Mark Gerretsen Announces Run for Mayor

Published on: 2010/06/11 - in News

In front of dozens of supporters, the one term Portsmouth district councillor launched his campaign to be mayor of Kingston.

Gerretsen, 35, is the fifth person to announce an election bid along with businessman Barrie Chalmers, former councillor Rick Downes, current councillor Rob Matheson,  and Greg Soucie.

The proclamation was made at the Isabel Turner branch of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library after being introduced by Pittsburgh councillor Leonore Foster.

Although he has only been a councillor since 2006, Gerretson spoke of some of his achievements during that time, including the removal of the federal Portsmouth halfway house from a residential neighbourhood and the passing of a plan to rejuvenate Lake Ontario Park.

Also mentioned was his belief that Kingston is in a good position to attract even more green jobs primarily related to wind and solar.

“We have a real opportunity to set up what Ottawa had with its Silicon Valley,” he said, “but it will take a new type of leader to make this a reality.”

His father, John Gerretsen, was Kingston’s longest-serving mayor and is now the provincial environment minister and MPP for Kingston and the Islands.

See the announcement below in a video made available by Viva Productions.