A little more than two years into his political career as a Halton Hills councillor, Alex Hilson wasn’t really eyeing a jump into provincial politics.
But when the talk of an Ontario election sprung up, several people approached the Acton resident about running as the Liberal candidate for Wellington-Halton Hills. He said the timing was key in his decision to run.
With longtime PC Party MPP Ted Arnott announcing he will not run in the next election, Hilson believes the time is right for a change in the riding. He said people often vote for what they know, but with no local incumbent, it will come down to which candidate can best serve the riding.
“There is absolutely an opportunity now for real change, for a new voice, for different choices,” said Hilson, who was confirmed as the riding’s Liberal candidate on Saturday. “We have, in this riding, a real opportunity to be successful, to make local decisions matter and turn a fresh page on the past.”
Hilson has enjoyed his two years on council, but one thing he has realized is that there are things out of the municipality’s control.
“A big example is Bill 23 and the changes it brought in planning. Municipalities get told where to grow, the number of the people they have to accommodate and then the municipality has to find ways to fund it,” he said. “Some of these decisions are made at a higher level. This is an opportunity to represent what local residents want and advocate for them.”
Hilson said there are critical issues facing the province, including health care and housing. He said approximately 2.5 million people in Ontario, including 46,000 people in the Wellington-Halton Hills riding, do not have a family doctor. He said it's important to prioritize training new doctors, integrating international medical graduates and reducing the administrative burden on doctors.
On housing, he said it's not only important to build homes, but to build homes people can afford.
Locally, Hilson said a Fergus bypass and a new hospital for Georgetown, are other key issues.
“We need strong representation from so many of our individuals in every single riding to ensure that leading into the future we do have a province that is spending its money wisely on the needs of our communities,” said Kathryn McGarry, president of the Ontario Liberal Executive Council and a former MPP.
Hilson prides himself on his community involvement. Prior to joining Halton Hills Council, he was the Downtown Acton BIA co-ordinator, leading the business community through the pandemic.
He's the past president of the Optimist Club of Halton Hills and lieutenant governor of Optimist International. He sits on the board of the Halton Hills Public Library, is a representative on the Credit Valley Source Protection and is a warden at his local church.
“I truly believe we would have stronger communities if we could get more of our residents engaged, to get above petty politics and divisiveness and work together to make the best decisions for our community at large,” the 30-year-old said.
“With hard work, I believe that we can win Wellington-Halton Hills in the upcoming election and I believe we have the right candidate in Alex to do just that,” said Doug Varley, president of the Wellington-Halton Hills Provincial Liberal Association.
