March 28, 2022

IF YOU LIKE DOUG FORD, YOU’LL LOVE CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE GRAYDON SMITH

PARRY SOUND-MUSKOKA — Graydon Smith is a lot like Norm Miller, the affable MPP he’s running to replace.

Both are popular politicians in a small-town way. Like the Parry Sound farmer, they represent small-c conservative values.

So if Smith is successful in replacing Miller June 2, constituents should see little change in local representation at Queen’s Park.

Conservative continuity … Tory MPP.2.

If you like Doug Ford, you’ll love Graydon Smith.

A heavenly tag team for Tories in the Heart of Muskoka representing permanent and seasonal populations.

Smith says there’s a lot of people “excited” about him running and he called their support “humbling.”

The mayor of Bracebridge, who “unofficially” kicked off his run for member of Provincial Parliament Saturday morning in back the old Dura automotive plant, said Miller did “an outstanding job, a fantastic job for the people fore 21 years making sure their voices were heard.”

He said Miller’s are “big shoes to fill. But I’m up for the task.

“We’re both representing the same values that are part of an Ontario PC party. And I want to continue that tradition do the very best I can for the people.”

Miller wasn’t in attendance.

Party riding president Andrew Struthers said Smith was declared the candidate without a general meeting after the provincial party leadership cited Ontario laws against large gatherings as preventing them from holding a nomination meeting in person during the pandemic. The Bracebridge town councillor said no one else had expressed running to challenge Smith’s running.

Bracebridge mayor kicked off Tory run for Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Saturday morning.

Smith said “This party is ready to continue its good governance of Ontario.

“We know Ontario is coming off two years of the pandemic. And while it’s not over there’s been positive signs. And we want to continue that positivity. More importantly continue the growth of Ontario. And the Ontario PC party and Premier Doug Ford are going to do that.

“Talk about the party that gets thing done. The party that is building things in Ontario. The party that is making life affordable for folks in Ontario and providing opportunity for everybody.”

He said the PCs “know we need government support to be the best they can be. …

“That’s why I want to do this job.”

Smith said “It’s really about listening to the people. It’s not about me telling people what I want them to do; it’s about me hearing from folks what they want to achieve and what they want to see in this riding. And me carrying that voice to Queen’s Park. That’s what I intend to do after June 2.”

Smith said “lines of communication with the province are better than they’ve ever been.”

And the two have worked well close together in recent years on flooding in 2019 and more recently funding for the town’s new community centre.

“The premier has been absolutely fantastic to deal with. Any time I call him he calls me back. He’s interested in what challenges are here and has been really focussed on helping Parry Sound-Muskoka.

“I’m grateful that he’s the leader of the party. He’s done such an excellent job for our area and I’m sure he’ll be of great assistance to issues that are important to us.”

Graydon Smith says he’s “excited to be running” for the job of MPP, which “been interested in for a long, long time.” And after 12 years as mayor of Bracebridge “I’ve had my turn and now it’s an opportunity for someone else to lead the community of Bracebridge.”

Among those issues, according to Smith, are “housing” and “health care” and giving riding residents “the opportunity to be their best selves and for businesses to grow.

“Locally, we know that people are certainly very concerned about health care, as they have been for a very long, long time. And we want to continue that support. This government has been fantastic with that support.”

Smith said he will also “continue to advocate on behalf” of the two hospital sites model as new discussion around that controversial issue he helped champion has reportedly risen.

“Absolutely. As you know, during my time as mayor I supported two new acute care sites in both Bracebridge and Huntsville. And I’ve never shied away from that. And I will continue to advocate for that on behalf of the folks in this part of the riding. Health care is always at the very top of the list along with resources and supports for health care.

“I’m really impressed at how much this government has invested in it already. But that conversation needs to keep continuing. And we’ll make sure this riding gets what it needs.”

Smith said last week’s provincial announcement of $2 million for the Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) hospitals to recoup lost pandemic revenues is indicative of the government’s support.

But he said as mayor he has long advocated for the hospitals’ base funding model to be improved for small hospitals, which have extra seasonal hospital needs; even as Miller noted in a release about the latest cash infusion that the Ministry of Health provided MAHC with annual funding of more than $7 million in 2021.

“What you’ve seen is this government is really attuned to ensuring that there are dollars there to provide that stability. Not only in health care, but they also provided dollars to municipalities to make sure they could deliver services.”

**Friend Fran Coleman, left, helped Graydon Smith welcome supporters at the old Dura automotive plant where the PCs have an office in front.**

Smith added also that “housing is certainly on the minds of people as I go door-to-door.”

But first he said it’s about “getting back to some sense of normal. That doesn’t mean in any sense ignoring the pandemic by any means. We’ve been through two years of exceptional times in human history and lot of decisions needed to be made.

“But hopefully we’re seeing the sunshine come through the window and moving forward on that. We want to make sure we’re helping people and making sure businesses are strong and getting back to where they need to be, employing people and providing opportunities.”

Smith said he’s “excited to be running” for a job he’s “been interested in for a long, long time.”

When the election writ is soon dropped he will step away as mayor and a take a leave of salary to campaign fulltime. He has already relinquished the chair of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) when he accepted the nomination of the party’s board.

“I’m really pleased with the job I’ve done as mayor the past 12 years. I think what I’ve done in representing people is be very good at listening at the local and district level. I’ve had my turn and now it’s an opportunity for someone else to lead the community of Bracebridge. I know whoever does that job will do a fantastic job for this great community.

“I think what I’ve done over the last 12 years is be very good at representing people and listening to them on a local and district level. And I had a number of people ask me if I’d be interested in running at the provincial level during that time. It’s something I’ve been interested in for a long, long time.

“And the opportunity to represent the people in this riding and take the concerns they have and the challenges to Queen’s Park to make sure they’re being adequately addressed is something I’m really honoured to be able to do — I hope after June. 2. And I think I’ll do a good job for everybody.”

**Graydon Smith chats with Fred and Sharon Daultrey who were happy to show their support for a former neighbour they called “Grader” when he was growing up in Utterson.**

Asked about the dichotomy of Muskoka and perceptions of rich vs. poor, Smith said that “message is ever evolving.

“That’s why we knock on doors and hear from people. But, yeah, I think on a broader scale I think there’s a perception that, sometimes, Muskoka is a wealthy area. But the fact is it’s not a wealthy area. It’s every day folks trying to make a living and get their slice of what their dream is. So we want to make sure we’re hearing those folks and providing that level of assistance.

“As I’ve said to the province in the past, whoever is in power we gotta deal with the situation as it exists, not as we perceive it. So that’s one of the things that we definitely need to continue with as a message.”

MP Scott Aitchison, who was among about two dozen supporters on hand, said “Graydon is amazing. A tremendous heart.

“We’ve known each other since high school. I love him to death. And he is going to be an amazing representative for us in Toronto.”

The former mayor of Huntsville also worked closely with Smith to keep Muskoka’s two hospitals separate.

While Aitchison said he wasn’t “officially here,” he was there “as a friend.”

He called Smith “a really wonderful, wonderful man. I really encourage you to support him, too,” he told Debra Norman, afterwards, who also came down from Huntsville.

Aitchison took time out from his own “busy” national Progressive Conservative Party leadership run to drive down in his pickup truck.

Former local Tory MP Tony Clement was also on hand, standing next to Smith and helping organize a team photo-op with their campaign van. Clement is also a past GTA MPP.