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About John

A proud and engaged Canadian for more than 50 years, serving in volunteer and municipal capacities across the country and in my beloved hometown of Milton.

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Political Record

  • Supported by Council, worked with Town staff to establish an investment fund whose proceeds will result in an annual $1 million+ subsidization of the annual operating budget, reducing the property tax impact on local residents by 1%;
  • Supported by Council, successfully collaborated with fellow Councillor Geoge Minakakis on a requirement that Milton Council focus solely on its core responsibilities under the Ontario Municipal Act and rule out any discussions that do not pertain to Council business.
  • Supported by Council, worked with Town staff to upgrade school crossings to pedestrian crossovers and, where feasible, to lighted pedestrian crossovers. Also successfully requested implementation of lane narrowing lines and nieghbourhood speed limit reductions to 40 km/h.
  • Supported by Council, successfully requested Town of Milton and Region of Halton to review all major intersections with the objective of signing them to stop illegal u-turn activity.
  • Supported by Council, worked with Town staff to review major arterial roads where left-hand and right-hand turn lanes could be constructed.
  • Supported by Council, worked with Town staff to implement consumer fireworks ban in urban neighbourhoods.
  • Supported by Council, worked with Town staff to implement Adopt-A-Road/Park beautification programs.
  • Supported by Council, worked with Town staff to implement short-term rental (AirBNB) zoning regulation for urban and rural Milton.
  • Supported by Council, collaborated with fellow Councillor Adil Khalki to bring forward local legislation to control and regulate rooming houses.
  • Supported by Council, requested Government of Ontario to consider the installation of noise barriers along Highway 401 through Milton as well as improve signage that identifies Milton eastbound or westbound along the highway.
  • Supported by Milton Council and staff, led decision to revise Town of Milton Street Names Bank Policy and provided numerous properly researched name candidates to inventory
  • Supported by Milton Council, led decision to conduct Core Services Review, saving Town of Milton hundreds of thousands of dollars and, ultimately, improving service to taxpayers
  • Supported by Milton Council, led decision to request province of Ontario to fully fund hospital expansions, construction
  • Supported by Milton Council, led decision to request province of Ontario to fund recreational special needs programs
  • Supported by Milton Council and staff, led decision to develop made-in-Milton growth plan
  • Supported by Milton Council, led decision to develop short-term rental bylaw
  • Supported by Milton Council, encouraged decision to revise proclamation and flag-raising policy
  • Supported by Milton Council, led decision to have Town staff prepare post-COVID 19 post mortem report
  • Worked closely with Milton MPP Parm Gill, Milton Mayor Gord Krantz and Milton Ward 2 Regional/Local Councillor Rick Malboeuf to find a workable solution for Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College and Milton Education Village
  • Supported by Milton Council, led decision to improve accountability, governance and transparency at Town Hall
  • Worked with Town staff to make municipal tax roll fines more precise and less punitive
  • Supported by Milton Council, led decision to develop bylaw related to illegal clothing bins
  • Supported by Milton Council, led decision to have Town staff identify where provincial red tape could be cut in a way that would help all Miltonians
  • Supported by Milton Council, led initiative to freeze municipal tax increases over a ten-year period between 1994 and 2003;
  • Supported by Milton Council, led creation of all-encompassing Destiny Milton best-practices planning exercise, which included development of new Official Plan, new Zoning Bylaws, Library & Leisure Services Master Plan, Economic Development Plan, Fire Services Master Plan and Information Technology Plan;
  • Supported by Milton Council and working with Mayor Gord Krantz, established Milton Community Fund;
  • Supported by Milton Council and working with Heritage Milton and Milton Historical Society, led initiative to have residential and commercial developers name all new streets and neighbourhoods locally for Miltonians, Ontarians and Canadians who have made a positive contribution to our way of life. Eventually, walking the streets of Milton will become a lesson in local, provincial and national history; 
  • Supported by Milton Council, led move of Milton Tennis Club to new facilities;
  • Working with Milton Council and Town staff, led establishment of 10-year capital works program to update existing community walkways to include lighting to improve safety and reduce vandalism and other crimes.
  • Worked with Town staff to ensure proper balance between old and new Milton in terms of road and recreational infrastructure improvement investments and community services;
  • Worked with rural members of Milton Council to ensure proper balance between urban and rural Milton in terms of road and recreational infrastructure improvement investments and community services;
  • Supported by Milton Council, led decision to provide residential and commercial property owners with a tax receipt when they make a financial contribution towards planting a tree on Town of Milton property.

Promises Made.
Promises Kept.

 
1. Recommended to Milton Council to keep property tax increases at the rate of inflation plus annual percentage growth rate which, when combined with Region of Halton and school board taxes, would have resulted in an inflation-level annual increase;
 
2. Funded and distributed a twice-annual newsletter to Ward 2 property owners at my expense — about $10,000 annually — which has never been done before in the almost 170-year history of the Town of Milton;
 
3. Continued to freeze my stipend at the rate I was paid when I was first elected in 2018. It will remain frozen to 2030, if I am re-elected;
 
4. Worked with Milton Council and senior staff to develop, approve and implement new Official Plan, a long range plan that will set direction for future commercial and residential development out to 2051;
 
5. Encouraged and supported development, maintenance and replacement of key municipal  infrastructure (like parks and roads) in all neighbourhoods in Milton so that no-one gets left behind;
 
6. Engaged directly and regularly with Toronto International Airport Authority on flight activity over Milton;
 
7. Worked with Town staff on revised street naming policy and added more than 250 properly researched names into its street name bank;
 
8. Worked with Milton Council and Town staff on a proactive stance on bylaw enforcement. Much improvement has been made, but more work is required;
 
9. Encouraged Town staff to implement an ongoing public safety campaign, which has now been partially implemented and continues;
 
10. Encouraged Town staff to implement the Town’s How To Be A Good Neighbour communications program, which is patterned after my How To Be A Great Miltonian series in the summer/fall of my twice-annual newsletter, which I’ve published since 2019.
 
 

Personal & Career

  • Raised in Milton
  • Married to Liz
  • Two adult children: Ashley and John III and one granddaughter: Aisha
  • Education: Accredited Public Relations designation (APR), Canadian Public Relations Society, Introduction to Advertising, Institute of Canadian Advertising, Bachelor of Applied Arts, Journalism, Ryerson University, Ontario Secondary School Honour Graduation Diploma, Milton District High School
  • Principal, Given Road West Communications (GRWC), a public affairs consultancy
  • Prior to establishing GRWC, he spent 35 years in Canada’s technology and health industries: 31 years in senior corporate communications, marketing communications and public affairs roles with such private sector organizations as Amdahl, Compaq, IBM, Nestle Waters and Sony. He began his career as a print and 
television reporter and editor in the Southern Ontario market
  • Books: Co-author, Milton Churches (November 2016), Researcher, Milton Biographies, Volume 3 (November 2013), Co-author, Milton Streets (November 2007), Co-author, Milton Remembers World War I: The Men & Women We Never Knew (November 2006)
  • Newspaper Columns: Contributing Political Columnist, Women’s Post Newspaper (2006) (2007) (www.womenspost.ca), www.prcanada.ca – Corporate Columnist (2000 – 2004), The Canadian Champion (1982) (1981) 
(Milton Public Library archives)

Community Awards

  • Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Award
    (for longstanding volunteer service to Canada), 2022
  • Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award
    (for longstanding volunteer service to Canada), 2012
  • Ontario Heritage Foundation Achievement Award
    Ontario Heritage Foundation, Government of Ontario, 2005
  • Milton Historical Society Writing Award
    Milton Streets – Milton Historical Society, 2008
  • Milton Historical Society Writing Award
    Milton Remembers World War I And The Men And Women
    We Never Knew – Milton Historical Society, 2007
  • Milton Historical Society Research Award
    Milton Soldiers – Milton Historical Society, 2005
  • Milton Historical Society Research Award
    World War I soldiers, 2004

Professional Awards

  • Volunteer Of The Year Award
    The Canadian Public Relations Society, Toronto Chapter, 2008 
  • Best Print Advertising Award (One Category)
    Sony Corporation Annual Worldwide Advertising Competition, 2005
  • Best TV Advertising Award (One Category)
    Sony Corporation Annual Worldwide Advertising Competition, 2004
  • Best Print Advertising (Three Categories)
    Sony Corporation Annual Worldwide Advertising Competition, 2004
  • Canada’s Top High Technology Public Relations Practitioner Award
    toptechpr.com, 2000
  • Best Print Business-to-Business Advertising Award
    Sheppard Award , 1990

Community Volunteer Record

  • Volunteer, Riding Executive, Campaign Manager, Campaign CFO, Provincial & Federal Politics (1969 – present)

  • Volunteer, Ontario Corps

  • The History Behind Milton Street Names on FM101 Milton, every Monday with Cameron Wilkinson and John Challinor II (2021 – present)
  • Chairman, Member, Board of Directors, Grand River Conservation Authority (2025 – present) Member (2019 – present)
  • Fund Development Co-Chairman, George N. Hood Bursary For Milton District High School (2025) (2026)
  • Chairman & Founder, Town of Milton Walk of Fame Program
  • Chairman, Board of Trustees, St. Paul’s United Church (2022 – present); Chairman, Board of Trustees, St. Paul’s United Church (2019 – 2022); Secretary, Board of Trustees, St. Paul’s United Church (2018), Capital campaign fundraiser (2012 – 2018)
  • Member, Advisory Committee, Community Foundation of Halton North (2016 – present)
  • Member, Advisory Board, Hope Place Centres Alcohol/Drug Rehabilitation Facility (2017 – present)
  • Local Historian (1999 – present)
  • Co-author, Milton and Area Churches (2016), Epilogue to Mr. Jim, The Personal Recollections of Jim Snow (2008), Milton Streets (2007), Milton Remembers World War 1 (2005)
  • Former President, Milton Historical Society (2018 – 2026), Board member (2006-2010)
  • Former Chairman, Board of Directors, Hope Place Centres Alcohol/Drug Rehabilitation Facility (10 years)
  • Local Town Councillor, The Corporation of the Town of Milton (1991 – 2006) (2018 – present)
  • Chairman, Accessibility Advisory Committee, The Corporation of the Town of Milton (2022 – present), Member (2018 – present)
  • Former Member, Board of Directors, Milton Millennium Community Residences (3 years)
  • Volunteer consultant, Milton 150th Anniversary Master Committee (2007)
  • Former Chairman, Acting Chairman, member, Heritage Milton (15 years)
  • Former member, Milton Public Library Board (15 years)
  • Former volunteer, Milton Community Day (14 years)
  • Former residential canvasser, Milton Cancer Society (13 years)
  • Former member, Halton Region Joint Municipal-Regional Waste Management Committee (9 years)
  • Former Vice Chairman, member, Town of Milton Administration & Planning Committee (9 years)
  • Former founding member, Board of Directors, Milton Hydro Holdings Inc.(2000-2003)
  • Member, Milton Millennium Organizing Committee (2000) (1999)
  • Former volunteer, Milton United Way (1989 – 1999)
  • Former Fund Developement Co-Chairman, Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Hadfield Education Bursary Fund (1998) (1997)
  • Founding Chairman, Milton Economic Development Advisory Committee (MEDAC)(1997) (1996)
  • Chairman, Destiny Milton Economic Development Task Force (1994) (1995)
  • Member, Halton Region Citizens Task Force on Property Tax Reform (1994) (1993)
  • Member, Halton Region Citizens; Committee on Waste Management (1989) (1988)
  • Member, Director of Club Service, The Rotary Club of Milton (1985) (1984) (1981 -1985)
  • Organizing Committee member, 1988 Canadian National Junior Tennis Championships, Milton Tennis Club (1988)
  • Milton organizing committee member, Celebration 88 – 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Games nationwide festival (1988)
  • Volunteer, Canada Day (1981 – 1985)
  • Volunteer, Milton 125th Anniversary Organizing Committee (1982)
  • Volunteer, Milton Winter Carnival (1981 – 1984)
  • Member, Treasurer, Students Councils, Martin Street Senior Public School, Milton District High School (1968 – 1974)

Professional Volunteer Record

  • Former Founding Chairman, Canadian Beverage Container Recycling Association (6 years)
  • Former President, Alberta Beverage Council (9 years)
  • Former Member, Board of Directors, Encorp Pacific (7 years)
  • Former Member, Board of Directors, Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation (7 years)
  • Former Member, Board of Directors, Beverage Container Management Board (Alberta recycling regulator) (2 years)
  • Former Chairman, Communications Committee, Canadian Bottled Water Association (8 years)
  • Former Chairman, Waste Management Committee, Ontario Chamber of Commerce (4 years)
  • Former Member, Communications Committee, Information Technology Association of Canada (12 years)
  • Former Member, Board of Directors & Management Committee, York Technology Association (6 years)
  • Former Member, The Voluntary Sector Network Support Program National Advisory Committee, Government of Canada (Government of Canada appointment – 4 years)
  • Former Member, The Canadian Public Relations Society (24 years)
  • Canadian Public Relations Society (Toronto) Inc., member, Board of Directors (2007) (2008)
  • Canadian Public Relations Society, APR National Examiner (1995 – 2015)
  • Canadian Public Relations Society, judge, ACE Awards (1995 – 2015)
  • The Canadian Investor Relations Institute, member (2001 – 2003)
  • Information Technology Association of Canada, member, Communications Committee (1988 – 2000)
  • Canadian Centre for Philanthropy, member, Communications Subcommittee (1994 – 2000) 
  • Computer Reseller News, member, Advisory Committee (1997) (1996)
  • Junior Achievement of Canada, fundraiser (1984 – 1988)

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