Running for election has been an enormous learning experience, but the most important lesson I’ve learned from putting myself forward as a candidate for city council is how many people have a hand in a campaign one way or another. There are so many people to thank, so this is a bit of a long read.
First, let me thank the 2,181 residents of Ward 1 who voted for me to represent them on city council. I am humbled by, and grateful for, your confidence in me AND your support for what I stood for during this campaign. Special thanks to everyone who donated to our campaign and/or hosted a lawn sign. Without your support our campaign would not have been possible.
To the multitude of people who publicly expressed their support for my candidacy, as well as those who — for various reasons — had to express their support privately: It meant a great deal to me and lifted me up at times I definitely needed a lift. A special shout out to progressive candidates Jess Puddister, Anne Malone, Meghan Hollett, Ophelia Ravencroft (and a couple others I won’t name) for your fellowship, counsel, encouragement, and shared-progressive vision of a healthier, safer, sustainable, more accessible, and inclusive St. John’s. I would also like to thank the Social Justice Co-operative for their encouragement, support, and endorsement during the campaign.
My heartfelt gratitude goes out to each and every one of the more than two dozen people who volunteered their time to canvass the ward and deliver campaign material, some of whom, such as Beth Hamilton who served as canvassing coordinator, also took on other roles in the campaign. Others, like Isabel Ojeda and Jim Ruby volunteered significant time with multiple progressive campaigns, and I’m grateful that they made time for us when there was so much going on. A special shout out to Ricky Jacobs and Ruby Kelly who canvassed and delivered campaign literature to most of their neighbourhoods (Wedgewood Park and Airport Heights respectively). In all we knocked on the doors of over 4,500 homes in the ward and delivered campaign literature to the rest. I thank each and every one of you for the time you gave, as well as the confidence you had in me and what I stood for.
I am so incredibly thankful for those who were willing to publicly endorse me on social media: Erin Lee, Marian Atkinson, Ricky Jacobs, Leslie MacLeod, Kelly Bursey, David Young, Leah Paranavitana, Natasha Hart, and Rick Singleton. A special shout out to Erin Lee and Marian Atkinson for officially nominating me as a candidate for city council.
Huge thanks to Leslie MacLeod and Joanne MacDonald for serving as advisors to the campaign team on accessibility issues. I am also grateful to Anne Malone and Debbie Wiseman for sharing their lived experience in dealing with the barriers to mobility that the City continues to inflict upon a significant portion of our population. A special thank you to accessibility advocate Lisa Marie Walters (Access YYT) for her invaluable “Social Media Accessibility” guide.
Thank you to Sara Moriarity for her awesome graphic design work, often under tight timelines, and helping this old dog navigate new ways to engage people on social media. I am also thankful to Whymarrh Whitby who generously offered his time and talent to designing our excellent campaign website.
I don’t know how I can ever thank Rick Hibbs and Stephen Best enough for handling all things related to our campaign signage. This turned out to be way more work than any of us expected. Between two high wind events and a high incidence of theft and vandalism, it was hard to keep up at times. Nonetheless, they did a stellar job and maintained their sense of humour.
Words feel woefully inadequate in expressing my gratitude to Robin Whitaker. When she agreed to serve as campaign manager I was over the moon. She wound up doing double duty as communications coordinator and giving an incredible amount of time to canvassing as well. And she fit all that into an already incredibly busy life. Together we fleshed out policy and answered innumerable emails and candidate surveys with well thought out and detailed responses. She kept me focused when some of the crap I had to deal with threatened to get the best of me, and she held me up when the pressure of a months-long campaign got me down. The hours, days, weeks, and months she has given so selflessly of herself, the faith she had in me and what I stood for, the passion and conviction behind everything she did for the campaign — I’m at a loss for words. Thank you Robin. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Last but not least, I would be remiss if I did not thank Darlene, the amazing woman who has stood by my side through thick and thin for more than thirty-two years. She encouraged me to run for city council when I was still struggling with the decision. She believed in me when I struggled to believe in myself. She readily accepted the financial burden and risk a political campaign would entail. She poured her heart and soul into the campaign, and spent almost every day of her summer vacation canvassing the ward for hours on end. This campaign would not have happened without her love and support. Thank you Darlene. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. I love you with every fibre of my being.
In deepest gratitude to you all,
Mark