Kitchener South-Hespeler NDP candidate Joanne Weston loves planning and seeing the culmination of her hard work.
She also has a passion for education and giving the youth of the community the tools they need to succeed.
Born and raised in Scarborough to a family of nine, Weston learned from an early age how to work with others and how important education is.
Weston has lived in Kitchener and Cambridge for over 26 years and has raised three daughters of her own in the city.
When her children were young, she decided to join the school council and get involved in the decision process. She has been the head of school councils, helping plan events and bring everyone together.
In 2018, she ran for trustee for the Waterloo Region District School Board with the intention of advocating for children’s mental health supports and active transportation.
When the Ontario Conservative government came to power, she felt the need to stand up for public education.
“When the Conservatives came to power, one of the first motions I passed was to protect the education that their platform was cutting,” Weston said.
She started her transition into politics when she realized that schools can’t do everything. She saw that students and families needed wraparound support and wanted to be their advocate to help enact change and be their voice on the provincial level.
She is motivated to be someone who safeguards the education of the youth and deals with constituents problems and needs.
Running for any type of office requires sacrifice. Weston is finding herself not having as much time for her family and friends, because running a campaign takes a lot of time and energy.
“Ultimately it's part of why I'm doing it is for my kids and for youth, so that they have a better future. So it's definitely going to be worth the sacrifice,” said Weston.
Sacrifice is not the only challenge that comes with the job. Weston said she has faced many challenges in her career but tries to treat every experience and challenge as a learning opportunity.
“I try not to look at things as, she shouldn't have done that, because I learned from it. I don't like to focus on what could or should have been, because everything that's happened has helped bring me to where I am today,” said Weston.
Another thing she deals with is allowing herself to take a second and have a mental health break. She feels that her work can consume her and forgets to take a breath and clear her mind every no and then.
“I really am a workaholic, but you don't want to burn. You have to take time for yourself,” she said.
Weston is all about planning and finding solutions to problems. She has organized local volleyball groups and nutrition programs at her kids school.
She is looking forward to the race and is hoping to be the voice of students and families in the Hespeler area of Cambridge.
