About Pat
I have been living in Kanata since I was born here in 1997. Growing up, when I wasn’t sitting in class at St.James Elementary or Holy Trinity High School, I remember spending much of my time in the wooded areas throughout Bridlewood and Ottawa’s Greenbelt. I believe this is where I developed my love and passion for all things nature. It was in my senior year of high school, when then Prime Minister Steven Harper decided to muzzle scientists and cut research funding to the Experimental Lakes, that I realized that I needed to get involved in politics. My sense of duty to the environment led me to the Green party – I felt as though this was more of a calling than a personal choice.
Since I took that leap of faith in high school, I have completed a diploma in Horticulture Industries, where I learned practical skills to be used in the greenhouse and landscaping industry. My biggest take away from this program was how to incorporate green spaces into our urban communities, applying smart urban planning, so that these spaces could be as functional as they are aesthetic. Green urban spaces can contribute to food security, clean air and water, increase property value, and even have positive impacts on our mental health. Ontario needs to help its cities maintain and add green space, among other things, as much as possible. Kanata-Carleton also holds a unique responsibility to rural and suburban communities, and I hope to represent both of these interests passionately. This struggle to ‘green our urban spaces’ and simultaneously support rural communities, coupled with a curiosity to understand how we as a society can go about pricing pollution, pushed me to pursue a bachelors in Environmental Economics and Public Policy at the University of Ottawa.
Despite having one semester left to complete my bachelor’s degree, I decided to answer the Green Party’s call for me to run this election. Following the latest IPCC report, I believe more than ever this is the election where we need to elect Green MPPs to Queen’s Park. The Ontario PCs have proven that they have no intention of investing in students, no intention in supporting our healthcare workers, and no intention to shift our economy to one that mitigates climate change (really, no other political party has committed to this existential goal). Doug Ford’s government believes the only thing Ontario can do is build highways – and I know Ontario is capable of far more incredible things than that.
As a student of economics, I can see that what the Ontario PCs have planned for this province is not sustainable and underestimates the potential of the Ontario economy. It’s time to stop playing games with the people of this great province. Ontario’s NDPs can tout all they want that they’re the only alternative to Doug Ford’s PCs, but as we can see in the aftermath of John Horgan’s NDP government in British Columbia, the NDP is not committed to issues regarding the environment, and they make promises they are unwilling to deliver on – a culture that is sure to transmit across to the Ontario NDPs, and lead to more disappointment here in Ontario.
The Ontario Greens led by Mike Schreiner are truly the only way I can see a path forward through our crises of climate, housing, and healthcare. We are proud to be guided by the Global Charter of Greens, which is founded on 6 core principles that demonstrate respect for science, the natural world, and each other. I am inspired by Mike’s knowledge on the issues facing this province, and the conviction with which he speaks on reaching sustainable solutions that are fair for everyone. I encourage you to check out videos of him on Youtube and Twitter – I hope you will be just as inspired as I am.
This election, I hope I can count on your support for myself as well as the Green Party of Ontario. As a young Green MPP, I promise to take energy and fresh ideas to Queen’s Park, work as hard as possible to deliver solutions to Kanata-Carleton, and set the standard for accountable leadership.
About Mike Schreiner - Leader of the Ontario Greens
Mike Schreiner, Leader of the Green Party of Ontario and MPP for Guelph, is the first Green MPP elected to the Ontario Legislature in 2018.
Growing up on a farm, Mike was instilled with a passion for protecting people, animals, and the planet at a young age. As the Leader of the Ontario Greens since 2009, Mike’s constituents recognize him as a champion for climate action, income equality, and honest, transparent leadership.
Mike is active at Queen’s Park, working across party lines to be a strong advocate for climate action, local food and water initiatives, affordable housing, protecting Ontario’s frontline healthcare workers, small business, and mental health. In his time there he introduced bills to cap Ontario’s carbon emissions, while making reporting on yearly emissions’ numbers mandatory; eliminate sick notes; conserve drinking water; and get big money out of politics.
Mike passed Ontario’s first Green law in 2019, which protects electric vehicle drivers by making it illegal to block EV charging stations. He was also a key player in securing a $15million investment from the province for Guelph General Hospital, just before the 2022 election campaign..
Prior to entering politics, Mike was a successful entrepreneur, small business owner, and one of the early advocates of the local food movement. He founded multiple initiatives including Local Food Plus, WOW Foods and EarthDance Organics to connect sustainable farmers with Ontario households.