Caledon Votes 2026: Meet Your Council Candidates: Paul Parete, Ward 4

September 10, 2026 · 0 Comments

By KATHRYN FRASER

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

As we continue our election journey, we would like to introduce Paul Parete, who has thrown his hat in the ring to be Ward 4’s next Councillor.

After moving to Caledon 25 years ago and deciding this was the place where he and his family would make a home, Parete wants a chance to give back to his community in a bigger way – and that is by running for Councillor of Ward 4.

With his time as a physical scientist working for the federal public service slowly coming to an end, Parete says he is hoping to use his experience, knowledge and leadership skills to help Caledon.

“I think we’re at a point in Caledon’s life where there are some significant changes coming, it is not the same as it was 20, 30, 50 years ago,” says Parete. “I felt that I couldn’t just sit on the sidelines and see what happens. I feel that I can put my professional experience and skills into serving the community that I live in and plan to retire in”.

Using evidence-based solutions, real accountability and modern approaches to municipal governments Parete wants to be the new voice for Ward 4.

“I think real municipal governance requires moving beyond passive notice boards and word of mouth to active open communication. I think a real outreach and engagement plan for the Ward and for Caledon as a whole is necessary to modernize municipal politics, modernize municipal governance,” says Parete. “Grounded in my 25-year public service career, I bring that experience already, proven transparency. This is how we focused our work at the federal public service. It’s always outreaching engagement in what is happening, what decisions are being made, what results have produced.”

To achieve this goal Parete says he wants to focus on collaboration between all members including Council, Regional representatives, and the Province.

“We need some sort of larger strategy with the other Councillors, but, of course, focused town halls, dedicated Ward 4 meetings. before major zoning and bylaw policies are passed or budgets, getting folks to understand what it is we’re doing, and then their perspective on that. Accessible outreach – an interactive, digital tracking of people’s perspectives, challenges, thoughts, so we can have a logic model to how we made decisions,” says Parete. “We’ve got this information on that challenge. We’ve collected your information on what you think about it, and here is our decided result of our decision. Then, of course, proactive updates: regular clean language summaries on Council decisions, budgets. People don’t have time to read large documents. Quick to the point summaries, I think, would help with that communication.”

One of Parete’s main challenges that he sees Ward 4 facing is funding for local infrastructure, roads, emergency services, and community facilities with growth.

“It’s something we can’t get away from. Growth is dictated to us by the province. We hope we have the right to table, to turn that into infrastructure and amenities for our residents.

We’re building, we want to build communities, not just a house, right? You want to have infrastructure attached to that house. You want to have parks. You want to have facilities, everything that a community needs to be a flourishing community, not just development,” says Parete. “We want to be at the table with the right voices and the right information and the right position, perspective to help that happen, that’s best suited for the communities.”

Running for Councillor of Ward 4, Parete believes that through his experiences and understanding of what the ward needs he can be the voice that is needed to bring change.

“I’m not a politician. I am a public servant at heart. There’s no political rhetoric, empty promises just to [get] votes, hard lines focused on a singular issue that maybe more nuanced or complex than one makes you believe. I have a unique combination of professional experience at the federal public service and lived experience as a rural resident in Caledon, which I think relates to Ward 4 deep to its roots, with the other residents as rural residential, living amongst farmland, living amongst trails and green spaces. I think a lot of candidates are connected politically, are coming at from a business perspective, community activism. My entire professional career is based on public service. This is at the core of what I bring,” says Parete.

“I understand working within the environment of tax dollars. This is not a business. These are folks’ hard-earned tax dollars. Having that at the root of your decision making, some people don’t always understand that, especially those coming from the business world. It’s a little bit different.”

Looking to the future, Parete wants voters to put their trust in him and help make change in Ward 4.

“Trust is hard to earn and it’s easy to lose. I’ve always been respectful of residents and provided leadership and guidance rooted in curiosity and a culture of care. Now, curiosity, meaning asking the right questions, gathering important information needed to an informed decision sound decision making. A culture of care is, am I doing what’s right for the community and not getting lost in politics of the day? Providing leadership, understanding the human element, caring for the human aspect of it all, right? Am I doing the right thing for my neighbours, for my community?” says Parete. “This is where I feel that I can be trusted with this, because this is where I’ve spent a lot of my time as a public servant, working in that environment, always having that that measure in my mind, am I doing the right thing, efficiently, respectfully? This is where I feel I can earn that trust.”