David Brown is running in Queens County, District 6
Q. What is your full name?
David Allen Brown
Q. Where are you from?
I have lived in Queens county my whole life, and now reside in Labelle.
Q: What election are you running in?
I am running in Queens County as a councillor for District 6.
Q. What did you do before you decided to run for office?
Before running for office, I worked at Bowater Mersey Paper Company, later called Resolute, for 30 years working in most departments before ending in the newsprint department. After the mill closed I took early retirement, briefly working for Statistics Canada as the crew leader for Queens County in the last census. I have served on the Board of the Greater Molega Lake Lotowners Association for the last five years.
Q. Why have you chosen to run in this election campaign?
I decided to run for council because I feel this district is under serviced. We have the largest employer in the county and one of the largest tax bases, but the level of services we receive do not reflect this.
Q. What strengths would you bring to council if you are elected?
I have served on a board that maintains the roads and infrastructure for a significant sized lot owners association. This has taught me the ability to work with others on budgets and resolution of conflicts. My work at the papermill on the occupational safety committee and the quality control committee has given me an attention to detail. I am a writer and photographer, and these have developed my creativity in looking for alternate solutions to problems.
Q. What do you see as the biggest strength/asset of the community/region and what measures would you take to capitalize on them?
The biggest asset in the district is by far the people. From the sawmill in the north to the restaurants in the southern part, all our businesses are privately owned. This means the money earned stays in the community. There are a number of private entrepreneurs successfully earning a living through their own hard work. These businesses add to the community and make it a vibrant living entity. We need to help more people develop and grow their businesses and attract young people or give those here a reason to stay. Helping get businesses off the ground and ensuring they prosper should be the goal of council.
Q. What do you feel is the key challenge facing the community/region and how would you work to address it?
The biggest challenge I see is youth retention. This coincides with a need for volunteers in the fire departments. These departments are finding it difficult to attract and retain volunteers at a time when the average age of the members is increasing. If we can attract more people to our rural communities, if we create jobs to retain them, some will volunteer on community groups like fire departments.
Q. What one message do you hope gets out to the voters during this election campaign?
I urge voters to vote. Tell your candidates what you expect of them, don’t ask what they can do for you. We are to be your voice on council.
Q. How can people contact you?
With the rollout of Fibre in our area, our contact information will all change on connection day. The best way to contact me is: [email protected]
