HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2014-04-23, Page 1010 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Varna resident Wilhelmina Laurie seeking Huron -Bruce NDP nomination
1 Has managed
campaigns for
several NDP
candidates over the
years
indicated this while there
she cast her first vote for the
NDP.
Laurie graduated from
Western University with a
Bachelor of Education
before teaching French as a
second language at
Dave Flaherty Brucefield.
QM' Agency Laurie also earned her
Master's degree and Princi-
Former School Principal pal's Qualifications while
Wilhelmina Laurie is seek- teaching and raising her
ing the NDP nomination in family.
the riding of Huron -Bruce Laurie led the teachers'
New Democratic Party federation as president of
approval for Laurie was the former Huron Women
granted Tuesday after com- Teachers Association
pletion of the party's vetting during the Mike Harris
process. years.
According to a press According the press
release, Laurie has lived in release, as a vice-principal,
Huron -Bruce for 40 years, and FW political action rep
raising a family of five chil- for the Southwest Region,
dren with her husband Joe, Laurie lost her federation
on a country property near status when Harris took
Varna. The couple has five school administrators out
young grandchildren, with of the union, a move which
a fifth expected in August. NDP officials said in the
Laurie was born and press release saddened
raised in St. Marys, the eld- many principals and vice -
est of ten children of Dutch principals.
Laurie went on to work as
a school administrator and
teacher in six other schools
across Huron County, and
explored even more schools
as a supply teacher after
retirement.
When a trustee left in
immigrants.
After high school at St.
Marys DCVI she earned a
Bachelor of Arts degree in
French, with bilingual cer-
tification at Laurentian Uni-
versity in Sudbury.
The press release
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mid-term, Laurie served out the
remaining two years as trustee for the
Avon Maitland District School Board.
She was approached shortly after
retirement to act as county co-chair
for the CT Scanner for Huron
Campaign.
This campaign raised $5 million
dollars in three years, and not only
purchased a CT Scanner, but also
revamped the entire digital mammog-
raphy and x-ray suite at Alexandra
and Marine General Hospital in
Goderich.
Laurie has also been active with
Varna United Church for many years
and acted as its treasurer for the past
15 years.
She enjoys singing with a number
of different choirs in the area and has
served on the executive of the Blyth
Festival Singers for over 10 years.
Willi has been secretary of District 9
Retired Teachers since 2006.
According to the press release, The
Huron Bruce NDP has been part of
Laurie's life for over 30 years, and the
executive for 22. She served 14 years
as secretary, six as President and is
now a provincial councillor and social
media point for the riding
association.
Willi has worked on campaigns
since 1990.
She has managed campaigns for
Tony McQuail, Paul Klopp and Grant
Robertson and now feels the call to
step up to the plate herself.
"The Liberals under McGuinty and
Wynne are prepared to write off rural
ridings like Huron Bruce." Laurie
said in the press release. "They can-
celled the successful revenue-sharing
Slots at Racetracks program. They
closed Walkerton Jail and our youth
detention centre and school at Blue -
water. And now the keystone to the
Liberal platform is urban transit. What
does that say about Huron -Bruce?
We are a write off."
Laurie pointed to other Liberal
decisions that she believes has cost
Ontario taxpayers.
She said more than $1 billion in tax-
payers' money was squandered by
eHealth in a failed attempt to create
electronic health records for
Ontarians.
"Doctors in our area were already
using that technology before the pro-
gram even began," she said.
Ornge, the province's not-for-profit
air ambulance provider, lost more
than $200 million of taxpayers' money
through mismanagement.
Laurie said "the Liberals turned on
the province's teachers, forced them
to take what amounted to a pay cut,
and stole their retirement gratuities.
The Liberals' actions upset the school
system and extracurricular activities
for the better part of a year."
"And in the final hypocrisy, the
McGuinty government rejected NIM-
BYism with respect to wind turbines
and landfill site locations - only to
pander to Liberal -held ridings when it
came to the location of two gas plants
at election time. That jaded move to
win seats cost taxpayers $1.2 million
dollars," the press release stated.
"There are spending limits for polit-
ical parties when it comes to winning
a Riding, and $1.2 billion reaches way
over the mark," said Laurie in the
press release.
Speaking on Tim Hudak and the
Conservatives Party, Laurie cautioned
voters about "simplistic poorly
thought-out solutions, and frighten-
ing attitudes towards privatization,
and towards the workers of our
province!'
"Hudak always has a quick -and -
simple black -and -white solution for
every issue," Laurie said.
"1 have confidence that the voters
of Huron -Bruce understand the com-
plexity of issues on the table and
won't fall for dumbed -down politics."
In the press release, Laurie called
on voters to look to the NDP in Huron -
Bruce to unite progressives in this
riding.
"The folks in Huron -Bruce deserve
a party that puts their needs first. They
are looking for a party that puts the
challenges facing families on the pub-
lic agenda," Laurie stated. "They are
looking for a party that will govern
differently and with vision. And they
want a government that is financially
accountable with their hard-earned
tax dollars."
Huron Bruce NDP will announce its
nomination meeting within the next
few weeks.
Local winning streak
Joshua McLaughlin
Mitchell native wins
$200 a week for life
Mitchell native Joshua McLaugh-
lin, who now lives in Gowanstown, is
the latest winner of $200 a week for
life with Instant Cash For Life $2.
"It was very early in the morning
when I scratched my ticket in the
car," shared Joshua, while at the OLG
Prize Centre in Toronto to claim his
prize last week. "There was a police
officer parked across the street and I
was worried he might think there was
something wrong when I started to
freak out after I found out I won!"
Instant Cash For Life $2 is part of
the Cash For Life family of games. It
is available for $2 a play and the top
prize is $200 a week for life. Odds of
winning a prize are 1 in 3.96.
The winner plans to save his win-
nings to take trips to Africa and New
Zealand. He'll also celebrate with a
nice dinner.
The winning ticket was purchased
at Mac's on George Street in
Mitchell.
Mitchell man
wins $333,333
Three is Mark Bradley's lucky
number.
The Mitchell man won $333,333 in
the March 14 Lotto Max draw. He
shared a $1 -million prize with two
other people.
He bought the ticket at Mac's on
George St.
Bradley just made his way to
Toronto to collect his winnings this
week.
Staff at the OLG are still waiting for
the winner of a $1 million ticket sold
in Stratford to collect. That winning
Mark Bradley
Lotto 6/49 ticket was purchased for
the November 20 draw.
OLG spokesperson Dita Kuhtey
said 99 per cent of tickets are claimed
with the remaining 1 per cent being
small prizes like a free ticket or $5. It
is unusual though for a ticket holder
to wait this long before claiming the
prize.
If the winner doesn't claim the
prize by next November, the money
will go back into the lottery through
bonus games or other promotions.
Lottery players have had a streak of
luck around here lately. In the last
five months $1.4 has been won in
and around Stratford.