To the people of Prince Rupert, I am asking you to elect me as your next mayor. I have spent my whole adult life involved in politics. From my days studying political science in university. To being elected vice-president of the student union at Memorial University. To sitting on the Canadian Federation of Students. board of directors. To being invited by the Minister of Education to sit on an advisory committee to look at the state of education in NL and Lab and reported back to the Minister.
I came to Prince Rupert in 1993 with my wife who took a position here as a social worker. I started work at the old Co-Op fish plant and within two months I was elected to the board of directors of UFAW Local 2000. I participated in the merger of the J.S. Macmillian workers with the Co-Op workers when the Co-Op fish plant went into receivership. I then went on to work with Skeena Cellulose for 10 years and took a buyout package just before the mill closed. That’s when I decided to get involved in local politics and ran for city council in 2003 and 2005. I wasn’t elected at that time, so I put my energy into starting the Kaien Anti-Poverty Society (KAPS). Which is still in service today. Something I am very proud of.
I am now asking the people of Prince Rupert to give me a chance to represent you as your mayor. I know I have the knowledge, wisdom and experience to do a good job. I will represent all of you equally and fairly. We are all in this together.
Cheers, Stephen Fitzpatrick