The symbolism is brilliant - Meed Ward to open campaign office on site of the Freeman family home.

council 100x100By Pepper Parr

August 18th, 2018

BURLINGTON, ON

A reader has asked where the Freeman House is located.  At 906 Brant Street on the west side just before the grade separation..

The symbolism is brilliant – Meed Ward announces the opening of her campaign office on the site of the Freeman family home.  Her first motion as a city Councilor was to do everything possible to save the station.

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She brought petition after petition to city council before she first ran for election.

The Gazette watched Marianne Meed Ward when she was an active community member in ward 2 focused at that time on Save our Waterfront. That organization proved to be the base from which she launched her 2010 campaign for the ward 2 seat handily beating Peter Thoem.

Two terms of office later and Meed Ward is reaching out for the brass ring – something she had her eyes on before the was really a candidate.

During the 2010 election one of the concerns Cam Jackson had when he was running for a second term as Mayor was that Meed Ward would be gunning for him when he went after a third term

Unfortunately for Jackson, he didn’t get a second term, but Meed Ward did and she wants her third term on city council to be as Mayor leading a city she feels has been poorly led.

They had every reason to be smiling. Councillors Meed Ward and Lancaster pose with five members of the Friends of Freeman Station after the Council meeting that approved the entering into of a Joint Venture that would have the Friends moving the station and taking on the task of renovating the building.

They had every reason to be smiling. Councillors Meed Ward and Lancaster pose with five members of the Friends of Freeman Station after the Council meeting that approved the entering into of a Joint Venture that would have the Friends moving the station and taking on the task of renovating the building.

Of the four candidates running for Mayor Meed Ward has the strongest natural media skills. She is like a moth to a flame when the TV kleg lights come on. She has a quick answer for every question and she makes extensive use of social media. She is pretty good on the drama side as well.

All three serious candidates for the office of Mayor are setting up campaign offices. Rick Goldring opened his early in the week, Mike Wallace opened his today and Meed Ward will open hers on or about the 8th of September.

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The Freeman family home had its name given to Burlington – the local railway station; a fitting site for the campaign office of woman who saved the station.

Where?
In the building that was once the home of the Freeman family; a name that got attached to a local railway junction. Saving what is known as Freeman Station (it was originally Burlington Junction) was a long struggle for the people of the city that cared about their history and their heritage.

The first city council motion Meed Ward brought forward as a member of a new city council was to make one last effort to save the station. The city had already decided to demolish the building.

Sitting on some "cribbing" with a sign badl in need of several coats of paint, the Freeman Station gets ready for its big move.

Sitting on some “cribbing” with a sign badly in need of several coats of paint, the Freeman Station gets ready for its big move.

The motion was put forward by Meed Ward and Councillor Lancaster. They didn’t work together on motions all that often after that first burst of collaboration

Why the Freeman location ?
The motion to have the city do everything it could to save the Freeman Station was the very first motion Meed Ward put forward as a city Councillor.

The structure was described as something that would fall over if anyone tried to move it.  The city couldn’t sell it for fire wood.  Every location that was considered as a new home was shot down.  There was one disappointing session of council where ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman explained to delegators that if a location wasn’t found then they would have to give up on the idea of saving the building

 

MMW motion for Freeman

Making motions is what government is all about. You make changes by making motions and working to get your colleagues on council to support your motion.

Meed Ward is using that very first motion and the Freeman family household as the launching pad for her campaign.

The symbolism couldn’t be more graphic.

There were two motion passed that January 31st evening in 2011. The second was to look into evaluating night club regulations downtown. Ms Lancaster didn’t join Meed Ward on that one.

End

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4 comments to The symbolism is brilliant – Meed Ward to open campaign office on site of the Freeman family home.

  • D.Duck

    She also voted against the Burlington Marina from getting 4Million dollars gifted by the city for a permanent break wall. How much did Joseph Brant Museum receive from the city??

  • Carie

    Great article. She listens to the citizens and works to fight for our values.

  • Ron brazil

    Not everyone knows where this is…please include location

  • Judy

    So, are we still into “saving The Water Front”? I hope so. And keeping “night clubs” safe and quiet?