Door-to-door sales can and have exposed residents to aggressive tactics, misleading information and fraud.

This issue is personal for me. Years ago, my grandmother was targeted in a water heater rental scam. The salesperson came to her door pretending to be from the gas company and asked to see her bill. She trusted them and provided it. They used the information they obtained to orchestrate the fraud.

Ontario has since prohibited unsolicited door-to-door sales of water heaters and several other home products and services. That was a good step, but it does not cover all commercial door-to-door solicitation. We have certainly seen our fair share of questionable driveway paving, roofing and other contractors going door-to-door in Haldimand.

As Mayor, I will pursue a bylaw to regulate commercial door-to-door solicitation and provide greater protection for residents, as other Ontario municipalities have done.

This would focus specifically on commercial solicitation within Haldimand County’s jurisdiction. It would not target charities, community organizations, political canvassing, and yes, I recognize the irony, or industries regulated by other levels of government.

Residents should be able to feel safe and comfortable in their own homes, and those who do not want commercial solicitors at their door should have that choice respected.