Why Am I Running?

I thought I’d put my thoughts together on the journey I’m about to take; running for Municipal political office.

We all have (and I had) preconceptions on what a position on Council meant and required on a monthly basis.

During the 2022 Winter term I had the opportunity to write and teach Introduction to Canadian Agricultural Law at Lambton College and I learned a great deal about land use planning and the intersection of Municipal Politics with Provincial and Federal Politics.

I can truly say that it was an eye-opening experience relearning and then teaching the multitude of ways that Municipal Politics affects our lives on a daily basis.

The first four weeks of class we dealt with introductions, business types, how the federal government developed policies over the years, and how the provincial government developed polices and delivery mechanisms for different programs.

The provincial week also introduced the concept of how the province delegates responsibilities to municipalities, and how all the municipalities are organized (across Ontario).

It wasn’t until the fifth week that we dove into municipal responsibilities for agriculture, which of course touches the lives somewhat of all residents and land owners.

Broad topics such as land use planning, property assessment and taxation, financial incentives, community and regional food planning, and consultation with stakeholders are all heady topics to go through in one week, only to expand on them in subsequent weeks.

We expanded on those topics into Normal Farm Practices Protections, various dispute resolution mechanisms, the Nutrient Management Act, and other environmentally-focused statutes.

We then wrapped it up with Conservation Authorities, the Line Fences Act, and the Drainage Act.

All of these topics touch on Municipal authority in many ways. I found it fascinating how much Municipal politics and responsibilities affect our daily lives.

I began to think.

My term as President of the Lambton Federation of Agriculture is up at the end of the year as we are limited by our constitution to three years.

I began to think about all the meetings and committees I’ve chaired, and have been invited to and participated with over the past two and a half years, and how they’ve contributed to economic development and betterment of the community and businesses.

I began to think I would miss having the chance to help the community.

I began to think that maybe this would be the year to step up and work with my local community, to continue with my connections I’ve developed, and to communicate with local residents and land owners about their concerns, so we can plan out a response as to which level of government would be the best to consult with and make the changes needed.

I decided to run for Councillor in Ward 2, the former Sombra Township, as this is my home and I want to see it prosper.

~Gary Martin~