Angus farmer Allan Kuhn is tapping into his maple trees and also tapping on doors as he campaigns for the Green party as the Simcoe-Grey candidate.
Kuhn is returning to the ballot on Feb. 27 along with Brian Saunderson for the PCs, Ted Crysler for the Liberals and Benten Tinkler.
When asked what Simcoe-Grey needs from a provincial government, Kuhn is concise.
“Doctors. I don't even have a doctor,” Kuhn told CollingwoodToday. “We need doctors, and we need housing. Not just monster mansions that make developers super rich. I think affordability in houses is pretty big."
Born in Guelph, Kuhn’s family moved to Chatham in his youth, eventually moving to London, Ont. when he was 18. He did two years at Fanshawe College, before starting a philosophy degree at Western University.
“I was introduced to farming in London,” he said. “I was quite interested in the Green Party and I helped out a bit on the local campaigns back in 1994.”
Around the same time, he also got involved with Greenpeace Canada, and worked with the organization for several years.
“It burned me out after a while. It was very negative, negative, negative. I wanted to turn to something positive,” he said. “Organic farming was my introduction into positive environmentalism.”
“That really changed my life,” said Kuhn.
Kuhn then travelled to Europe and did a four-year organic farming apprenticeship program, and a two-year master’s apprenticeship program in agriculture.
Upon his return to Canada, after a short stint in Vancouver Island with family he made the move to Simcoe-Grey to work on a social-services farm in Angus that employs and assists people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Seventeen years later, he’s still there as lead gardener. Right now, the farm is getting ready for maple syrup season.
Kuhn also volunteers with the Angus Farmer’s Market committee, the Society for Biodynamic Farming and Gardening in Ontario and was a speaker at the recent Guelph Organic Conference on green food systems.
He lives in Angus with his wife Patty. Her three children – Kuhn’s stepchildren – are 23, 26 and 29 years old.
Kuhn first got involved in provincial politics when he ran in Simcoe-Grey under the Green Party banner in 2022.
When asked why he chose to get involved in provincial politics, Kuhn said a "lack of civility" during COVID regarding provincial health mandates was a major factor, specifically referencing the Freedom Convoy.
“There were several Canadians that decided to voice their concern in Ottawa. It became so American-style. It became very vicious,” he said. “It wasn't the Canada that I used to know.”
He said he feels grateful to run in a riding like Simcoe-Grey, where politicians may disagree but the discourse stays respectful.
“With all of the other candidates, we're all really respectful, and nobody digs at anybody like they might in other ridings, provinces or countries,” said Kuhn. “I thought I had to get involved because democracy only happens when it's mutually respectful.”
“I'm going to go out and knock on doors and talk about these issues in a very neutral way. I think I can engage politically and I can use my skills of communication to help people get together and solve these issues,” he said.
Kuhn said, if elected, he’ll bring a more non-partisan approach to the table. He notes that the two sitting Green MPPs have often voted differently in the provincial legislature on issues.
“Instead of partisanship, which kind of divides people, I think non-partisanship is something that the Green Party really shows people,” he said. “They're not the boss of what I say. The people of Simcoe-Grey are the boss.”