Ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith has told BurlingtonToday that he intends to run again. Galbraith also serves as Deputy Mayor for Business and Red Tape Reduction.

By Pepper Parr

March 24th, 2026

BURLINGTON, ON

Ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith told BurlingtonToday that he intends to run for City Council again. It will be his third term if he is re-elected, which is almost a certainty.  He might even be acclaimed,

Galbraith also serves as Deputy Mayor for Business and Red Tape Reduction.

Gailbraith is a small businessman who operated a gymnasium and began accumulating pieces of land close to the gym before he found himself selected as the candidate for ward 1 in a nomination meeting that had 13 candidates.

He entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Emshi Developments Inc., a Burlington based firm specializing in commercial plazas and residential buildings. Notable projects in their portfolio include the Fairview Medical Arts Centre, Brantview Plaza, and the Burloak Common developments.  Emshi owns a small plaza to the west of the Galbraith properties.

Galbraith owns A, C and D. Emshi owns A. B is a garage that may or may not be part of the MOU.

That property ownership puts him in a Conflict of Interest which Galbraith declares each time developments  close to his holdings are on an agenda.

Declaring the conflict and not taking part in the voting is all Galbraith has to do.  He doesn’t take part in the discussions related to property that is close to his holdings.

Galbraith has done nothing illegal.

However, when there are developments that do require a Council member to speak up for the residents in the ward, they, in effect have no representation.

That is the issue before Galbraith.  He will say that he can represent the views of the residents of the ward on all the issues.

That just isn’t true.  Nor is it what the democratic process is all about.

Galbraith owns the two lots south of the land Indwell is expected to develop. He also owns the gymnasium (the white graphic in the center)

The public has every right to know what Galbraith thinks about the Indwell development that is going to be developed on three lots to the immediate north of the two lots Galbraith owns on Waterdown Road.  At this point the development isn’t controversial – it is certainly different and a welcome addition to the very affordable housing the city needs.

Should, and I say this very delicately because I have no reason to suspect there will be any issues with the Indwell development, but if there are Galbraith can’t talk about what is being done.

Galbraith in effect, has a hobble on what he can say.  A council member who is limited on what he can say on an issue in the ward he represents should not be a member of Council.

Kelven Galbraith is a decent person; personable and honest; he once said he thought he would like to be Mayor.

I had lunch with Galbraith (he picked up the bill), and I asked if he had given any serious thought to running for Mayor this time around.  His response was that he was comfortable with Mayor Meed Ward and would not run against her.

Galbraith has voted with the Mayor on just about every issue.

The list of candidates was very long – Ward 1 citizens went for Kelven Galbraith – few outside the ward knew who he was.

There are some people in Ward 1 who are not that keen on the Councillor, but one would be hard pressed to find more than a handful of people who don’t want him as their Council member.

This is the issue the residents of Ward 1 face.  It is something they have to deal with.  The 13 people who sought the nomination in 2018 proved the interest is there.  Now is the time for it to come to the surface.