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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday October 4, 2008 - 3 The greening of a first-time political candidate By Tina Depko OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Blake Poland isn't running for the Green Party because he needs something to do. As a university professor, green activist and father of an active 10-year-old, he already has a crammed agenda. He is looking to sit in Ottawa under the Green banner because he believes change is needed and the Green Party is the solution. "I know Oakville is a bit of a swing riding traditionally between Conservative and Liberal, but I know there are many discontented voters from both parties who are looking for alternatives," Poland said. "Now that we're into our third election in four years, some of the things people have done automatically, like voting for the same party or doing strategic voting, seem a bit tired. I think people are ready to do something different." Poland, 46, was born in Montreal, but considers Ottawa his hometown. He spent most of his childhood years in the nation's capital, as well as his teen years. He has one younger sister, who still calls Ottawa home. Poland attended Carleton University, where he completed a bachelor of arts in geography. He then went to McMaster University in Hamilton, gaining a masters MICHAEL IVANIN / OAKVILLE BEAVER SIGN OF SUPPORT: Green Party candidate Blake Poland puts a campaign sign on the lawn of St. Augustine Drive resident Suzi Wickett. degree and PhD in human/health geography. "I became quite interested in health issues, so I got a fellowship to go to McMaster and work on a project funded by the Pan American Health Organization on diarrheal disease among children in Grenada," he said. "For my research, I lived in a tiny community on the other side of the island and did my fieldwork on health service utilization in Grenada." Although he has always been interested in environmental issues, it wasn't until about 18 months ago that Poland decided to become more active locally with environmental groups and green initiatives. "One of the things I did was contact the electoral district association and ask what was happening and find out more about the Green Party," said Poland, who has called Oakville home for the past 13 years. "They sent me information and a website link, and said they were looking for candidates, but I didn't think anything of it at the time." During a train trip back from Montreal, Poland reviewed the Green Party's platform. Although he had never entertained the idea of getting involved in politics, the party's philosophy inspired him. "As I was reading the platform, I was getting more and more excited about what I was reading," he said. "I kind of made the decision at that moment to explore running as a candidate. It seemed to be the right thing to do." Poland won a three-way nomination race and became the Oakville candidate for the Green Party in 2007. He, along with wife, Brenda, and daughter, Naomi, decided to reflect their commitment to the environment by making any possible changes they could to cut their carbon footprint in half. This list, which is available on his website, included actions like using one fuel See Blake page 4 Seasoned campaigner wants to represent Oakville again By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF He lost by just 744 votes in the 2006 federal election. This time, he said, things will be different. With only days to go before the Tuesday, Oct. 14, federal election Oakville Conservative candidate Terence Young's campaign is shifting into overdrive. Young, along with a team of doorknockers, has crisscrossed Oakville and so far he likes what he's hearing. "Yesterday we went to a swing area, where the people vote Liberal on some elections and Conservative for other elections, and we had a very, very good response there," said Young. "They're responding to the messages on the economy and on helping people with the universal childcare benefit. So, we feel very, very positive, but you just keep working, you can't slow down." Young also pointed out that undecided voters are being pleasant and taking the time to listen to him as opposed to slamming the door and getting their information elsewhere. "That's a good sign," he said. As previously mentioned, this is not Young's first election. Nor is it his second. The Conservative candidate has a lengthy MICHAEL IVANIN / OAKVILLE BEAVER PREPARED FOR THE JOB: Conservative Party candidate Terence Young believes he has the right background to represent Oakville residents in Ottawa. political history dating far into his past. Born and raised in Toronto, Young showed an early interest in politics when, in Grade 11, he went doorknocking for a teacher who was running for school trustee. "I really enjoyed that and I really enjoyed that frontline political activity," said Young. This interest followed Young to York University, where he received a B.A. in political science and social science. It was also during this period that he ran in his first election. "I was very concerned about the inflation in our economy and the government spending under the Trudeau Liberals. So, I ran as an independent in the 1974 federal election in Parkdale," said Young. "I wouldn't have won a nomination, so I ran on my own. I got an official agent and we printed my signs and they said, `In Parkdale, Elect Terence Young. For those who think.'" Of the six candidates gunning for the riding Young finished fourth, beating the Canadian Communist Party and the Marxist-Leninist Party. Despite the fact that he only got 144 votes, Young considered this as invaluable experience for the day he would run again. In the meantime, however, Young tried his hand at a number of other professions. He attended Osgoode Hall Law School for one year, but found that being a lawyer was not for him. A stint in the auto sector followed, with Young working in sales for both Ford and General Motors. He later became a manager with Bell Canada. Young is currently the president of the consulting firm Policy Alliance. In 1985, Young moved from Etobicoke to the Glen Abbey area in Oakville. He was drawn by the beauty of the community and the opportunities present. See Terence page 4 Inquire about our refer a friend program for big savings October Dates: October 18, 19, 25, 26 2 weekends 9:30am-4:15pm Expect the unexpected. The ONLY Defensive Driving Program which includes virtual Reality simulation 235 Lake 235 Lakeshore Road Eas t, 905-845-7200 Lakeshore Road as 9 r e Ro