Progressive Conservative candidate Paul Vickers is aiming to keep Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound in the blue after the Feb. 27 election.
Vickers, a former member of Meaford council and a director with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), hopes to follow in the footsteps of former PC MPPs Bill Murdoch, Bill Walker and Rick Byers.
Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound has been represented by a PC MPP since the 1990 election, when Murdoch was first elected to the position.
Vickers said if he’s elected MPP, local residents can expect a hard-working representative who will defend and advocate for the riding.
“I think I have a good combination of a good work ethic that I learned on the farm and I think I have a lot of common sense,” he said in an interview. “Plus, I’m no shrinking violet. I’m able to speak my ideas.”
He said, if elected, he won’t be shy about expressing his opinions and taking the interests of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound to Queen’s Park and the government of the day.
“There is no use in going down to provincial parliament and sitting there filling a chair,” said Vickers. “You better go down there and defend what the riding wants and what the riding needs. I think I can do that.”
Born and raised in the region, Paul has managed his family’s third-generation dairy farm near Meaford for over three decades and has served on the boards of the Gay Lea Foods Co-operative and the OFA. In addition to serving on Meaford council, his public service included being involved with many community organizations.
During the campaign, Vickers said he has been out door knocking and visiting as many homes as possible in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound.
He said the two issues he keeps hearing as he speaks to voters are: concern about local hospitals and concern about the tariffs that US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose on Canada.
“If there are issues out in the riding, I want to hear about them and if I can do something about it to help push the process along, then that’s what I want to do,” he said.
Vickers said he was drawn to the provincial arena, because he felt the area needed somebody with his skillset in the provincial government.
“I realized there was a need for somebody with my background to step forward and to advocate on behalf of agriculture and the municipal world,” he said. “I think I tick a lot of the boxes and I look forward to doing it if elected.”
Vickers said, as MPP, he will be a strong ally for local leaders.
“That’s what I want to do. It’s not upper tier or lower tier, it’s all working together for the betterment of the community,” he said.