By Kezia Royer-Burkett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

For Osob Adus, running for Ward 6 councillor in Burlington’s 2026 municipal election is about more than seeking a seat at City Hall. It is about ensuring residents have a meaningful role in decisions affecting their neighbourhoods, their safety and the future of their communities.

In the latest episode of Pages of Me Podcast: Election Edition, host Kezia Royer-Burkett spoke with Adus as part of the Beyond the Campaign series, which explores the personal experiences, values, and motivations of the people seeking public office beyond their campaign platforms.

Born in East Africa, Adus immigrated to Canada at age 14 and has called Burlington home for approximately 26 years. Since arriving in Canada, she has pursued post-secondary education, built a professional career, raised her family and become involved in community advocacy and engagement.

“My journey has been one of many aspects,” Adus said. “I can relate to me as an immigrant to Canada, and then me as a student, me as a professional in Burlington, me as a parent in Burlington, me as an advocate in Burlington, and then me as a community engagement professional in Burlington.”

Her connection to Burlington began with a search for a place that offered outdoor recreation, affordability, and a sense of community. She and her late husband were exploring southwestern Ontario when they stopped in Burlington and caught sight of Lake Ontario.

“My heart was home,” she said, recalling the moment that helped convince her to raise her family in the city. “There was something about it that gave me, at the time, the peace and the tranquillity and the small city that I wanted to raise my family.”

Adus has experienced Burlington as both a newcomer and now as a longtime resident. She remembers arriving in a city that was less diverse than it is today, navigating spaces where she and her family stood out, and learning how to create opportunities for connection.

Rather than focusing on the differences between herself and others, Adus said she looked for common ground and ways to build relationships. She joined school parent councils, connected with women through running groups and participated in community initiatives designed to help people feel included.

“If there are no tables for me to come to, what tables could I create so that others who live within the same communities can come in and get to know each other,” she said.

Her community involvement eventually extended to cultural sensitivity training and efforts to help organizations better understand the needs of different communities, including Muslim residents, Black residents and Syrian refugees.

Adus said those experiences reinforced the importance of education, awareness, and relationship building, particularly when addressing assumptions and barriers that can prevent people from participating fully in their communities.

As a Black Muslim woman and a single mother, she has also experienced how intersecting aspects of identity can shape the way people are perceived in professional and public spaces.

“At some point, I have to own who I am,” she said, adding that although progress has been made in challenging stereotypes, more work remains.

For Adus, that work involves creating opportunities for people to participate while ensuring that biases do not determine how their abilities and contributions are judged.

Those experiences have also influenced how she approaches representation in municipal politics, particularly when it comes to listening to residents whose concerns may not always be reflected in decisions made at City Hall.

When asked what she would say to a Ward 6 resident who feels the city does not listen to them, Adus acknowledged that the concern is one she has encountered while speaking with residents during her campaign.

“First of all, I agree with that,” she said. “From what I’ve seen, I haven’t seen much of a listening, to be very honest.”

Adus believes that feeling unheard can also reflect a deeper concern about representation. For her, representation is not limited to race or ethnicity, but also includes differences in perspective, priorities, and lived experience.

Residents may want to feel safe in their neighbourhoods, protect their vehicles from theft, enjoy their parks, and have confidence that their concerns are being taken seriously. Adus said those everyday experiences should help shape municipal decisions.

“The work that’s getting accomplished needs to come from the residents,” she said, emphasizing that community members should be involved early in the decision-making process, while plans are still being studied and developed.

She wants residents to have opportunities to participate in open conversations where their feedback is considered before decisions are finalized, rather than being asked to respond after key choices have already been made.

“I always say that doing the same thing and expecting different results, it’s nothing short of madness,” Adus said.

As the campaign continues, green space and the future of the Millcroft neighbourhood are among the issues Adus said she is paying close attention to. She pointed to her experience across the corporate, nonprofit, entrepreneurial, and advocacy sectors as part of what she would bring to the councillor role.

Adus said she would approach the work by listening, learning the technical details behind municipal decisions, and using that knowledge to advocate for residents.

“I would say I’m here to fight for you, but not just fight,” she said. “I would learn. I would get technical. I’ll understand the information, and then act upon it. And I would not budge.”

Watch the full episode of Beyond the Campaign, Pages of Me Podcast: Election Edition on the Burlington Local-News.ca YouTube channel or below.