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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 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 review and safen current fireworks bylaw
  • 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.
  • Helped several thousand Milton residents in Wards 2 and 4 with their municipal problems over a 15-year period;
  • 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;
  • Brought forward approximately 100 motions for support by Milton Council on Federal, Provincial, Regional and local matters where Milton and Miltonians were impacted, with a view to developing a beneficial, local solution. Some of the results included obtaining local dialing to Toronto for Milton and Campbellville businesses and residents; getting passage of The Town of Milton Act (1996) by the Province of Ontario, which extended the protection of heritage buildings from demolition in our community; restoration of the inmate community maintenance program by Maplehurst Correctional Centre; removal of GO Train and other train whistle blowing on the CP line east of Milton; and installation of traffic lights at the James Snow Parkway/Highway 401 interchange and the Highway 25/Highway 401 Industrial Park intersections.
  • 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.
  • Supported by Milton Council, led decision to establish Milton Heritage Advisory Committee instead of disbanding the committee altogether, as per a staff recommendation.

Promises Made.
Promises Kept.

 
1. Requested and secured a Service Delivery Review, which has saved the Town several hundred thousand dollars in operating costs and has also created a long-term plan for improved service to taxpayers;
 
2. Worked with Milton Council and Town staff on long-range planning for our community, most notably a Made-In-Milton solution in response to the proposed Region of Halton Official Plan;
 
3. Requested that Milton Transit consider alternate service delivery offerings like taxicabs or Uber or Lyft, for example. Small vans offering door-to-door transit service were piloted in 2021 and became a permanent offering in 2022;
 
4. Encouraged and supported development, maintenance and replacement of key municipal infrastructure (like parks) in all neighbourhoods in Milton so that no-one gets left behind;
 
5. Funded and distributed a twice-annual newsletter to all residents of Ward 2, which had never been done before by any local councillor in the 165-year history of the municipality;
 
6. Engaged directly and regularly with Toronto International Airport Authority on flight path plans over Milton;
 
7. Worked with Milton Council and Town staff to develop and implement policies to protect historic neighbourhoods from unsympathetic, infill growth;
 
8, Requested Town staff to implement a comprehensive and ongoing road safety campaign, which has now been partially put into place;
 
9. Worked with Milton Council and Town staff to develop a proactive stance on bylaw enforcement. Much improvement has been made, but more work needs to be done;
 
10. Recommended to Milton Council to keep taxes hikes at the rate of inflation through motions I brought forward each year at the beginning of budget deliberations.
 
 

Personal & Career

  • Raised in Milton
  • Married to Liz
  • Two adult children: Ashley and John III
  • 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 – 2022)

  • The History Behind Milton Street Names on FM101 Milton, every Monday with Cameron Wilkinson and John Challinor II (2021 – present)
  • Member, Board of Directors, Grand River Conservation Authority (2019 – present)
  • President, Milton Historical Society (2018 – present), Board member (2006-2010)
  • 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 Chairman, Board of Directors, Hope Place Centres Alcohol/Drug Rehabilitation Facility (10 years)
  • Former Town Councillor, Ward 4, The Corporation of the Town of Milton (15 years)
  • 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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