John Barclay is running for councillor in North Grenville. The Oxford Mills resident ran for mayor in 2014 and has now set his sights on a councillor seat.
Barclay says he has three priorities for North Grenville: diversifying the economy, building community and creating local jobs. He says the municipality needs to work with small business owners and leverage North Grenville’s unique assets to boost economic development.
Barclay says there is untapped potential when it comes to local food production and distribution.
Barclay says running for council is a natural extension of what he is already doing in the community, such as volunteering with the Oxford Mills Community Association and working with the Old Town Kemptville Business Improvement Area.
He says the municipality needs to put more focus on rural issues. Barclay feels the trail system in North Grenville could use some work to improve walkability throughout the community. He wants to put together a plan that will connect Anniversary Park, Curry Park, Rotary Park and Riverside Park.
Barclay started his own business in 1985 and says he is comfortable working with multi-million dollar budgets.
The My Kemptville Now newsroom will be interviewing all councillor and mayoral candidates for North Grenville over the next two weeks. The 2018 Municipal Election is set for October 22.