The Citizen invited Ottawa candidates from the four main parties to write a short article explaining what they will do for their local riding if elected. Some chose to participate; others did not. Today, Orléans Conservative candidate Steve Mansour:
I was born and raised in Orléans. It’s where my parents were a living example of the Canadian promise, where they owned a small local business, and where I saw — firsthand — what a strong, supportive community looks like.
Back in the day, Orléans was a place full of joy, where healthy families looked out for one another, where conversations were sparked between neighbours in driveways, and yes, where last-minute shoppers would pop in to our family’s jewelry store in a panic, looking for that last-minute anniversary gift they’d forgotten. There was a lightness to life. People were happy.
But after the last decade, that joy is much harder to come across. Today, many families in Orléans are just trying to get by. People can no longer worry about anniversary presents. Instead, they’re worrying about how they will afford their groceries, and make their home payments on time. They are stressed, overworked and stretched thin. And who can blame them?
Housing costs have skyrocketed, as have grocery costs and the cost of pretty much everything else. The dream of raising a family in comfort and security — something my parents were able to do — is slipping further out of reach for many. I’ve spoken to a number of families here who are understandably frustrated about being left out of the national childcare program. Not only are they paying out of pocket for daycare, but they’re also paying taxes to fund subsidized childcare that their own kids cannot access. That doesn’t feel fair, and, frankly, it isn’t.
On top of that, we’ve seen how return-to-office mandates are impacting working public-servant families. For years, we were told that remote work was working. Parents were there to walk their kids to school, to be home for dinner. Now, many of those same parents are spending two hours every day stuck in traffic on roads that, much like our health care and housing infrastructures, are burdened far beyond the number of people they were designed for. This is time that parents and grandparents could have spent coaching soccer, reading bedtime stories, or simply being present in our great community. There’s a lot of talk about how things are “just fine,” but this simply isn’t good enough.
Orléans deserves better. Our families deserve better. Our future generations deserve a fair shot at life. And while no single level of government can fix it all, everyone knows that we achieve more when we work together. This is why I want to employ my legal and political training, alongside my municipal and provincial colleagues, to fight for better infrastructure development; a more affordable cost-of-living; and better supports for our children, grandchildren, and their parents.
Because this isn’t about partisanship: it’s about people. I have witnessed Orléans’ potential. I’ve lived it. I love our community, believe in our resilience, and in a future that restores the hope, happiness and joy that were once abundant here. I am certain we can get there, together.
Steve Mansour is the Conservative candidate in Orléans.
