Wednesday 8 October 2014

A Hand Up

I've known Pamela Mitchell a long time. Not personally, of course, but if you spend as much time walking up and down King Street as I do, you've undoubtedly run into her yourself several times. I first met her years ago when she asked me about a sign I was posting on the Dundas Community Services board in Memorial Square. We'd chatted but never formally introduced ourselves.

It took until this election for me to learn her name and discover that she is one of my fellow candidates for Council in Ward 13. Pamela is a remarkable woman but she has limited means. A few weeks ago, she expressed her frustration at not being able to afford a campaign website so I sent her an open invitation to help set her up with something free.

We ran into each other on Saturday when we both found ourselves sorting food at the Salvation Army food drive. She was ready to take me up on my offer so we made a date to meet at the Dundas library at 10AM this morning. In no time at all, she was typing away at a blog exactly like this one.

You may be asking yourself why I would take time away from my campaign to help another candidate. The answer is simple: while we both come from quite different backgrounds, we actually share opinions on a number of very important issues that too often go overlooked in Dundas.

She is passionate about the plight of the poor and elderly. She is very involved in mental health advocacy as well as with women's rights organizations. She knows first-hand the inadequacies of transit in Dundas and Hamilton. She has a lot of important things to say and I wanted to be sure she has a place to broadcast her ideas. She is entitled to a voice and I am committed to giving her one.

Elections are all about sharing ideas and I'm very happy to help Pamela share hers with our community.

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