Has a local red gone blue?

Ward 4 candidate Brian Heagle

may have changed colours.

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON  January 27, 2011 – Those who live and breath local politics have noticed that Brian Heagle, a candidate in Ward 4 last October, has listed Tim Hudak as an interest on his Facebook page.  Hudak is the leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party and is heating things up with speeches saying “jobs trump the environment” and that the Niagara GTA road planned for some future date will result in more jobs for the region.

With a provincial election scheduled for the fall and consistent rumours that current

Burlington MPP Joyce Savoline will not run again – the seat is available and many feel Heagle is interested in running for it.  Former Mayor Cam Jackson is also rumored to be “interested”.

Both the Halton and the Burlington provincial seats are at risk – with the environment in the northern part of Burlington a big, big issue.  Joyce Savoline and Ted Chudleigh both showed up at the citizens meeting that was held when the plans for a road right smack through the Mt. Nemo community came to light.

Small community groups have been meeting since that 800 plus attendees meeting at the Mainway area took place in January.  If the road that appeared on the maps that were available ever sees the light of day, it will rip around Mt. Nemo and probably have to roll over a large number of north Burlington homes.  Burlington would never be the same.

The Conservation Halton offices on Britannia Road appears to be right in the middle of the planners thinking.  What an irony that would be.

The Tories of course will have a candidate – know one knows who it is going to be, but the sense is that Heagle is looking it over.  And he is packing his belongings for a move back into Ward 4, where he and his wife Ria grew up together.  Perhaps Heagle is doing some forward planning for another run at the municipal ward?  Probably not, the provincial level seems to be more to his liking.  Heagle did have a chance to take the Liberal nomination.  He had talks with very senior people at Queen’s Park but something didn’t work out and so the red jacket gets put away and the tailor measures Heagle up for a blue one.

No word on what the Liberals or the New Democrats and the Greens have planned.  The Liberals have lost their very energetic John Boich who chose to step down recently as President of the Burlington Provincial Liberal Association, while he copes with serious personal medical matters.

We will be following this all more closely in the weeks and months ahead.