What people are saying

"I wrote these words in 2018, and I still stand by them today. When the voters elected Charlene Biggerstaff in the Ward 1 by-election in 2017, they made a very good choice. During that campaign, I was impressed by the amount of study and preparation she had done.

As a former Councillor myself for 22 years, I knew exactly what the job entailed and what was required to do the job well. Charlene took the initiative to contact me to arrange to meet with me to discuss a long list of matters relating to this position. She came to the meeting very well prepared and I could tell by her questions that she had a good understanding of the issues — particularly relating to the critical areas of municipal planning and finance.

After the campaign was over, Charlene "hit the ground running" and didn't miss a beat when she was sworn in to office. Over the year-and-a-half since then, she has been rock solid in the performance of her duties. She has truly earned the support of the voters and I am proud to endorse Charlene once again, knowing that the town and Ward 1 will be in very good hands for the next four years."

- Ross Jamieson

Former Councillor of 22 years  

Georgina Resident 40 years

S&B Motors Sales

I've had the privilege of knowing Charlene not only through our community, but as a friend and as a woman I genuinely respect.

 Because of the work I do, I am intentional about remaining non-partisan, and I don't make political endorsements. 

This post is personal.

What I speak to is the women I know. Charlene loves her community, puts in the work, gives back, and consistently shows up for people. I've seen her dedication, compassion and the impact she continues to make, and I’m grateful for the encouragement and support she has shown me over the years. 

So, while this isn’t a political endorsement, I can absolutely honour women for the work she has done and the position she has earned through the years of service.

Sometimes it’s not about politics. It’s about recognizing good people, celebrating other women, and acknowledging a friend who truly cares about her community.

Charlene, I see you. I appreciate you. And I am proud to honour you in this moment.

- Absane Abbie Ibrahim

Dare to Raise Foundation

"Charlene Biggerstaff has been one of my biggest role models over the years. She is very special to me; she has been an idol for me as a young entrepreneur, and she is a friend since I was 13 years old. 

We met through my first work opportunity at Crates Landing, and from then on, she took me under her wing and has offered endless support and kindness through to present time. Even in her busy life (like ridiculous busyness), she never fails to check in on me and offer guidance or advice when I need it. She has taught me to believe in myself and seen things in me that I didn't know was there until years after (and probably some I haven't even seen yet).

I could write about Charlene all afternoon, she is one in a million. I am beyond thankful that we crossed paths so many years ago and that I have her in my life. I may be biased, but nobody has the drive, the care, and the balls (excuse me) for this position in our municipal government as she does. We need more people like this in support of our community. 

Charlene, it is! You couldn’t ask for someone more fit for this opportunity to represent you and your community."

- Hailey Boden

• Georgina Resident for 25 years
• Customer Success Operations Manager
• ABC Fitness and Entrepreneur

"I just wanted to say thank you for all you have done to support me in my push for Lyme Disease awareness. The first thing I would like to thank you for was attending my Lyme awareness day at RL Graham. 

You had great advice and encouraged me to make a video that now has over 1.5k views and 87 likes as well as a big fat goose egg for dislikes!!  It is important to spread awareness as many ways as we can. To top things off, you showed my video to Carolyn enabling me to speak in front of town council in turn making May Lyme Disease awareness month official in Georgina.

Another huge thank you and I would love to see you at R.L.Graham's Lyme awareness day 2018 if possible (I know you are really busy)."

Have a good night,

 - Daniel

• Lyme Disease Advocate

"Charlene Biggerstaff is a project coordinator extraordinaire with big ideas and an even bigger heart. She is able to skillfully manage complex projects with competing priorities, shifting deliverables and dynamic timelines while also being accountable to senior leadership and diverse stakeholder groups. 

Charlene always has her eye on the big picture and she excels at mapping out a project and creating a plan that sets her and her team up for success. She practices active listening, seeks out creative solutions and takes the time to see a situation from someone else's point of view. 

Never one to rest on her laurels, Charlene is committed to continuous professional development and personal self-discovery. She inspires her team members to dream big, encourages them be their authentic selves and supports them in doing their best work. I've learned so much from working alongside Charlene and I consider her a friend for life."

- Jumol Royes

• Contributing Writer CBC
• Former IN Magazine Director of Communications and Community Engagement and,
• Instructor at University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies

"Charlene Biggerstaff is one of the most fearless, supportive, compassionate, and driven people I know. 

She’s able to take charge in stressful situations and keep everyone calm and focused.  She’s a natural leader and a strong team mentor. Charlene understands the big picture and how all the pieces fit together. She brings a clear perspective to any project she’s involved with. She’s empathetic to her team’s challenges. 

She's is also a fantastic communicator; great with people and masterful at cultivating lasting relationships. If you get the chance to work with Charlene on any project, take it".

- Kevin Rogers Cobus

• Course Developer & Instructor at York University
• Co-Owner at Origyn Group Inc. 
• Co-Owner at Amplify Canada Collective

"Ward 1, she's yours. Keep her!

I met Charlene Biggerstaff about four years ago, through community events in Georgina. I don't live in her ward. I have never needed anything from her office.

What struck me first wasn't warmth. It was how much she knows.

Ask her how the Township is structured and who actually makes a given decision, and she'll tell you — not in slogans, but in the order things really happen. Ask about the Keswick Business Park and she talks about the development plan like someone who has read it. For anyone trying to get something done at a municipality, that kind of knowledge is worth a great deal. Sympathy tells you someone cares. Knowledge tells you they can help.

I got to test that impression properly when I joined the Georgina Equity and Diversity Advisory Committee.

Charlene had come to the Chinese Association when a seat opened, told us about it, and encouraged our members to apply. She didn't hand anyone a seat — she couldn't, and I don't think she'd want to. More than one of us applied. I went through the process like everybody else, and I was the one appointed.

That committee is where I stopped being a grateful community member and became something closer to a witness. Until then I knew her in one context only: a councillor who was good to the Chinese community. That's a warm view, and a narrow one, and I was aware it might be flattering me.

The committee's job was to give the different communities in Georgina somewhere to bring their questions, their asks, their suggestions. Part of it is listening. The harder part is figuring out what a group actually needs, which is not always what they came in prepared to say.

What I watched Charlene do, month after month, was ask questions. She was always one of the members asking — especially of our guest speakers, whose presentations she paid real attention to and always had something to follow up on. And they weren't the polite questions that close a conversation. They were the second and third question, the ones that get past the surface of a request.

None of that had anything to do with me or my community. Same preparation, same patience, same follow-through, whether or not there was anyone in the room who owed her thanks.

One example I can point to. The committee wanted Georgina to have a multicultural event of its own — that much everyone supported. Charlene was one of the people who then did the work to turn it into something real. She wasn't alone in that; there are people on that committee who care a great deal, and staff who did the real building. But she put in the work, and she stayed with it. Georgina has the event now.

I should say plainly what she has done for my own community, since that's where I first came to know her. Over four years she has turned up for the Chinese Association's events year after year. And one year, when a festival we had already announced lost its venue — performers booked, date set, nowhere to hold it — she was asked for help, and what she did went past anything I expected. Others worked on it too, Town staff and our own volunteers. But she was the one who got it moving when it was stuck, and the festival went ahead on schedule in August 2024. 

She has never asked us for anything in return. I'm aware that makes me a grateful person, which is exactly why I've spent most of this on what I watched her do for everybody else.

Here's the pattern I keep noticing. She is rarely the most visible person in a piece of work, and she is very often part of the reason it gets finished.

She listens longer than she talks. She follows up on the small things — the email, the introduction, the phone call — which, if you've ever run a volunteer event, you know is most of the job. She is visibly busy and she still turns up, and she gives you her attention while she's there.

I call her Charlene, not Councillor Biggerstaff. That isn't disrespect. It's what happens after four years of someone treating you like a neighbour instead of a demographic.

I live one ward over. I can't vote for her, and I'm not asking anyone for anything. But I've watched her work for four years, most of it on matters that had nothing to do with me, and I'd rather say so out loud than assume everyone already knows.

Ward 1 — she's yours. Keep her."

— Nancy Liu 

** Written in my personal capacity as a Georgina resident and a member of the local Chinese community. 

**I sat on the Georgina Equity and Diversity Advisory Committee until it was dissolved ahead of the election, and previously served on the board of the Georgina Chinese Association. I do not speak for either.

"I’ve had the opportunity to work with Charlene on several initiatives over the years, and she consistently demonstrates the kind of leadership, professionalism, and collaborative spirit that this role requires. 

Charlene brings a rare combination of strategic thinking and genuine care for people. She has a natural ability to bring diverse stakeholders together, creating opportunities for consensus. In our collaborations, she’s shown exceptional communication skills, an uncanny ability for community building, and a steady, solutions-oriented approach to complex challenges. Her dedication to community-based impact is represented in her longstanding role on the Georgina Town Council. 

She doesn’t just participate, she invests in the success of everyone around her. Charlene is a builder. I have no doubt she would contunie to lead with vision, inclusivity, and professionalism."

Laurie Baker, PhD
Executive Director
Treefrog Accelerator 

"I have known Charlene for over 15 years and have the privilege of working and volunteering alongside her in many capacities. 

Charlene is deeply compassionate about the community and has been involved in business, volunteering, and politics for many years. Her commitment to Georgina is evident, past, present, and future. 

Charlene is thoughtful, detail-oriented, and determined in everything she does."

- Robin Smith

• Former Owner, 24/7 NRG Fitness 
• Author 
• Former Candidate 
• Celebrated Community Advocate 
• Georgina Resident for 25 years