There will officially be an election race in North Kent.
Marc Reid has filed his papers and will be seeking a council seat, representing Ward 4 – North Kent.
Reid said he grew up in the area and just moved back to Chatham-Kent two years ago. Along with his wife, Reid runs a music and movement studio inside the Downtown Chatham Centre.
“We’re interested in community development through music, we love the area, I’m a boater so I’m interested in the use of our waterways,” Reid said. “We live in a school house, which used to be the Wabash school years ago, adjacent to the family farm, that my granddad bought in 1920. Went to high school in Dresden, my son is just entering high school and my daughter just graduated.”
Reid added: “I’ve been thinking about this and decided I’m just going to go for it. I’m interested in the issues, interested in the area, promoting Chatham-Kent it’s a great place to be and a great place to visit. I’ve always felt part of Dresden, going to school there, going to Foodland, and buying my hardware and everything, we just go to Dresden. Also interested in Lake St. Clair and the Mitchell’s Bay area.”
Reid said woodlot clear-cutting and tourism are issues he’ll be focusing on in his campaign.
“I’ve been following the clear-cutting issue,” he said. “My granddad was a farmer, so this is in touch with the farmers perspective but also an environmental stand point. I think that is an important issue for balance.”
Reid added: “I mentioned tourism and promoting the area, I moved from Hamilton, we were there for 15 years and also I’ve lived in Toronto. People go north to go to the cottage, if they headed west they’d find more peaceful settings, less traffic. I’m interested in what we can do to promote Chatham-Kent for tourism, but not just that but as a great place to live and for kids to find work here… they can go away to school, but feel like they can come back and have a place right here in Chatham-Kent.”
Incumbents Leon Leclair and Joe Faas are only others to file in Ward 4.
Election day is Oct. 27.
