Damoff faces a stiff race in Oakville North Burlington.

federal election 2019By Pepper Parr

October 20th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Oakville North Burlington – the constituency that is neither Oakville nor Burlington.

Damoff with LiberaL sign

Pam Damoff left the job of Town Councillor to run for the new riding of Oakville North Burlington when the nominee dies suddenly.

The incumbent, Liberal Pam Damoff, has had to struggle to create a strong profile that she can identify with.

She was a Town Councillor in 2015 when she sought the nomination when the man, Max Khan, nominated for the new seat died suddenly.

Damoff came out of a successful career in the private sector and was doing just fine in Oakville where she created and nurtured the growth of community organizations. The Terry Fox Run is what it is in Oakville because of her years of effort.

Damoff polar ear dip

Pam Damoff in the center – If she could take the cold waters of Lake Ontario on January 1st – it was assumed she could take the heat in the House of Commons.

She ran into Lake Ontario on a January 1st to create the Polar Dip.

She was an effective Town Councillor serving two terms until she resigned to run for the federal nomination. During her time as a Town Councillor Damoff was effective but didn’t put down the kind of roots that would take her to a higher level.

The split between two communities was a divide hard to manage. There was a Canada 150 event when the Burlington MP, the Mayor of Burlington and Pam Damoff were involved. Damoff had to remind everyone that they were in her riding.

Damoff’s job wasn’t made any easier with having a young, popular colleague in Burlington who was made a Cabinet Minister, the youngest woman ever to be given a Cabinet position.

Damoff decided to play to her strengths and began to work with women’s groups proving to be a critical factor for woman new to Canada who needed help understanding what their government could do for them.

She was also deeply involved with getting younger women involved in public life. For those young girls Damoff was a terrific role model.

Damoff with Miin Health

Damoff in discussion with the Minister of Health.

Her work in Ottawa took a bit of time to find its niche. She was the vice-chair of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women.

She ends her first term as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health; a demanding job headed up by a Minister with an agenda.

Working with the media wasn’t one of the Damoff strengths. We never were able to actually do an interview with Damoff; time constraints

to her schedule seemed to get in the way.

The Gazette did not get a response to a request for an interview with the Conservative candidate Sean Weir

The other Oakville North Burlington candidates are:

New Democrat candidate: Nicolas Dion

Green Party candidate: Michael Houghton

Peoples Party – Gilbert J. Jubinville,

Related news stories:

Rip snorting speech given by Damoff in the House of Commons.

Damoff wins the Liberal nomination for a new constituency.

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2 comments to Damoff faces a stiff race in Oakville North Burlington.

  • Joe Gaetan

    More on decorum, but not from MP Damoff, complete with an apology from the Prime Apologist of Canada

  • Joe Gaetan

    Yes MP Damoff did address decorum more than once. But why not share this as well.
    If that was a rip snorter, what would you call this response to Terri Lynn McClintic being housed in a healing lodge?
    “Mr. Speaker, I am quite offended that the member would in some way suggest that I do not find this crime to be heinous. What happened to young Tori was terrible. Having said that, Terri-Lynne McClintic went to trial. She was sentenced to life in prison without eligibility for parole for 25 years. Our system in Canada has courts that deliver sentences and a corrections system that upholds those sentences, which is what is happening now. The offender is in prison. She is in an indigenous corrections facility, which is secure. Justice is being served. It was served during the trial and it is served with the offender being held in a secure corrections facility today.”
    Rodney Stafford,Tori’s father wanted McClintic back into maximum security “where she rightfully belongs.”