Wins and Losses
I have taken a few shots at writing a, “why I’m running,” blog post. All have resulted in long rambling paragraphs that in all honesty likely would come out better if refined down into a speech. And so I am going to do that; however, I did want to have something on the site for people who are interested in my campaign. Whether you are from Belledune, Bathurst or Bangladesh, it is my sincere hope that these quick stories will provide a bit of insight into why I am running what motivates me and who I am. I’ll try to post one at least every two days but if I fall short I apologize in advance.
That First Summer
We had just got elected. The first meeting is in May and there is a bit of ceremony and pomp concerned with it. We all go in after the last council leaves, which by the way is an awful thing to do. There is no way that has to be done on the same night.
Anyway, we come in and sign some official documents, get bonded, and take the oath of office. We are all given a chance to speak to the audience and the rest of the council. A priority of mine was always going to be bringing some much-needed focus to the younger generations in our community.
It was May so decisions had to be made fast in terms of summer employment and programs. In previous years the village had tried hiring a large number of students but it became difficult to manage them and keep them working productively.
So our Clerk-Treasurer Brenda Cormier suggested that we use those funds and subsidize their employment to local businesses. It was a great idea. Over the next couple of weeks, I helped design the applications, the advertisements and we were able to successfully hire and place around 20 students. Engineering students got to spend time at the Port with engineers and university students ended up getting placed in local businesses learning how small town businesses operate.
It was a forward-thinking initiative that even though participation in subsequent years declined was one of our earliest and proudest wins.
To learn more about how I am planning to continue to support young people in our community as mayor please read this part of my election platform. (Click Here) or (Here)