Former councillor seeking the top job

September 19, 2014 · 0 Comments

By Bill Rea
Nancy Stewart spent three terms as a Caledon councillor, and now she has her eyes set on the mayor’s chair.
The Albion resident announced last week that she will be running for mayor in next month’s municipal elections.
Stewart was elected as area councillor for Wards 3 and 4 in 1997, and again in 2000. She moved up to sit on Peel Regional council in 2003.
“I really care about Caledon,” she said.
“I think there’s a lot of important stuff here,” she added, pointing out Caledon is going to have a new mayor in the coming term. “I want to have a full and frank discussion on all the issues.”
Steward registered to run Friday, which was the deadline. She admitted she left launching her candidacy late. “It’s a big undertaking,” she said.
She added she’s been listening to people in the community, hearing horror stories about the amount of red tape at Town Hall. “We have to change it,” she said.
Stewart’s background is in marketing and sales. She became very involved in local affairs in the 1990s when she was active in the fight to keep the Interim Waste Authority from establishing a massive garbage dump in Caledon.
“We fought Queen’s Park and won,” she recalled.
She eventually was elected to council.
“I was never a politician,” she said. “I was far more a public advocate.”
Stewart was optimistic about getting elected.
“I think they’re great chances,” she declared. “I’m going to bring my enthusiasm to the table.”
She added people care about their community, and she wants to get them involved in the process.
“That’s what it’s all about,” she said. “Residents get the chance to make a choice about a new mayor. It’s all about them.”