Municipal elections are off to a promising start
Deadline for candidates is Friday afternoon
A former cabinet minister. A man who protested in his underwear to defeat a marijuana charge. And everyone in between.
Nominations close Friday at 2 p.m. for the October municipal elections and it’s time to take stock of the candidates. They are listed on municipal websites. If you don’t like what you see, there’s still time to join the race yourself.
Municipal elections typically attract the lowest turnout of all, yet this level of politics is closest to the people. You can catch a council meeting on your way home from work.
These politicians decide a wide range of things, including how often garbage is picked up, where a traffic light will be located and whether a school will close.
Although all of the mayors in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge have opponents, it is very hard to beat an incumbent.
But there’s a chance of that in Cambridge, where the formidable Kathryn McGarry is challenging longtime Mayor Doug Craig.
McGarry, a nurse, was the MPP for Cambridge and a former Liberal cabinet minister whose most recent portfolio was transportation. By all accounts she did an excellent job. She’s familiar with the many transit issues facing the region, including the need for GO trains connecting Cambridge and Toronto.
Though she lost her seat in June along with most provincial Liberal candidates, McGarry has more to offer, and describes herself as “a good listener” who consults widely before making decisions.
Running for Cambridge regional council, in addition to incumbents Karl Kiefer and Helen Jowett, is Jeffrey Shaver, who became famous last summer when he protested outside the Kitchener courthouse wearing only shoes, socks and skimpy green underpants.
Holding a “Return My Bong” sign, he protested police seizure of his bong and marijuana. He has a legal medical marijuana card and his complaint against the officers who arrested and searched him was decided in his favour.
With Regional Chair Ken Seiling retiring, I’m grateful some veteran councillors, such as Tom Galloway, Jane Mitchell and Geoff Lorentz, have offered to serve another term. If they win, it will provide continuity.
Kitchener candidates for regional council include incumbents Galloway, Lorentz and Elizabeth Clarke. The fourth incumbent, Karen Redman, is running for regional chair.
I’m betting on Michael Harris, a former Progressive Conservative MPP who was unfairly pushed out of caucus in the spring, to win one of those Kitchener seats on regional council.
A natural politician who is hard-working, smart and sticks to his principles, Harris enjoys wide support locally.
A close competitor will be Ted Martin, former school board chair and trustee for many years, who is also trying for one of those four Kitchener spots on regional council.
Finally, keep your eye on candidates like Suresh Arangath, Paras Solanki and Sonal Pandya, all running in different wards of Kitchener.
A local organization named Namaste Debate (it has a Facebook page) is encouraging Indo-Canadians to run and vote in greater numbers in all elections. These are three of them.
I look forward to the campaign.