloo candidatesImprint, meet the Waterloo mayoral candidates
Housing
Affordable housing first
What they did:
Shannon Weber positions building more affordable housing and managing smart growth as her absolute top priority. She critiques recent record-rate hikes in property taxes and utilities, and views municipal affordability not just as a household issue, but as a critical metric for Waterloo's economic competitiveness.
Waterloo Chronicle, Waterloo Votes candidate profileLinkedIn, Waterloo affordabilityInstagram
Land use
Faster building, protected green space
What they did:
She advocates for a land-use approach focused on speeding up home construction through modernization while strictly protecting green space. Her platform balances intensive, sustainable urban development with the preservation of natural areas.
CBC, 2022 Waterloo candidatesCTV, preview of the 2026 mayoral races
Policing
Strong policing
What they did:
Shannon Weber centres her platform on community safety and proactive neighbourhood-level support rather than radical restructuring of the police service. While some of her past opponents advocated for reviewing and reallocating the police budget, Weber's approach emphasizes the importance of strong policing, safer communities, and enhanced municipal accountability. She views strong, reliable policing as an essential component of a stable community infrastructure.
Public funds
Value for tax dollars
What they did:
Shannon Weber prioritizes strict taxpayer accountability, fiscal responsibility, and maximizing value for public funds. She argues that while public costs are rising, city service levels are declining, demanding a shift back to focusing on high-quality core municipal operations.
Transit
Connected, affordable transit
What they did:
Shannon Weber's view on public transit centers on building a highly connected community by taking a consultative, community-first approach. Her public positions emphasize using transit to drive city-wide connectivity while keeping an eye on affordability and fiscal accountability.
CBC, 2022 Waterloo candidatesCBC, mayor candidate panelWebsite
Transparency
Residents deserve to know
What they did:
Shannon Weber advocates that local government must be accessible, accountable, and explicitly transparent in its decision-making. As a candidate for Mayor of Waterloo, she emphasizes that residents have a fundamental right to know how municipal choices are reached, why they are being made, and how public resources are managed.
What they are promising
Their own platform, in their own words. Not checked against their record.
A city we can afford. Creating a Waterloo where young people can put down roots, families can thrive and seniors can age in place.
Vibrant, local economy. Strategic partnerships, strong local businesses and more employment opportunities.
Responsible government. Accessible leadership, reliable city services and accountability to taxpayers.
Strong, connected neighbourhoods. Safe, thriving communities with great public spaces and opportunities to belong.
Sources
- https://www.shannonweber.ca/
- https://ca.linkedin.com/in/shannon-weber
- https://www.instagram.com/shannonweberwaterloo/
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/waterloo-candidates-municipal-election-2022-1.6623341
- https://www.ctvnews.ca/kitchener/article/preview-of-the-2026-mayoral-races-in-cambridge-kitchener-and-waterloo/
- https://www.waterloochronicle.ca/news/municipal-elections/waterloo-votes-shannon-weber-mayoral-candidate/article_70f085e0-8c11-5492-9157-8be97dfefaa1.html
- https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/the-public-has-a-right-to-know-where-elected-officials-and-their-supporters-live/article_e4b2695b-490f-5baf-8e70-22ccc9f7f4b4.html
