In a surprising plot twist, this spring’s federal Conservative candidate Brian Nolan was elected mayor in Chelsea, one of the communities of our federal riding that reliably swings Liberal.
And it wasn’t close. Nolan won with 62 per cent of the vote over incumbent Pierre Guénard, who himself received 63 per cent of the vote just four years prior. Chelsea was ready for change, and Nolan found a way to articulate what he could offer in language that resonated, and convinced
people he meant it.
In a community seemingly frustrated with the mechanics of council and its treatment of residents, he promised collaboration with councillors, an increase in transparency around decision-making, and a commitment to consulting and convincing constituents rather than imposing decisions. He had support from candidates of various political leanings because he pitched himself as a guy dedicated to working across differences and learning from others.
For all the talk we hear from candidates on what they hope to bring to a municipality – better parks and playgrounds, quality roads, low taxes – their ability to sit across the council table and work with somebody who sees things differently, and to listen to those who show up to their public meetings to express concerns, is perhaps most important. Nolan figured this out.
His tune is one Pontiac residents will have heard many times over from those vying for their support in the past month. Some of these candidates succeeded. Whether they will have the support of council to deliver the changes they have pitched, time will tell.
But Nolan’s win is a reminder of the antidote municipal politics can offer to the growing polarization of our communities. Honest engagement in this level of government should force us out of the comfortable echo chambers we inhabit, the walls of which have been strengthened by our online bubbles. It’s easy to judge or speak poorly of people of another camp when they’re not your neighbour and when you’re largely speaking to people you know will agree with you.
But a decision about how to keep an arena alive or how to encourage more housing development will surely involve many hours of collaboration and conversation, likely with people who have different ideas about where money should be found, how money should be spent, or what the government’s role should be in supporting economic development.
And municipal elections are the first opportunities aspiring politicians have to perform this kind of collaboration, simply in terms of how they engage with and speak about their opponents.
