Dufferin–Caledon Greens second in polls as Wallace accepts candidacy : Shelburne Free Press : https://shelburnefreepress.ca

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Dufferin–Caledon Greens second in polls as Wallace accepts candidacy

With nearly 20 years front line experience in municipal and provincial government Karren Wallace's step into the political ring was a logical move that has long been encouraged by those who know her locally. “Working on the inside gives me a true understanding of what works and what doesn't and how change can be made,” Wallace says. Currently a Municipal Advisor for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Wallace has been nominated as the candidate for the Dufferin-Caledon Green Party of Ontario, taking an unpaid leave of absence from her position at the Ministry to run in the June 12th Provincial election. An early poll placed the Green Party second in the region even before Wallace was named as candidate.

Wallace grew up, one of four children on a beef and potato farm in Melancthon Township in Dufferin County, and feels lucky to have raised her own three children on a farm directly across the road. As a child, she garnered an interest in politics from her parents, Murray and Doris Wallace, who always had the news on at noon and six and discussed political issues around the table. She carried that early interest into a career in Municipal Administration.

While her kids were growing up, Wallace focused her volunteer time in 4-H, the fair board, school activities and minor sports, supporting the community and her kids. But, things changed in 2006 when news of an application for a mega quarry on rare Honeywood silt loam soil started to circulate in Melancthon. She became immersed in the issue with the North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Taskforce (NDACT) and began to see the flaws in a weak regulatory system in Ontario that “permitted bullying and buying by proponents” as well as a disappointing response from local representatives. “Despite worldwide attention, and her knowledge that this is a huge issue in her riding of Dufferin-Caledon, Conservative MPP Sylvia Jones has not moved any meaningful legislation to protect Class 1 farmland,” says Wallace. The recent review of the Aggregate Resources Act was largely received as farcical by agricultural and environmental proponents and Wallace says, “The truth is someone could make the same application tomorrow.”

It was during her crusade to protect Dufferin farmland and source water that Wallace became familiar with the policies of the Green Party which supported the NDACT battle. “They brought not only local representatives to the issue, but Green Party of Canada leader, Elizabeth May, and Green Party of Ontario leader, Mike Schreiner to a potato farm to stand on the ground in support of our battle.” Currently, the Greens are the only party to endorse and support NDACT's legacy movement “Food and Water First” which advocates protection for Class 1 farmland from all development applications. Green policy also calls for wind energy to be close to market, not on class 1 land, and an end to Toronto's offshore moratorium for turbines.

Wallace hopes constituents will get past misconceptions about the Green party and recognize them as fiscally conservative and socially responsible. As an example, she states Green policy advocates for a one school system to realize $1.6 billion annually in savings which can be used to enhance and improve every child's education. Wallace knows there will be challenges running in a traditionally Conservative riding, “I am not as well known in Caledon, so that is another challenge, but in the next four weeks everyone will know who I am and what my views are. We all want to protect our province and grow in a responsible way; it is the citizens of Dufferin-Caledon that must set the agenda and vote in the right representative.”

Wallace knows her strengths as well, and those who have stood at her side for a cause envy her vocal tenacity, “I challenge issues and people who I feel are doing an injustice. I challenge the status quo system, and when I get to Queen's Park, I promise to be a vocal advocate bringing local issues to the attention of the legislature”

For further information, Karren Wallace's Green Party headquarters is located in the Orangeville Mall at 150 First Street. You can follow her on twitter @ Karren GPO or facebook at KarrenWallaceGPO

By Marni Walsh

Post date: 2014-05-14 16:18:12
Post date GMT: 2014-05-14 20:18:12
Post modified date: 2014-05-21 14:26:35
Post modified date GMT: 2014-05-21 18:26:35