HAGERSVILLE — With the Ward 4 By-Election quickly approaching, candidate Albert Marshall wants to put his wealth of business experience to work for the people in his community.
Born and raised in Haldimand, Marshall’s family owns a farm in Ward 4. He has been married for 34 years, has three children, practised law for 10 years, and currently owns 55 Hearing Clinics across the country and in Florida, USA.
On why he is running for municipal office, “Government at all levels is, bewilderingly, making everyday life for Canadians more complex and costly. This is especially true for farmers. Government should have citizens’ backs rather than getting in their way. My primary focus will be preserving this great place to live and making it even better through smart growth that respects Haldimand’s character and people.”
He said he considered running last fall, but felt at the time that Natalie Stam, the former Ward 4 Councillor whose departure forced the By-Election, was an excellent choice for the seat, “I was sorry to hear that she resigned.”
Marshall believes something has fundamentally changed in the country, “We are seeing rising levels of violence, traffic congestion in our towns and cities, and our leaders are obsessed with bizarre irrelevancies like gender ideology.”
He continued, “It seems to me those in charge have lost touch with everyday Canadians and common sense. I felt I should stop complaining, throw my name in and see if I can help protect this beautiful piece of the world we call Haldimand. In my opinion, no one deserves to be elected – like anything else in life, you have to earn it through hard work. That is exactly what I plan to do for the people of this Ward if I am elected.”
Marshall is behind the in-development Library + Active Living Centre and would focus on more community development projects if elected, “I was able to assist by donating some land and my time toward making the new rail bridge trail over the river in Cayuga a success. In my opinion, we need more projects that make our community better, not just bigger. This is our home, after all.”
He shared on such idea, “If I am elected, I will also push to have one of the Hagersville quarries turned into a public swimming park. I think it’s important for our children to have places that encourage being outdoors with their peers, and away from computers and smartphones that isolate them and expose them to so much of the toxicity and anger that is out there.”
Marshall shared some strong opinions on the ongoing land occupations in Caledonia, and some of the protesting, including road blockades, generated by them, “These issues are not gone – they are smoldering fires. The law must be equally applied to all persons regardless of heritage/race and my belief is that Municipal Government should be at the forefront, rather than in the background, of protecting Haldimand residents from civil unrest and lawlessness.”
On Haldimand’s accelerated development targets, “If development is done right it can help to support public goods like trails, parks and recreational facilities for seniors and youth. If it is executed poorly it will lead to increased crime, traffic congestion and the destruction of Haldimand’s unique history and culture.”
Marshall confirmed he would not support the County’s current MZO application related to Nanticoke, “If Stelco says putting 15,000 homes into Nanticoke will threaten jobs in Haldimand by preventing the steel plant from operating, that is good enough for me to say no.”
He blamed rampant inflation on the Federal Liberal government, adding, “In my view Haldimand could do a lot to help its residents, and while it cannot directly stop Trudeau and the Liberals from making everyday life harder for Canadians, we should and can seek to lower property taxes and cut municipal spending.”
On the topic of local service clubs facing declining membership, Marshall said, “Service clubs are not finding new members because younger people don’t feel personal responsibility for their community and fellow citizens. When government displaces personal responsibility and creates an ever-expanding role for itself it sends a signal to people that ‘community issues are not my job, it’s the government’s job’. We need the government to get out of the way and let us help each other once again.”
The Ward 4 By-Election will take place on June 19.
Remaining Ward 4 by-election candidates will be featured in the coming weeks.
Election day is Monday, June 19.
