by Brandon Mayer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
With the announcement that current SDSG MPP, Jim McDonnell will not seek re-election in the provincial election this June, two candidates are fighting to win the Progressive Conservative party’s nomination. Both candidates are campaigning on a similar promise of making life better and more affordable for Ontario families.
Candidate and Long Sault resident, Andrew Guidon, is currently a municipal Councillor for the Township of South Stormont. Working as a businesses lawyer for a local firm, and sitting on the board for a few local charities, Andrew is certain he has the experience necessary to fill the MPP role. He is campaigning on priorities such as increasing housing availability and affordability, attracting doctors and mental health providers to the area, improving rural education, and investing in infrastructure such as broadband internet.
“Our community needs a representative who can cut through the political theatre and deliver results in Queen’s Park on day one,” said Andrew.
Candidate Nolan Quinn resides in St. Andrews West. He is the owner of the Dairy Queen franchise location in Cornwall, and is proud to be a husband and father of three. Nolan’s platform focuses on family, arguing that daycare is expensive and often inaccessible, and that rural education needs to be prioritized better, just like urban education.
“It is increasingly difficult to raise our families in the same fashion as the generations before,” said Nolan. He emphasizes the importance of his charitable work, as well as small businesses in general, which he describes as the backbone of the economy. “We live in the greatest province in Canada, but there is much more to do to make sure our children and grandchildren can boast in the same manner,” he said.
More about Andrew’s platform can be learned at http://www.andrewguidon.ca/ (though the link appeared to be dead at the time of writing). More about Nolan’s platform can be learned at www.nolanquinn.ca. Voting requires a PC party membership, and will take place at in-person voting locations on March 26.
