Threats of an election after the second-longest minority government in Canadian history appear to have encouraged many political parties to be prepared.
The Wellington Advertiser has compiled a list of candidates and their qualifications.
Perth-Wellington
By Monday morning there were already three Perth-Wellington candidates for the Oct. 14 federal election, with one more to be nominated late this week.
The NDP riding association had a nomination meeting set for Sept. 11 at 7:30pm in Stratford, the results of which were not known by press time.
However, Kerry McManus was the only person seeking the candidacy, which was vacated suddenly in June by Donna Hansen.
A resident of Stratford, McManus works as teacher-librarian at Stratford Central Secondary School, and is currently on leave. She is working towards a Masters of Education at York University.
McManus plays piano at local churches, enjoys squash and reading, and is the co-founder and chair of Common Action for the Restoration of the Environment (CARE) Stratford, a grassroots community organization dedicated to restoring the local environment by thinking globally and acting locally.
She said she is looking forward to “meeting with the people of Perth-Wellington to discuss the environment, jobs, health care, our role in Afghanistan, and the growing gap between the wealthiest and poorest in Canada.”
The Perth-Wellington Liberal riding association announced Sandra Gardiner as its federal candidate some time ago.
A married mother of two, Gardiner has lived in Stratford for the last 17 years. She has worked as a registered nurse for 14 years, specializing in hospital, long-term, and community care. Since 1998 she has been employed as a community case manager by the South West Community care Access Centre, a publicly-funded service.
Gardiner’s community involvement includes membership with:
– CARE Stratford;
– FarmGate5, which brings together organizations and individuals dedicated to a strong agricultural sector and a prosperous food industry in Ontario; and
– the planning committee for Rotary Respite House for families caring for children with developmental, physical, or mental health needs.
“I am committed to work on behalf of the people of this riding and bring our issues, our concerns to Ottawa and make sure they are heard,” she says on her website.
John Cowling will be returning as the Green Party’s federal candidate in Perth-Wellington.
Cowling first ran for the Green Party provincially in 2003, then federally in 2004 and 2006. He and his wife Diana have lived in Stratford for eight years with several foster children.
He is currently employed as a customer service representative with a Stratford industrial supply company. He rides his bike to work every day, even in the winter.
Cowling describes himself as fiscally conservative, socially progressive, and dedicated to restoring and maintaining Canada’s ecological heritage.
In addition, he:
– is a founding member of ECOPerth, an umbrella group of Perth County environmental groups (2005);
– moderated the Green Party of Ontario’s Public Forum in Stratford on The Future of Food and Farming (2004);
– designed ECOPerth’s International Plowing Match (IPM) display, the ECOHome (2005);
– organized screenings of The End of Suburbia in Stratford and St. Marys, leading discussions on the topic of oil depletion in 2004 and 2005.
Incumbent MP Gary Schellenberger is seeking re-election as the Perth-Wellington representative in Ottawa. He was first elected to Parliament in a 2003 by-election and re-elected in 2004 and 2006.
While working as MP for the area, Schellenberger has also served as a member of the standing committee on Canadian heritage.
Schellenberger was born and raised in Sebringville, where he still live with his wife Judy, with whom he has three children and seven grandchildren.
Personally, Schellenberger has owned and operated a family painting and decorating store in Stratford for over 40 years. He has served as a municipal councillor in Downie Township – now Perth South – where he said he gained “a keen understanding of the needs of rural and small-town Ontario.”
He was also a Perth East Firefighter for 14 years and served as a board member on the Stratford Agricultural Society and as an elder at Avonton Presbyterian Church.
Wellington-Halton Hills
In this riding, several of the campaigners will be very familiar with each other, having contested the last election.
All the parties seemed ready to go when the election was called, although some will be formally nominated this week.
Brent Bouteiller, of the Green Party, had his nomination in place by the start of the year.
Incumbent Conservative Michael Chong had long ago secured his nomination and simply needed to wait for the election call.
On Sunday night, the Liberal Party of Canada nominated Bruce Bowser as its standard bearer.
NDP candidate Noel Dignan, is expecting to receive his formal nomination this Thursday.
Jeffrey Streutker will be running for the Christian Heritage Party.
Bouteiller is a professional engineer in transportation engineering since 1990. He recently started his own practise and is working on asset management of tangible capital assets for local municipalities. He also runs a retail business dedicated to model railway equipment.
Bouteiller is the president of the Community Resource Centre of North and Centre Wellington. He joined the board in 2004 and became president in 2007.
He has been a member of Transport 2000 Ontario since 1990 and was the chairman of the technical affairs committee in 1996 and membership secretary from 1997 to 1998.
He graduated from Carleton University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Civil Engineering.
Bouteiller and his partner, Eliza Crosland, live in Fergus with their two children. This will be the ninth election he has been involved in, the seventh time as a candidate.
Liberal nominee Bower is the President and Chief Executive Officer of AMJ Campbell Van Lines which he joined in 1992. It is the largest Canadian moving company with over 40 branch offices and more than 2,800 employees. Prior to that he had been employed with the Bank of Nova Scotia, in Halifax ,since 1985.
Born in Quebec City to a military family, Bowser was raised in Nova Scotia and Ontario. He studied at St. Mary’s University in Halifax, and Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. Being raised in a military family instilled a great respect and affection for the men and woman who serve this country.
He has travelled to Honduras and Nicaragua on humanitarian trips and has served on local and national charitable boards including Canada Company, supporting the families of Canadian military men and women, Atlas Canada, Hope Air, The Credit Valley Hospital Foundation, Teen Ranch Foundation, Tyndale College and University Foundation and CAPPE. He is also past president of the Halifax and Dartmouth YMCA.
Bowser is a licenced pilot and an avid golfer and hockey player. He lives with his wife, Julia, and two daughters in Glen Williams, Ontario.
Chong was first elected to parliament in 2004. As cabinet minister, he served as President of the Queen’s Privy Council, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Minister for Sport.
Prior to his election, Chong was the chief information officer for the National Hockey League Players’ Association and a senior technology consultant to the Greater Toronto Airports Authority for the redevelopment of Pearson International Airport. He has also held information technology positions at Barclay’s Bank and Research Capital Corporation.
Chong co-founded the Dominion Institute, an organization committed to raising Canadians’ awareness of history and civics and currently sits on its Board of Governors.
He is also a former board member of the Elora Festival and the Elora Festival Singers, as well as a member of the Corporation of Trinity College, University of Toronto. Michael also attended Trinity College at the U of T where he obtained a degree in philosophy.
Chong grew up just outside of Fergus, where he still lives with his family. He married Carrie Davidson and they have two sons, William and Alistair.
Noel Dignan ran in the riding in the last two federal elections for the NDP.
He lives at Maple Leaf Acres, just outside of Fergus, and is a former MPP for the old provincial riding of Halton North.
He is self-employed and is in property management finances for the non-profit sector and Co-operatives, as well as a consultant in retail management.
Dignan was born in Ireland and went to college there, and moved to Canada in 1976. He moved to the Fergus area two years ago.
His children are grown and most of them live in British Columbia. He has been travelling the past month but had stated his intentions to run and his nomination is set for this week.
Besides being an MPP, Dignan was also parliamentary secretary for Consumer and Commercial Relations in the early 1980s, and has been an executive assistant to several MPs in Ottawa.
Jeffrey Streutker, 42, is a customer trainer and information technologist specialist for a construction company in Vaughan, and has been working full time in the electronics and computing industry since his graduation as an electronics engineering technologist at Sheridan College, Brampton, in 1990.
From that electronics engineering background, Streutker entered the hobby of amateur radio communications and has used those skills in supporting organizers of community events such as the Warriors’ Day Parade in Exhibition Park, Toronto, the Georgetown Fall Fair, and the Georgetown Highland Games.
Streutker was born in Toronto and has been a resident of Georgetown since 1972. He is a member of Knox Presbyterian Church in Georgetown and sings in its choir.
He invites people to visit www.chp.ca for details of his campaign
