Former councillor seeks Green Party nod

Former Orangeville town councillor Rob Strang is running for the provincial Green Party nomination in Dufferin-Caledon, which will be held at 2 p.m., June 23 at the Caledon Community Complex in Caledon East.

Strang, 51, a resident of Dufferin-Caledon since 1988, served on Orangeville council from 2003 to 2006. He also ran federally for the Greens in 2000, receiving the third highest votes of any Green Party candidate in Ontario.

A strong advocate for improving the local tax base, during his term on council Strang fought hard to limit the pace of residential development and bring more jobs into the community.

"With more employment opportunities closer to home, not only would the residential tax rate improve, but fewer people would have to commute, which is better for families and for the environment, improving the quality of life for the entire community," he said.

Other council priorities for Strang were to control costs by limiting municipal borrowing, initiate long term financial planning for Orangeville, improve the efficiency of Orangeville's public transit system and ensure developers included as much green space as provincial law permits. As an elected MPP, he would lobby hard to increase the mandatory parkland allocation in new developments.

Protection of the Credit River watershed is also a concern. He supported upgrading Orangeville's stormwater management system to improve the quality of water being discharged downstream to Caledon and opposed the expansion of Orangeville's sewage treatment plant.

Although he found the work rewarding, too often Strang felt his hands were tied by provincial policies and regulations. For example, he thinks developers have too much influence and can impose development regardless of the impact on a community.

"All too often, citizens and municipalities lose to developers at the Ontario Municipal Board because provincial policies blatantly favour unsustainable and inefficient development.

"In a similar fashion, provincial policies permit the aggregates industry to build pits and quarries without fully compensating for the damage to roads and to individuals¿ quality of life."

Over the last 15 years, he says, the other parties have squandered the opportunity to control growth. "None of them have a vision for a prosperous future where our children will have a quality of life equal to or better than our own. The Green Party is the only party championing efficient, sustainable communities with a stable tax base."

To ensure that he has the freedom to represent the people, Strang will continue his practise of not accepting campaign contributions from developers or any other special interest group.

Anyone interested should join the Green Party of Ontario before June 8 by going to www.greenparty.on.ca.