SUMMERSIDE – Another candidate has entered the race for a seat on Summerside City Council for Ward 2: St. Eleanors – Slemon Park.
Justin Doiron, officially announced he was seeking a seat for council on Wednesday.
“We as a city have an amazing core of involved people who are absolutely dedicated to seeing some real progression take place here, particularly in our downtown. But are more often than not [they are] held back by outdated regulations, red tape and preferential treatment,” he said.
Doiron has been a resident of Summerside for twenty years and lives in St. Eleanors with his girlfriend Kendra and son, Jett. He works as Production Manager at Sign Station. He also serves as a firefighter with the Summerside Fire Department.
He also has a family history with politics as the grandson of Joseph Aubin Doiron, the 22nd Lt.-Gov. of P.E.I.
Doiron says his decision to run in the fall election was four years in the making after former mayor Basil Stewart lost his seat to Bill Martin.
After speaking with many residents and business owners over the four years that followed, Doiron decided he wanted to have a direct impact on the direction that the City would take by representing the people in his ward and city that he had been speaking to.
He says he’s worked over the past several months to compile his priority list if he were elected as councillor.
These include including continued investments in renewable energy, eliminating pay increases for mayor and council, freezing sewer and electrical rates, a focus on assisting seniors and families with children, as well as T3 Transit stops and a large playground for Slemon Park.
“Slemon Park is an area of our city that I think can sometimes become forgotten.” Its location outside the main city limits tends to occasionally mask it from the rest of the population, but there is a vast number of residents there ranging from young families to more recently, retirees, and I think they may sometimes feel short-changed when it comes to municipal involvement.”
Although Slemon Park is now Provincially owned, Doiron says that shouldn't deter the City from investing in infrastructure that benefits the residents there, such as playground equipment and sidewalks.
“I'm a younger candidate, but I've been established in the city and have been paying very close attention to issues for a very long time. Being younger I think gives me the advantage of having a broader outlook on what the next generation wants and needs for Summerside to flourish without losing sight of short term needs for mature families and seniors such as accessibility and transportation. I enjoy the simple task of talking to people every day and I think I'd be the perfect representative for residents of Ward 2.”
Doiron’s Platform:
– New large playground and T3 Transit Stop for Slemon Park
– No salary increases for Mayor or Council
– Free swimming at Credit Union Place for children under 12
– Freeze sewer and electrical rates
– Proactive, preventative anti-bullying programs
– No tax increases for small or seasonal businesses
– Sidewalk and speeding deterrents for North Greenwood Drive
