Instead of choosing a Ford, the Simcoe-Grey Liberals are hoping you’ll choose a Crysler this time around.
Ted Crysler is returning to the ballot on Feb. 27 along with Brian Saunderson for the PCs, Allan Kuhn for the Green Party and Benten Tinkler for the NDP.
If elected, he pledges to push for more consultation ahead of announcements. He said he doesn’t believe individual representatives should always be beholden to the party line and should have the freedom to vote for what is in the best interest of the constituents in their riding.
“What you see in the legislature is trained seals. I don't like that,” he said.
Crysler was born and raised in Collingwood, in the same Ste. Marie St. house in which he currently resides. His parents bought the home in 1952, with Crysler’s father owning two farms: one in Clarksberg and another in Nottawa. The family also owned a home in Wasaga Beach and would spend the summers there, as Crysler still does to this day. Multiple members of Crysler’s family all bought cottages over the years next to each other.
Crysler attended Cameron Street Public School, Senior Public School and Collingwood Collegiate Institute.
The youngest of six siblings, Crysler said politics was always a topic of conversation at his family’s dinner table. His older brother Robert Crysler served as a Collingwood councillor in the late 1970s.
“We always talked about politics in the house, but we weren't necessarily partisan,” he said. “We would talk about the issues of the day and what was going on; who was doing what in the provincial, federal or municipal (governments).”
Crysler continued with his interest in politics, and was even elected Prime Minister of his high school civics class.
After graduating high school, Crysler left to attend Carleton University for political science and economics, eventually switching out economics for history. After that, he earned a masters in international affairs, and as part of that he studied international law and conflict analysis.
“I thought, well, I might want to be a lawyer,” he said.
Today, Crysler practices technology/IT law as a sole practitioner out of his own firm, and works remotely whenever possible from Collingwood. He has a 16-year-old son and is divorced.
Crysler has many hobbies. He plays the alto saxophone, cello and piano and is interested in Celtic music. He's a member of the Collingwood Curling Club, the YMCA and tinkers with a motorbike. He enjoys cross-country skiing, skating, swimming, cycling and hiking. As a mountain climber, he has trekked Australia’s highest peak and Kilimanjaro with a goal to climb more.
“There's something very spiritual about being in the mountains and being that high,” he said. “With my dad being a farmer, that created an appreciation for the land and for everything around us and protecting that.”
He serves on the Wasaga Beach Climate Action Team. An advocate for life-long learning, he has certificates in wine and spirits and culinary arts.
Crysler lists of qualities he feels would make him the right choice for Simcoe-Grey include being a problem solver, having conflict resolution and active listening skills. He believes his understanding of the political history in Ontario, Canada and across the world is also an asset. He is currently the executive vice president of the Liberal Party's rural and northern commission, which is tasked with reaching out and improving rural and northern riding and citizen engagement.
“I'm not interested in talking. I'm interested in hearing what other people have to say and how do we work together,” he said.
When asked why he gravitated toward provincial politics, and specifically the Liberal party, Crysler said he’s always been a progressive thinker, but also values fiscal responsibility.
“I want to make sure that the money – because this is not the government's money. This is the people's money – (is) spent wisely and try to avoid boondoggles,” he said. “We still need to be progressive to ensure we’re protecting the most vulnerable.”
Provincial politics appealed to him because that level of government is responsible for things in which he has a keen interest, including education, environment, health care and social services.
And it was one specific election back in 2018 that sparked him into action.
“Doug Ford got elected and I woke up angry every morning at the things he was doing because he was tearing down the structures,” said Crysler. “These are areas that I want to see progress on, and I don’t see progress at the moment. I can’t think of one area where there’s been improvement over the past seven years and it disturbs me.”
Crysler said he’s seen a lot of funding announcements in that time, but says the funding provided hasn’t kept up with inflation or population growth. He points to numerous examples of Ford’s government announcing new legislation and then walking it back when public and expert opinion is not on-side, which he says is “not efficient.”