Brian Riddell is a Conestoga College photography professor turned politician who is running for the Ontario Progressive Conservative party to represent Cambridge.
Riddell was born and raised in Galt and wants to see the city where he lives thrive. He wants to bring back the trade industry and bolster the tech sector here in Cambridge.
“Cambridge has always been like a little sister to Kitchener-Waterloo. I don't think it should be like that,” said Riddell.
Starting out his professional career as a photographer, he then transitioned into a millwright building oil rigs. This is where the appreciation for the trades came from and he sees the value in bringing them back to the city.
Later, he became an industrial engineer and then the national salesperson for Bridgestone. While living in Cambridge, he saw the city change, but not in the way he wanted.
“I saw Cambridge change dramatically, from being almost a sleepy bedroom community to something that could have been a lot more,” said Riddell.
He has been unhappy with past governments and politicians in the area and wants to create real change in the city.
According to Riddell, he wants to make Ontario and Cambridge fiscally responsible and alludes to Mike Harris and the ‘Common Sense Revolution.’
Introduced by conservatives in the 1990s, that program's main goal was to reduce taxes while balancing budgets while reducing the size and role of government.
“We're the most in debt sub-state in the world and it shouldn't be like that. We have all the resources we need here,” he said.
Because of his past profession as a national sales manager, he is used to travelling for work and isn’t too concerned about being away from home. His children have all grown up and moved out of the house so, Riddell thinks this is a perfect time for him to run.
He wants to see Cambridge get the respect it deserves and be able to reach its true potential. He sees how cities like Kitchener and Ottawa have built an amazing reputation for themselves as being drivers of innovation and wants to see Cambridge in the same conversation.
Riddell loves talking to people and listening to them. He says listening is underrated, especially in times like these where political discourse can be difficult.
He said, listening is the key to everything. If you can listen and understand what a person's asking you and what they’re trying to tell you, you gain so much knowledge from that and it makes you a better person.
“I think people have actually become a little, not so friendly as they were. I just think it's time that we should come together to get out of this COVID 19 nightmare,” Riddell said.
