Conservative Party of Canada Candidate: David Tilson
In the 2004 federal election, as part of the newly formed Conservative Party of Canada team, Mr. Tilson was elected as a Member of Parliament in the 38th Parliament. During this time, Mr. Tilson served as the Acting Chair of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy, and Ethics. Mr. Tilson was re-elected as Member of Parliament following the 2006 Federal Election. During this time, he was appointed Chair of the Legislative Committee on Bill C-2 (The Federal Accountability Act). He presided over 65 hours of debates on this significant piece of legislation that ran from May 3rd to June 14, 2006. The Act later received Royal Assent on December 12, 2006.
On October 14, 2008, the people of Dufferin-Caledon re-elected Mr. Tilson to the 40th Parliament. Mr. Tilson served as the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. He also became and has continued to be the President of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association and remains a member of the Greater Toronto Area Caucus, the Ontario Caucus, and the Auto Caucus. On May 2, 2011, Mr. Tilson was again returned to the House of Commons by the citizens of Dufferin-Caledon.
Community involvement has always been important for Mr. Tilson and he remains a committed life member and Past President of the Optimist Club of Orangeville. He was also one of the original founders of the 3rd Orangeville Boy Scouts, Big Brothers of Orangeville and District, as well as the Blue Box Program, in Orangeville.
Mr. Tilson is the proud father of three children: Janet, Greg, and Riley. His wife, Judith Birchall, practices law in Orangeville.
Green Party of Canada Candidate: Nancy Urekar
Nancy Urekar is the owner of ChicaBOOM Consignment Furniture, Fashion and Decor in Caledon Village. She has lived in the Orangeville-Caledon area since 1987, where she raised her family. She has two daughters who live in Toronto
and are well launched!
Nancy has a BA in Sociology and a Masters in Business Administration from McMaster University. Before opening the consignment store, Nancy was a Financial Advisor with Assante Capital Management. Prior to that she was a vice-president at
McLeod Young Weir. She loves to read, walk with her dog, snowshoe in the winter and spend time with friends and family. She’s a Morris dancer and musician with Orange Peel Morris, a local English folk dancing group. She’s long been a member of Canadian Federation of University Women and has skied for many years at Mono Nordic. She took up the fiddle in her 40s and saws away at it for her own enjoyment.
Nancy has long been an environmentalist and is passionate about the Green Party, and building a sustainable future for us and our children and our children’s children’s children.
Liberal Party of Canada Candidate: Ed Crewson
A life-long resident of Dufferin-Caledon with over 26 years of service as a municipal leader, Ed Crewson understands that you can improve the lives of others by listening to people, caring about their needs, respecting their concerns and advocating on their behalf. Armed with a comprehensive knowledge of local issues, Ed wants to continue his service as Dufferin-Caledon’s voice in Ottawa.
First elected in 1988 as a municipal Councillor for Shelburne, Ed was later elected in 1991 as Reeve of Shelburne, before proudly serving as Mayor from 1997 until his retirement in 2014. During his time in office, Ed’s firm investments in the town’s infrastructure catapulted Shelburne to among the top three fastest growing municipalities, all while successfully decreasing taxes.
Over these 26 years as a municipal leader, Ed has held several public service positions and has constantly advocated for all constituents – the residents, businesses, farmers, new Canadians, the fortunate and the less fortunate. Ed has proven himself as fiscally responsible and socially progressive with an impressive record that includes:
- Making Shelburne the home to Dufferin County’s largest employer KTH Manufacturing;
- Redeveloping of Dufferin County’s long term care home in Shelburne;
- Launching a medical centre in Shelburne where 6 physicians now care for our residents;
- Establishing 45 units of non-profit housing;
- Creating 46 units of affordable housing for seniors and the disabled; and,
- Building the second best soccer pitch in the province.
Ed and his wife, Wendy are proud entrepreneurs who have grown their local business from one employee to 14 with two locations. Together they have had the privilege of raising three children, Jennifer, Brooke and William.
NDP Candidate: Rehya Yazbek
New Democrats in the federal riding of Dufferin-Caledon have nominated Rehya Yazbek to be their candidate in the upcoming federal election.
“A mother of three, Rehya knows first-hand the pressures that middle-class families are facing from juggling work and home life to making ends meet,” said NDP Leader Tom Mulcair. “Rehya’s been an advocate for her community for many years, and I know she’d be a strong voice in Dufferin-Caledon.”
Rehya is a working mom, with twenty years’ experience in the retail food sector, and she currently works on staff for the United Food and Commercial Workers union. She lives with her husband and three children outside Inglewood in rural Caledon, where her husband Wally runs a small business, repairing specialized auto components.
Yazbek has been active in a number of organisations ranging from Amnesty International to her daughter’s Girl Guide troop, where she was beloved as Sunshine Owl.
“Many of the people I represent work in part-time and precarious work. They’re working harder and harder but can’t get ahead. Stephen Harper’s plan just isn’t working and that’s why need change,” says Yazbek. Tom Mucair’s program includes a $15 an hour federal minimum wage which is more than many retail workers actually earn.And as the wife of the small business owner, she understands the importance of Tom Mulcair’s plan to reduce the small business tax from 11% to 9%. Rehya’s number one priority, as a mother with three children herself, is a national childcare program with $15 a day childcare.