About Trevor

My name is Trevor Robinson and I am a candidate in the municipal election to serve as Councillor for Ottawa’s Ward 7, Bay Ward.

Many people have joked that I don’t stand a chance because I’m too honest or too kind hearted, etc., etc. And to that I simply respond that such traits aren’t negative and would be refreshing in politics given how many attack style campaign ads we’ve seen over the past few years in various elections at various levels of government.

I’ve been fortunate through the various roles and jobs that I have had over the years. Starting around my nineteenth birthday and before my thirty-first, I had the opportunity to meet with or otherwise be involved in events with countless political leaders.

A partial list includes three Governors General of Canada, three Prime Ministers of Canada, Presidents of China & The United States of America, Ambassadors, Provincial Premiers, Leaders of Federal & Provincial Opposition Parties, Federal & Provincial Ministers, along with various MPs, MPPs, Mayors and municipal politicians. In those twelve years, I was fortunate enough to meet people in such influential roles that some politicians can go an entire career without ever crossing paths with.

I’ve enjoyed being involved in my community since an early age, starting when I would help my father with various fundraising events for Christie Lake Boys & Girls Camp that the Ottawa Police Force was involved with. Be it community BBQs at the local IGA/Loeb, being an “elf” on a float or a “prisoner” in the horse drawn police “paddy wagon” during the Santa Claus Parade, the canoe race on the Rideau Canal, or events at the camp itself.

Beyond that, I became involved in The Ottawa Race Weekend, fulfilling five years as a general water station volunteer, followed by two years as Assistant Volunteer Coordinator and then four as Volunteer Coordinator which was also a position on the Race Committee itself. Even amongst all of that I was still heavily involved in my high school (Woodroffe High School – right here in Bay Ward), including various leadership roles on the athletic association, student council, tech crew, spirit committee, wrestling team and pro shop, along with various non-leadership roles with Candlelighters, the newspaper and grad committee to name a few.

The most prominent roles and most political in nature were towards the end of my time in high school. I served a year as the Student Representative on the Chairs’ Committee, which comprised of the chairs or representatives from all of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board’s (OCDSB – English Public) stakeholders (students, parents, unions, etc.). As Student Representative, at that committee, I was the voice of the then named Student Presidents’ Council, a grouping of all of the Student Presidents from all of the secondary schools in the OCDSB. Nearing the end of that term, I was elected as one of the two Student Trustees for the following school year, the first student from Woodroffe High School to be elected to that role. As Student Trustee I was jointly the “official voice” of the estimated 80,000 students that were in the OCDSB at the time, in everything from board meetings to interacting with the media. As Student Trustee I was also a member of the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association (OSTA-AECO), where I was elected to serve as the Eastern Ontario Representative on the then named English Public Board Council (EPBC). As Eastern Ontario Representative I represented over 150,000 students from a geographic region covering approximately 30,000 sq/kms.

I am also an alumni of Algonquin College, having taken three different programs (Small & Medium Enterprise Management, Event Management and Hotel & Restaurant Management.) Although much of my education and experience does include leadership/management roles (including being responsible for teams of a few people, as well as hundreds of people), it is certainly not lost on me the experiences gained in non-leadership roles. Most notably, I also previously served as a union steward – which obviously provides a unique contrast to experiences in management.

Though my experience and education is varied, that actually acts as a great asset to the residents of Bay Ward. Not to mention the fact that I currently live in Bay Ward and have done so all of my life.

I’m not here to say that I’m better than anyone else, because I’m not; I’m human just like everyone, including my fellow candidates. My hope is that the residents of Bay Ward are looking for fresh representation on city council, that they want positive change. I’m driven, down to earth and forward thinking, all of which are excellent attributes for a councillor to represent residents wanting positive change.

I am humbled to be the only returning candidate in the 2018 election.