MPP Monte Kwinter seeks 8th term

Oldest member of provincial parliament runs again
Kris Scheuer
(Written March 3 for Town Crier)

Liberal Monte Kwinter, first elected in 1985, is running again in the provincial election. Image courtesy of Monte Kwinter.

Liberal MPP Monte Kwinter is running for an eighth term this fall.
He has represented Toronto’s North York at Queeen’s Park since 1985 and was officially nominated by the Liberals on March 1.
“My reasons for running now is the same as in 1985 – to make a difference and help people,” said Kwinter, rep for York-Centre.
Over the last 25 years, he’s held five different portfolios and is currently the parlimentary assistant to the Minister of Economic Development and Trade.
“We are a very heavily trade dependent jurisdiction. We have to export to the world,” he said. “Ninety percent of our trade is to the U.S. They are going through difficult times right now. We are looking at other areas to trade with China, India, Brazil and Russia.”
He is also quite pleased that his government is opening a new accute care centre in his riding near Keele Street and Wilson Avenue.
The hospital will serve 600,000 people in the surrounding area and is in the design stage after three years of planning. He expects to see a shovel in the ground this later year and for the hospital to take two years to build.

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Jane Pitfield provincial run?

PC party asked Pitfield to run in Ontario election
But she declined offers, focused on other projects
(Written for Town Crier Feb. 22)
Kris Scheuer

Former Don Valley West Councillor Jane Pitfield has declined offers to be a PC candidate in the provincial election. Francis Crescia/Town Crier file photo.

Former Leaside councillor Jane Pitfield is busy with a lot of projects these days, but running a campaign for a seat in the Ontario legislature isn’t one of them.
Pitfield said she was approached to run provincially for this fall’s
election, but declined.
“Three different ridings all looking for Conservative candidates asked me
to think about it,” she said in February. “I said I wasn’t interested.
“The level of government that appeals to me the most is municipal.”
Pitfield ran in a competitive race in Toronto-Danforth Ward 29 during last
fall’s municipal election. She came second to councillor Mary Fragedakis.
Though surely disappointed that she wasn’t able to get back to city hall as
a municipal representative, Pitfield began tackling other projects.
This January, Exchange Solutions contracted her services to help them launch
a new program Give Get that allows shoppers to donate to various charities
just by buying products at participating retails.
It’s free to join Give Get and there will be a list of charities online that
customers can choose to support when they purchase products at participating
businesses. The website is going live this month.
A website associated with a Leaside fundraiser connected to the Give Get program is already online.
Beyond charitable work, Pitfield is also the new owner of Gaultois Inn in
the Coast of Bays region of Newfoundland. She said it is scheduled to open
in May.

Run in Toronto election 2010

Register as a candidate here’s how
My advice on why and how to run for for public office

(Opinion written for Town Crier Jan. 7)

I have a confession.
I don’t have the stomach to run for politics. Not that anyone, other than casual observers, has asked me.
People ask if I’d run as I have a passion for politics. I love writing about how issues impact people’s lives, the drama, the personalities and the elections. This is way better than reality TV.
Okay, so maybe you don’t share my news junkie mentality when it comes to politics. Or maybe you are more political than you realize …
Maybe, like my father, decades removed from his protest rally days, your city hall beef is you don’t want parking rules changed on your street or want to slow down vehicles from bombing down the road?