Gazette tracks the progress of a candidate running for federal office on principle.

By Pepper Parr

September 25, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

During the municipal election the Gazette followed a candidate who was running for the first time to give readers a sense of what running for office is all about. We track the candidates experience and document their trials and tribulations.
We don’t endorse the candidate however we do sprinkle some of their thinking and what motivated them to run in the first place through the articles we will write. We chose a candidate in this federal election who was serious and committed and didn’t seek the nomination.

Vince Fiorito, the Green Party candidate in the October 19th federal election, approved the layout and content of his election flyer yesterday – his business cards were approved the day before. .

On Monday of next week he expects to be at the GO Station platform handing out his flyers and chatting with people while they wait for the GO train to whisk them off to work.

Vince Fiorito lives beside the Sheldon Creeks and spends hours and hours with friends hauling garbage out of land that the city actually owns.

This is his first election campaign. He didn’t see himself as a political candidate – he didn’t seek the nomination – he was asked to run and thought it was another way to talk about his concern for the environment.

Getting through the organizational hassles was not something he was prepared for – finding the people he would need to make a decent showing has taken more effort than he expected.

The close to total lack of support from BurlingtonGreen stunned him. “I got more support and advice from Mayor Goldring than I did from BurlingtonGreen” he said.

Getting the 100 names on the nomination form proved to be a bit of a challenge as well. Fiorito found that he did quite well walking up and down Brant Street and asking people if they would sign his nomination papers was an experience he isn’t likely to forget.

I pushed a little too hard with one lady and wanted to find out who she was so I could apologize. He eventually got his 100 signatures and all the forms the Returning Officer hands out. The bank account was opened and he got a piece of paper saying he was the Green party candidate and his name would be on the ballot.

His wife is looking askance at what her husband has decided to do – she supports him but wonders what in heavens name he is doing. The two have been married for more than 30 years and she has come to expect her husband to do things differently. The couple bought the home they live in because Vince wanted to be beside the Sheldon Creek – a stretch of land for which he is now the “steward”.

Fiorito has some well thought out views on what we human beings are doing to the environment and explains to anyone who will listen that the planet is going to kill all of us if we don’t change the way we treat the planet.

Part of the haul for on Saturday of cleaning up ravines in the city.

Fiorito is no nut case – his just looks at the available evidence and comes to the conclusion that most of us don’t really get it yet.
Global warming is just part of the problem that we created. We are losing millions of different species says an exasperated Fiorito, and for the most part few people even know that is happening.

The steward of Sheldon Creek takes thing environmental seriously. While looking for the headwaters of the handful of creeks that run from south of Side Road 1 down the Escarpment and through the city into the lake, Fiorito spots a rather well kept lawn on a property beside the Bronte Creek. “Do you know what that guy is doing to the environment” asks Fiorito. “He is killing the creek and doing great harm to the Lake. All the pesticides he needs to put on the grass to make it as green as it is – is doing a lot of harm.” Fiorito doesn’t think people should have the right to do that to the environment – statements like that are not going to make him popular in Burlington.

Popularity is not his concern – matters of principal are and for those matters he will tilt at every windmill he encounters
Election signs: You can have one – well actually you will not get a Fiorito election sign given to you – but you can rent one from the campaign. The cost is $20 for a small lawn sign and $100 for a large sign.

Fiorito will install and pick up any signs that are rented. He wants the people of Burlington to know that when they see a Fiorito election sign – the use of the sign has put their money where there mouth is.

There isn’t going to be a campaign office – the campaign will be run from the kitchen table of the Fiorito home
If you haven’t heard of the Rights of Nature – listen up – Fiorito will explain to you that the creatures and critters we share this planet with have the same rights as you and I – that includes the mosquitoes that want to suck the blood out of us.

The amount of trash people toss into the ravines amazes Vince Fiorito – this in a city in which close to 1000 people show up for a GreenUp/CleanUp day each year.

Fiorito will tell you everything you might want to know about invasive species and why they are a problem.

Fiorito will not have a web site – he does have a Facebook page and he is looking forward to the two debates scheduled for Burlington.

Fiorito talks in terms of winning and believes that ideas will win out.

Well watch his progress with interest.