HALDIMAND—For Garry Tanchak, Haldimand-Norfolk’s New Blue Party (NBP) candidate in the 2025 provincial election, the decision to run is about seeking change.
Born and raised in Norfolk, Tanchak has worked for 40-plus years as a Power Engineer. He has worked in electricity production at OPG Lakeview and Nanticoke Generating Stations, and as an oil and gas specialist at the Petro Canada oil refinery in Oakville.
“I believe residents in Haldimand-Norfolk to be hardworking, down to earth people who recognize the failures of legacy political parties. I believe it is time for change. The people deserve better,” said Tanchak.
He added, “The New Blue Party is the only choice with the platform and policies in place to achieve that.”
Asked about the top issues facing the riding, Tanchak mentioned the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board scandal involving four board members travelling to Italy to purchase artwork for new schools, asking why the Minister of Education hasn’t demanded those members’ resignations.
He also brought up one of NBP’s core objectives, an “end to ‘woke’ activism, critical race theory, and ALL gender identity theory from every Ontario school. I will push this agenda to the limit in Haldimand-Norfolk.”
He also touted a ‘Parents Bill of Rights’ to give parents more control over what their children are taught in school, “not a group of left-leaning unelected bureaucrats. It is a proven fact the most impressionable age for children is between 3 and 8 years old. What are we teaching them? Why are some children questioning their own gender? This insanity needs to stop.”
Small town vs. development
Tanchak is opposed to Empire Communities potential Minister’s Zoning Order for Nanticoke.
“While working at the refinery in Oakville during the 1990s I saw what happened when housing developments encroached on the plant,” he said. “Odour complaints came in constantly and members of the community were rallying for our closure. There were other factors of course that came into play regarding the closure, but the proximity to housing and developments was one of them. The refinery eventually closed in 2005.”
He added, “Why not leave the industrial zoning in place, protect the high paying industrial jobs, and do our best to attract more industry and manufacturing to the area?”
Affordability
To provide relief to taxpayers, the NBP is pushing for a GST reduction from 13% to 10%, with a goal of eliminating the tax completely.
Tanchak also advocated for the permanent capping of the gas tax at 9 cents per litre and the removal of carbon tax.
Health and long-term care
Tanchak called current emergency room and surgery wait times “unacceptable.”
He advocated for a streamlined process for bringing foreign healthcare professionals to the province, along with the immediate rehiring of “everyone in the healthcare industry who lost their jobs during Doug Ford’s heavy handed and overreaching Covid policies, testing, and vaccine mandates. Also, we need to remove any existing Covid mandates from government workplaces.”
Additionally, Tanchak noted that NBP is against medical assistance in dying.
Tariffs and a new mandate
Tanchak believes rather than fighting Donald Trump, Ontario should be negotiating with him.
“A leader needs to recognize other ways to achieve objectives, not automatically assume an aggressive posture. Trump is a negotiator, so negotiate,” he said. “He made it clear he wanted Canada to improve immigration, border security, and stop the flow of precursor chemicals and fentanyl.”
Tanchak praised Alberta Premier Danielle Smith: “She is doing what is best for the people of Alberta…. Whether you like Trump or not, he is looking out for the American people, jobs, and security. He is rooting out government waste, spending, fraud, and corruption. If we had such committed leadership in Canada (and Ontario), just maybe we wouldn’t be in the position we are in now.”
Asked what he sees as the current government’s biggest failure, Tanchak cited the Ford government’s use of “unchecked control to suppress the people of Ontario with testing and vaccine mandates, lockdowns, business closures, school closures, travel mandates, quarantine regulations, and all public health restrictions.”
He added, “The pandemic is over Doug and your plan failed. Vaccines didn’t work, masking had no impact, nor did social distancing. You ruined people’s lives, livelihoods, and futures. Time to move on.”
Tanchak concluded, “I will listen to the people of Haldimand-Norfolk, be a strong voice and advocate on their behalf. I believe it’s time to bring accountability, transparency, some common sense back into government.”
