Journal Staff
Barring a late addition, the election battle to represent Sarnia-Lambton in Ottawa will be a four-way race.
Community activist Peter Smith joined the fray last week when he was took up the Green Party banner.
A retired Chemical Valley scientist and engineer, Smith is active in groups concerned with social, human rights and environmental issues.
He served on the St. Clair Child and Youth board for 12 years and is an organizer of the Sarnia-Lambton Science Fair.
A self-described “pragmatic idealist,” Smith is dismayed by the censoring of government scientists and believes climate change is the greatest danger facing humanity.
Retired educator David McPhail secured the Liberal nod at a well-attended nomination meeting May 19.
The Sarnia-born McPhail was a teacher and principal for 34 years and authored a series of school mathematics textbooks.
He is a past president of the Ontario Public School Principals’ Association and chaired both the Sarnia-Lambton Chamber of Commerce and St. Clair Child and Youth.
He wants to use that experience, he has said, to bring the riding the national attention it deserves.
As earlier reported, the Conservative and NDP candidates are also set.
Former riding association president Marilyn Gladu aims to succeed retiring MP Pat Davidson after defeating two challengers at the Feb. 21 Tory nomination meeting.
A professional engineer, Gladhu has extensive experience in the Chemical Valley and is currently a business director at WorleyParsons.
During her career, she was a national policy director with the Canadian Society of Chemical Engineers and on the Faculty of Engineering advisory council at Queen’s University.
She is currently working with Sarnia-Lambton’s Industrial Alliance and Economic Partnership to attract new industry.
NDP candidate Jason McMichael, a Bright’s Grove resident, was a professional golfer at Huron Oaks before becoming a border officer in 2000.
For the past six years he has served full-time as national vice-president of the Customs and Immigration Union, representing over 10,000 members.
A lifelong Sarnian, McMichael is a director of the Bluewater Health Foundation and volunteers at Lambton County Developmental Services and Bright’s Grove public school.
He is also an avid outdoorsman and member of Bluewater Anglers.
Unless a snap election is called Canadians will go to the polls on Oct. 19.
