Former Meaford councillor and Progressive Conservative Paul Vickers is the new MPP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound.
Vickers won 44.14 per cent of the vote in the riding to secure the win and celebrated Thursday night at his campaign office at Heritage Place Mall in Owen Sound with staff, supporters and former MPP Rick Byers.
“I feel very humbled to be honest with you. And I really look forward to doing what’s right by the riding and I am looking forward to the challenge and I have always tried to lean into my work and get the work done,” says Vickers.
Vickers adds his priorities include responding to the threat of tariffs from the United States and local healthcare.
“I don’t think we can emphasize how important this point in our lives is. It can be a lot of hardship felt not only by the agriculture industry, but there is manufacturing industries in the riding and nobody wants to see anybody suffer. We have got to make sure we can do what we can to prevent it and then after that, we will have to figure out how we are going to survive for the next few years and make sure we can come back from this,” the newly elected MPP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound says.
Vickers adds, as a farmer, he feels it’s also crucial for politicians at Queen’s Park to understand the importance of agriculture.
“I am really hoping I can make sure that they understand how important and how personal farming is, these are people’s lives,” says Vickers. “Nobody wants to see a bad decision or bad turn and all of the sudden you lose those farms and it is devastating to the agriculture community.”
During Vickers’ campaign, he says he knocked on over 4,500 doors and says he plans to continue listening to concerns from people in the riding and convey them at Queen’s Park.
“Lets bring dollars into the riding for new schools and new hospitals. Those are the things that are important to the people that live in this community,” says Vickers.
