A candidate for the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) says it was the recent discovery of his father’s decades-old campaign literature that inspired him to run to be a trustee. David Ross removes the lid of a shoebox filled with campaign literature and advertising from his father Charlie Ross’ political career in London. “This was in my parents’ basement,” Ross explains. “We’ve been going through our family home, my family and I, and we kind of took a walk down memory lane.” Charlie Ross died in 2021, but in the 1970s and 1980s he served in a number of local roles including deputy mayor of London, Board of Control, Board of Education, and the Public Utilities Commission. The earliest leaflets are from a successful run for the Board of Education that reads, “a fresh, dynamic approach to the problems of education in London.” “These pieces of campaign literature inspired me in a huge way,” explains David. “And being retired, I’ve now got time, full time, to contribute.” One of three sons, David forged his own career as a banker after graduating from the public school system and Western University. “I was on hundreds of different committees with Canada’s large banks, [so] I think I can bring a lot of that governance [and] transparency,” Ross added. One of his favourite discoveries, a picture of his father standing proudly in front of city hall that appears on a campaign handout printed to look like a newspaper. “As a child, I spent a lot of time here at City Hall just waiting around for my dad,” he said. “I’ve learned so much from my father over the years just by watching him.” Also registered as a candidate for two trustee positions representing Wards 2,3,4,5, and 6 are Andrew Bawden, Mike Bloxam, Veena Joshi, Paras Mehta, and Nisha Sharma. The nomination deadline for the 2026 Municipal Election is Friday, Aug. 21 at 2 p.m. Election Day is Oct. 26.
