Mayor Morrison and MP Tilson speak at King's College
By ALAN LICZYK Staff Reporter

Caledon's mayor and member of Parliament were invited to speak to the students of King's College on Friday about how they got to where they are today.

Mayor Marolyn Morrison and Dufferin-Caledon MP David Tilson explained their respective journeys at the school located on The Gore Road, north of Old Church Road near Caledon East.

Morrison told the students they should always have values. She was a volunteer in her community when people asked her to run for school trustee. She was elected to the Peel board of education in 1988 and served for six years. During that time she became chair of the finance committee and also ran for vice-chair of the board where she won against a Mississauga trustee and a Brampton trustee.

"I was honest," she said. "I wasn't parochial. I can see the big picture."

She then ran for the Ward 2 regional councillor position on Caledon council in 1994 and was elected three times. In 2003 she ran for Caledon mayor and beat three opponents.

"I love being the mayor of Caledon," she said.

She explained being mayor allows her to express her vision for the Town. She said she works seven days a week and gives 150 per cent to her job.

"I've had a passion for everything I've done," she said.

She gets to tell people how important it is to have a vision and a goal. She added what people do in life reflects on their children.

She encouraged the students to be excited about what they do.

"There's challenges, but there's challenges with everything we do in life," she said.

Tilson said when he was a student he was "an absolute disaster" in both elementary school and high school. He then went to study at the University of New Brunswick.

"I didn't have a clue as to what to do," he said.

He never dreamt he would one day become a politician and in his case it was a fluke, he said.

He explained he had no sign of leadership in elementary or high school, but at university he got involved with the track team and in local drama where he produced, directed and performed in a couple of shows.

"You build on things," he said.

Tilson later went to law school at Queen's University and became a small-town lawyer in Orangeville. He was elected a school trustee in Dufferin County and then a councillor on Orangeville council. In 1990, he was elected this area's member of provincial parliament for the first time. In 2004, he became this area's federal representative in Ottawa.

"Anyone can be a politician," he said. "All the experience I acquired enabled me to do a pretty good job I hope as a politician in Ottawa. None of this was planned."

Tilson added he loves his job but it can be tough.

"You have to develop a tough skin," he said. "But a lot of people come up and congratulate you."

As a politician one has to want to work with people and want to solve problems, he explained.

"You have to learn to listen to people's problems and do the best you can," he said.