Renaud Roy believes he has something to offer Timmins-James Bay.
The 55-year-old Iroquois Falls man is the People's Party of Canada (PPC) candidate for the Oct. 21 federal election.
The PPC is a new political party founded by Maxime Bernier in 2018 after he resigned from the Conservative Party.
Since making the decision to run, Roy said he has met with mayors in the region.
He said he asked them about the main issues.
“And it always came down to infrastructures, they don’t have the means. Because Northern Ontario’s approximately 100 years old, infrastructures are crumbling and they don’t have the means to do it so they’re just kind of tackling little pieces here and there,” he said.
Roy wants more of the cash being paid in taxes by people in the area to stay here.
“I think that is unfair and I think somebody has to say something to address that situation and I think our party has the best approach to address that situation,” he said.
Looking after vulnerable people is a priority.
As a service person for Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board, Roy works within seniors housing.
He said he sees seniors eating frozen dinners and toast, "living off peanuts".
“These are people that have invested into your country their entire life, contributed to your economy their entire life, and now at the end of their life you’re going to take precious, limited Canadian resources, and I’m talking tax dollars, and you’re going to subsidize big corporations in big cities, or you’re going to promise billions of dollars to large centres because you know you have a chance of winning a lot of seats or you’re going to invest that overseas while you are neglecting those people. I find that immoral, and so that upsets me, that’s what drives me to do," said Roy.
He wants to see the area given the means to help its own people.
While he's OK with paying a share for the military, justice system and other basic services, he doesn't want money from the north being used elsewhere for political gain.
"We want to help our own, so give us the ability to have that money within our pockets,” he said
This is Roy's first time running for office, and it's the first election for the new political party.
After living out of the country, Roy moved back to Canada nine years ago.
The increasing debt and concerns about the government "dictating to its citizens how to live" are the two main issues for Roy throwing his hat in the race.
He believes the PPC has the best hands-on solutions to the issues.
"The People’s Party specifically wants to tackle the increasing, the heaping debt that is accumulating right now on our backs and the backs of our children and our children’s children. We want to address that and then the other thing is the aspect of individual freedoms. Because governments are now telling us that you have to spend this way, you have to live this way,” he said.
Connect with Renaud Roy on Facebook, by calling 705-805-0967 or emailing [email protected].
The other candidates are NDP Charlie Angus, Liberal Michelle Boileau, Conservative Kraymr Grenke, and Green Max Kennedy.
