Moore seeking nomination
Peterborough Agricultural Society president wants to be Progressive Conservation candidate in provincial election
Ryan Moore is going to seek the Progressive Conservative nomination in the riding of Peterborough-Kawartha for next year’s provincial election.
The election is set for June 7, 2018.
Moore, 38, is the president of the Peterborough Agricultural Society. He’s married to Sarah Moore, and they have three daughters (ages 5, 10 and 12).
The Moores live on their beef cattle farm in Cavan Monaghan Township; Moore has been operating the farm himself since he was 24 (he took over after his father died).
Moore also works in auto-parts sales with NAPA Canada, covering territory from Woodbridge to Napanee. In other words, he’s a busy guy.
“I keep myself out of trouble,” he says with a laugh. “I wasn’t brought up to be idle.”
Moore said the time is right for him to get into politics, however.
“I always had an interest – absolutely always,” he said. “I was waiting for the right time, family-wise.”
He’s also spent much time asking friends who’ve been in politics what’s involved in running a campaign and in representing a riding, once you’ve won.
“I like to have as much information as I can get, before I dive into anything,” he said.
Moore attended North Cavan Public School, then Crestwood Secondary School. He studied business later at Fleming College. He and his wife were high school sweethearts.
He joined the Ag Society in 2011, when it looked as though the longtime organization might fold. But it didn’t, and Moore became president a couple of years ago.
Since then, the Ag Society’s annual Peterborough Exhibition at Morrow Park has undergone many changes.
They eliminated motor sports at the Ex, for instance (such as tractor pulls, which were becoming increasingly difficult for the city to insure).
That was difficult for the Ag Society; motor sports were moneymakers, and they had to replace them with new attractions (such as a rodeo, which is expected at the Ex again this summer).
On Monday, city councillors gave preliminary approval to a new sevenyear agreement with the Ag Society that is expected to spur a redevelopment of Morrow Park.
New horse barns will replace the old ones, for example, and there are also plans for a new building with offices for the Ag Society and public washrooms for the Ex (and also other events at the park).
The Ag Society and the city have been negotiating for years, and haven’t been able to reach an agreement.
Moore says he sees this agreement as a way forward for the Ex, which is a Peterborough tradition for 173 years.
“It’s very, very positive,” Moore said.
So far, no one else has officially declared they are going to seek the PC nomination.
Scott Stewart, the Peterborough riding’s Progressive Conservative candidate in the last provincial election, couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday but is not expected to seek the nomination for 2018.
Meanwhile MPP Jeff Leal has represented the riding for the Liberals since 2003. He is the minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs.
He told The Examiner on Tuesday he hasn’t decided yet whether he will run again in 2018.
Under riding redistribution, the riding will lose Otonabee-South Monaghan and Asphodel-Norwood townships while gaining North Kawartha and Trent Lakes townships.