Jeff Lehman is stepping out of the Barrie mayor’s chair and he hopes into a loftier one at Queen’s Park.
After almost 12 years heading city council, Lehman, 46, has set his sights on becoming the MPP for Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte, as the Liberal candidate in that riding for the June 2 provincial election.
“I got into politics to make an impact, and I believe I now can make a broader impact,” he said. “I’ve spent 12 years leading Barrie through good times and bad, and in my time as mayor, I've taken a leadership role on behalf of cities across the province. I really feel like there’s a choice right now about the kind of politics we want - populist, or pragmatic.
“It's about getting things done, but more importantly, having a plan for the future that includes everyone, not just a narrow political base,” said Lehman. “This means building communities the way we once did, with schools and hospitals that aren't overcrowded, and neighbourhoods that have housing for people at all income levels and ages.”
He says one topic keeps coming up as the election campaign gets underway.
“The cost of everything. So many of our daily household costs have gone up, especially food and gas,” Lehman said. “But for families in our area in particular, child care costs are huge. Housing costs are huge. And people are being asked to accept less for their tax dollars, especially in our education system where cuts and larger classes are what our kids have to deal with, at a time coming out of COVID when they need extra help and attention.”
Politics and, in general, people have become seemingly toxic and combative, but Lehman said that won’t be a theme with him in the coming months.
“I think some people have become toxic and combative, but there’s still a vast silent majority who want to see politicians talk about the issues, not make personal attacks, and behave like leaders,” he said.
“I’m very used to online comments and the inevitable negativity, and I do ignore much of it. But now and again, I'll try to engage in a funny way around negative comments, just to show I don't take it seriously and see if I can get a laugh," Lehman said.
“The point is, everyone is human, and it’s always hard to hate someone up close, once you realize that. Negative campaigning is part of what’s turned so many people off of politics, so while I have lots to criticize in the Ford government’s action, or lack of it, I don’t plan to engage in personal attacks. I’ll leave online combat to the trolls.”
Lake Simcoe is always a hot topic in this region and there needs to be a plan to keep it safe and clean while Barrie looks to double in population in the decades ahead, Lehman said.
“The major issue remains keeping phosphorous emissions down, so the lake stays clean and healthy,” he said. “Lake Simcoe requires a government committed to protecting it. The city has done incredible work to reduce emissions from our pollution control plant, and we'll need all municipalities to strive to keep emissions low.
“However, a big part of this is stormwater. We’re going to have to think differently about how we treat runoff and make sure it is filtered or retained to reduce the amount of pollution-laden water rushing into the (Kempenfelt) Bay. There are innovative and beautiful ways to do this, but the province needs to fund these projects and play an active role in keeping our lake clean and healthy.”
Lehman was first elected to city council in 2006 as Ward 2 councillor, then served as mayor from 2010-2022.
But June 2 will be the first time Lehman has faced a strong field since 2010, when he defeated former Barrie-area MPP Joe Tascona, city councillor Mike Ramsay, former mayor Rob Hamilton and Dave Aspden, the incumbent, in that order.
The 2014 and 2018 Barrie mayor elections were cakewalks for Lehman, as he took more than 90 per cent of the vote.
This time it will be tougher, starting with incumbent Progressive Conservative Doug Downey, who is also Ontario’s Attorney General, running for re-election as Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte MPP.
