Dyck wants to be Green
We’re still nine months out from Election Day, but the local ballot is starting to take shape with a familiar face making it known that he intends to represent the Green Party going in to the 2019 Federal campaign.
Steve Dyck, CEO of Guelph Solar and a local environmental advocate, announced his intention to seek the Green Party of Canada nomination in Guelph. “Building a just transition to an economy of the future requires that we are honest,” Dyck said in a Facebook post. He made the announcement from Costa Rica where he’s currently attending conflict resolution training.
“There are so many great solutions and great jobs that are coming with a transition to a high tech, low carbon economy. Guelph can lead the way, by putting people first,” Dyck added.
Dyck last ran for office in 2011 as the Green Party candidate in that year’s Provincial election, coming in fourth place with 6.93 per cent of the vote. Since then Dyck has continued his advocacy on environmental issues and to fight climate change, usually from perspective of the positive development of Green tech. He’s also been an advocate for electoral reform with Fair Vote Guelph and Democracy Guelph.
“Our government needs to reflect us. We need to work for what we want and vote for it,” Dyck wrote. “We need to be courageous and honest. I am willing to work as hard as you are. Together we can do the right thing.”
The Green Party will obviously be looking for a bump in Guelph after Mike Schreiner’s victory last fall in the Provincial Election. Still, the numbers show that there will have to be a serious growth spurt in support if the eventual Green Party nominee is going to unseat 26 years of Liberal hegemony here in the Royal City.
In 2011, Gord Miller secured 11.32 per cent of the vote, which was an increase over John Lawson’s showing in 2011 when he won only 6.29 per cent of the vote for the Green Party. The best showing by the Green Party in a Federal election in Guelph was in 2008 when Mike Nagy won 21.15 per cent of the vote and came within just over 6,500 votes of beating Frank Valeriote.
The deadline for nominations to be the local Green Party candidate was January 31, but Dyck is so far the only one to public announce his candidacy.
Lloyd Longfield was confirmed last fall as the Liberal candidate for Guelph.
This story was originally published here.