With the Federal election only days away on September 20th, we are taking a look at the candidates who are running in Huron-Bruce.
Incumbent Ben Lobb is looking to capture his fifth term as Conservative (PC) representative in the riding.
Lobb was first elected to the House of Commons in 2008 and was re-elected again in 2011, 2015 and 2019.
He has served as Chair of the Standing Committee on Health, the former Chair of the Government Auto Caucus, a member of the Rural, Mining, Housing and Nuclear Caucus. Lobb has also been a member of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, Public Safety and National Security, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture and Agri-Food.
He holds a B.Sc in Business Administration from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee and is the son of a prominent local auctioneer.
Liberal candidate, James Rice, is a young man at age 32, who has literally pulled himself out of poverty to become Assistant Crown Attorney with the Ministry of the Attorney General. Growing up as a Crown ‘ward’, he went on to earn a degree in Criminal Justice and Public Policy from the University of Guelph, followed by a law degree from the University of Windsor.
He has served with the Bruce-Grey Child and Family Services and the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada and with the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories.
Born and raised in Bruce County, Rice has lived in many communities while growing up as a Crown ward, that included Port Elgin, Kincardine, Tiverton, Cargill, Ripley, and Southampton.
Today, married to his high-school ‘sweetheart’, Katie Caldecott of Walkerton, the couple has a young daughter and are in the process of moving to Port Elgin (Saugeen Shores). To read more about James Rice, click HERE or Here.
NDP candidate, Jan Johnstone, who currently serves as Vice-chair of the Bluewater District School Board (BWDSB) and, for more than 20 years, has served on the Board as school trustee for the Municipality of Kincardine and Huron-Kinloss, also sits as a Director on the Ontario Public School Board Association.
Her community involvement includes Vice-president of the long-standing Kincardine Scottish Festival and Highland Games, a world-renowned Festival.
Both Jan and husband, Gordon, have been active in the trade unions. Jan is a former member of CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees) and husband Gordon, an employee at Bruce Nuclear Power, is a former Chief Steward for the Power Workers Union (PWU) and former President of the Grey Bruce Labour Council (GBLC).
A long-time member of the Huron–Bruce NDP executive, she has served as the riding President, Provincial Council, and voting delegate at both Federal and Provincial conventions. She is currently the Huron–Bruce riding association’s representative on the NDP’s Provincial Council.
Johnston was also recognized as one of Bruce County’s Remarkable Women in 2017.
In her professional life, Johnstone worked as a social worker and has a Master’s degree of Social Work in Social Policy.
Johnstone also ran as a Federal candidate in 1997 and as a Provincial candidate in 2014 and 2018. In the 2018 Provincial election, Huron–Bruce NDP had its best showing in its history when it received more votes than the Liberals, Greens and Libertarians combined.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
Jack Stecho, candidate for the People’s Party of Canada (PPC) in Huron-Bruce, is most likely the youngest candidate at age 18, running in the 2021 election.
He said PPC policies appeal to him most. According to his Facebook page, the PPC is the “only major national party opposed to lockdowns and covid restrictions. We stand FOR freedom and AGAINST segregation”.
Jack Stecho has resided in Goderich, Ontario essentially his entire life but has lived in Exeter, London, and Marathon as well. He attended St. Mary’s Catholic Elementary School and St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School as a member of the French Immersion program. “I was honoured to receive the Senior Constable Bruce Crew award for “contribution, compassion, and good conduct on and off the court”. I have played hockey since the age of 6 for teams locally such as the Goderich Flyers and even abroad in Poland. I care about Canadian culture, traditions, and Canada’s future.”
“It feels so good to support a party with clear principales, that defends them openly, with passion and conviction! Canadians want to hear that their money is going to stay in their pockets and not going to wasteful foreign aid, the funding of the CBC journalists and the carbon tax as well.”
Independent candidate, Justin L. Smith, at 33 manages a used furniture charity shop in Goderich. He graduated from Laurentian University in Sudbury with honours in the Law and Justice Program.
During his studies at university, he became involved with the Soldiers of Odin, and took over the leadership of the Sudbury chapter in 2017 but left the group in 2018.
Smith, a Christian Canadian political organizer and community activist, is running as an Independent in his home riding of Huron-Bruce. His information and background can be found on his website: https://www.justinlsmith.ca/
According to Elections Canada, there is no candidate for the Green Party.
