Hello, Voters of Ward 2,
I have proudly lived in Ward 2, Maple Ridge community for 25 years. My wife Connie and I raised our family here. Our daughters attended Maple Ridge Public School and Pine Ridge Secondary School. I have a passion for the City of Pickering and Ward 2 and put my name on the ballot in 2018 for Ward 2 Regional Councillor. I was humbled by the tremendous support that I received, and the insights and friendships made during the 2018 campaign were very gratifying. Knowledge of the neighbourhoods and local issues is critical for any councillor to be responsive to their constituents and to positively contribute to the priorities of the City of Pickering.
I have always believed in service above self and have freely given my time and taken leadership positions in the following organizations:
- Ajax Pickering Board of Trade (APBOT)– 2012 President/2013 Chair/Founding member of the Eco-Business Task Force/long-term member of Government Relations Committee/current member of Transportation Task Force
- Rotary Club of Pickering – past Treasurer
- Pickering Easter Parade – Co-Chair
- Durham West Arts Centre Foundation – Vice Chair 2013-present
- City of Pickering Museum Village Advisory Committee member 2017-2018
- Wounded Warriors Canada – current ambassador
- Pickering Ice Rockets/Ajax Ice Waves synchronized skating teams – past Synchro Chair
These roles have given me the opportunity to work closely with senior staff at the City of Pickering and I believe those relationships would be very important should I be successful in this election.
I have made a career as an Insurance Professional for 39 years and currently work as Manager of Special Risks for a large Durham-based brokerage. For my entire career, I have been front facing with the public and as a broker have excelled in understanding opposing viewpoints and achieving solutions. Having closed a retail office during the pandemic, I understand what many local businesses are dealing with today. The issues facing our local businesses coming out of the pandemic need to be understood and addressed by all levels of government to ensure that we have a sustainable and fulsome economic recovery. It is important to continue to work to attract large employers to our undeveloped employment lands and we cannot forget that our smaller businesses, which are the backbone of our community, need all the support we can offer as well.
Issues that are important to me include:
- Affordable and attainable housing within our community
- Increased investment in transportation and local infrastructure to accommodate the future growth of the City of Pickering
- Economic development measures to reduce the high tax burden on the residential taxpayer
- Enhance the quality of life in Ward 2 and Pickering through community-focused development projects.
I believe that I have the skills, community experience and passion for the City of Pickering to work collaboratively with all levels of government to get the results we need and deserve. It would be an honour and distinct pleasure to serve the residents of my home ward as their Regional Councillor.
Please follow my campaign at www.garystrange.com where I will be posting updates and important voter information.
Sincerely,
Gary Strange
