Doug Downey is looking for history to repeat itself for the Progressive Conservatives in the city’s north-end riding.
Downey won the Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte (BSOM) seat in 2018 by 7,554 votes.
With the last two years of Downey’s term being dominated by the pandemic and with weighty responsibilites as the province's Attorney General, Downey told BarrieToday that one of his major challenges has been accessibility to his constituents.
“I have missed meeting people at local events and festivals, spending in-person time with people in our community. Even with the challenges of COVID, I worked hard at getting input from people and delivering results for things that matter most to them,” he said.
“I am proud to have delivered support for existing businesses and developing and attracting others. I helped maintain and expand important institutions like Georgian College, RVH (Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre), YMCA, and improved infrastructure across my riding, because I heard that it was important in our communities.”
Downey said that he was proud that in his role as the Attorney General, he was able to modernize the justice system, helping to bring it “forward decades in less than two years.”
As for the future, Downey said he has heard from constituents about the need for affordability, better jobs and a stable economy.
“They are worried about the housing market, the price of groceries and gas, mental health, and what the future holds for them and their kids. They also want and need infrastructure, including high speed internet. That’s why we have a funded plan to get everyone connected by 2025,” said Downey.
“They want to know that their years of hard work are going to pay off, and that stability and opportunity lie ahead.”
BarrieToday asked Downey how he planned to deal with a political landscape that has seemingly become more angry and combative since the last provincial election.
“We need to be creative and direct when solving problems and eliminating barriers. It is always easier to be a critic and to tear things down. It is a lot harder to build something. I have a strong record of putting ideas into action, not just talking about them,” said Downey.
Downey cited the 2021 and 1985 tornadoes as examples of people coming together and how “community leaders can lead by example and keep working together at all levels, focusing on non-partisan solutions that will benefit our shared communities right now, and in the long term.”
The health of Lake Simcoe is a main topic in any local election and Downey said it is a priority to him.
“In 2008 I chaired a report for the federal government on the Future of the Trent-Severn Waterway. Lake Simcoe is part of the Waterway. Successive governments followed the recommendations and invested more than $600 million,” said Downey.
