Guelph

Incumbent since 2003: Liz Sandals (Liberal)

Nominated/registered candidates:

Juanita Burnett (Communist)

James Gordon (New Democrat)

Anthony MacDonald (Progressive Conservative)

Liz Sandals (Liberal)

Mike Schreiner (Green)

Blair Smythe (Libertarian)

Candidate survey responses:

(NOTE: Some responses exceeded word limits and have been truncated at that point. Other than that, all responses have been posted unedited.)

How long have you lived in the riding? (max. 20 words)

Juanita Burnett: I will have lived in Guelph 20 years this July 1st. It is home.

James Gordon: I have lived in Guelph for 40 years

Liz Sandals: I have been a proud Guelphite for my entire life – I grew up in Guelph and raised my family here.

Mike Schreiner: I started my first business in Guelph 18 years ago and have worked in Guelph and lived in Toronto much…

What’s your favourite thing about the riding?(max. 30 words)

JB: The people. Guelph is multi-cultural, progressive, caring - the biggest place I've lived, but still feels like a small town.

JG: I love Guelph's unique cultural identity and architectural heritage, its green spaces and river corridors,  and an engaged citizenry that takes a leading role in advocacy and innovation.

LS: Guelph has been called Canada’s safest city and Canada’s most livable city, but the accolade I am most proud of is Canada’s most caring community.

MS: This list is long, so I’ll just name a few: Fantastic local food, great music and arts community, a vibrant downtown, and trails and paths along the rivers.

What was your last full-time job before entering politics, for how long did you hold it and when did you leave? (max. 40 words)

JB: I was at Value Village for over eight years. I got my foot in the door (part-time) at the University library in 2008; and they put a freeze on full-time hires. My current job restarts in September.

JG: For this campaign I am taking a leave of absence from my work as a songwriter/playwright/record producer/musician/music educator and community facilitator. I have been doing this for 35 years.

LS: I worked as a computer programmer analyst and lecturer in computer science at the University of Guelph. I left in 1998 to become the President of the Ontario Public School Board Association, a position I held for four years.

MS: I was the Vice President of Local Food Plus, a non-profit organization supporting local food and farmers. I worked there for four years and left it to run for the leader of the Green Party of Ontario.

Aside from family, work, and politics, what occupies your time? (max. 50 words)

JB: Aside from work, family, and politics, I like growing things, and I love books. Movies are fun, too. I am a feminist, a unionist, and would like to be more creative. I spend a lot of my time learning new things, and fighting for social justice. My son inspires me.

JG: If I can get downtown time, I spend it on the Severn River in an eco-friendly houseboat that I built with my father. There I connect with nature, catch up on my reading, and cook up future projects!

LS: Being MPP for Guelph and Minister of Education occupies most of my time. When not busy with those I spend time with my children and grandchildren at our family cottage.

MS: I love exploring the great outdoors… cycling, canoeing, hiking, fishing, camping. I also like watching sports, especially basketball, and cooking delicious local food for my friends.

Why did you choose to run for your particular party? (max. 75 words)

JB: I am running for the Communist Party because of shared interests and values. We are the only Party with an anti-austerity platform. We think keeping and creating jobs - building affordable housing, infrastructure, manufacturing,  public service (health; education; transit; other) jobs - and raising the minimum wage (and corporate taxes!) will put more money into the economy. We fight for people, not corporations. We need to strengthen labour laws and stop privatization. Another Ontario is…

JG: The NDP most closely aligns with my own values around social justice, environmental and economic issues. Their mandate of "leaving no one behind" inspires me, and achieving that goal feels like a rewarding place to put my energies. As a life-long advocate for many of these issues, I am running so that I can contribute to making the change we need in this province now.

LS: I always say Mike Harris made me do it.  I was a school board trustee when Mike Harris’ PC party was elected in 1995 and began their attack on our publically funded education system. The Liberal Party offered a positive plan for education and our province. I am proud of the investments we have made in our public services and want to continue to work with our community to build a stronger Guelph.

MS: I have two young daughters; I’m concerned about the future we are leaving them. As a small business owner, I appreciate the Green Party’s focus on creating local jobs by supporting small businesses. As a farm kid, I support the Green Party’s commitment to protecting prime farmland and water. The three status quo parties are broken. They’re not offering honest solutions to big challenges like jobs, climate change and threats to vital resources like farmland…

2011 results:

Liz Sandals (Liberal): 19,815

Greg Schirk (Progressive Conservative): 11,954

James Gordon (New Democrat): 11,150

Steven Dyck (Green): 3,234

Phil Bender (Libertarian): 305

Drew Garvie (Communist): 139

Julian Ichim (Independent): 100