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Skating into 2019: MP Lloyd Longfield hosts New Year's levee (10 photos)

Dozens of people of all ages hit the ice Sunday for the New Years Levee

MP Lloyd Longfield decided to change things up a little from previous years and invited people to the rink at the West End Community Centre for the annual New Years Levee.

“We’ve done New Years levees in the past indoors and we didn’t get a lot of kids out,” said Longfield. “This was a way of getting families out together.”

Kids of all ages laced up their skates for the event.

“We have a lot of new skaters and different ages of people,” said Longfield. “There are a few old timers like myself with rusty blades but it is great to get out with families and start the new year off right.”

The event opened with a performance by 10-year-old competitive figure skater Audrey Brisbin from the Guelph Skating Club. Her mother Jennifer and coach Janet Gibson watched with pride during and after Audrey’s performance when Longfield presented her with a gift.

“She’s been skating for six years,” said Gibson. “I remember the day her helmet came off. It was at this rink and she’s been jumping ever since. She hopes to make it to the provincials and eventually the nationals.”

Longfield shared the ice with dozens of constituents and also shared some of his hopes for the upcoming federal election in October.

“What I am personally looking at is what can we accomplish before the end of June so, everything has a time line on it,” he said. “Projects we are working on have a lot more urgency because we would like to get some to break points.”

He hopes to be re-elected to his seat in a Liberal government under leader Justin Trudeau so he can continue some of the long-term projects they started.

“Things like mental health and housing in Guelph,” he said. “It takes a while to get through the channels and bring everybody together to make some progress.”

He doesn’t put a lot of stock in poll numbers that don’t look very promising for his party.

“In the election we had 39 per cent of the vote,” he said. “We’re at about 35 per cent in some of the polls but the vast majority of people aren’t really sure where they are going to go and their minds can change several times between now and the election.”

He points to his government’s progress at reducing boiled water advisories and increasing access to clean water in indigenous communities as well as low unemployment rates.

“We are working with employers to find and re-skill people and we will continue with those projects,” he said. “The polls are kind of interesting and entertaining but I wouldn’t hang my hat on any of them.”

He said that political polarization at all levels of government especially with issues such as trade, the environment, immigration and the roll out of marijuana legislation has contributed to an atmosphere of distrust.

“I visit different churches on Sundays and today I heard a sermon about trust in government and trust in leadership,” he said.

“I think one of the overall concerns people have is trusting the government. We’ve seen a lot of examples around the world where that trust is getting broken. That’s a challenge we all have as politicians. We have to earn the public’s trust.”


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Troy Bridgeman

About the Author: Troy Bridgeman

Troy Bridgeman is a multi-media journalist that has lived and worked in the Guelph community his whole life. He has covered news and events in the city for more than two decades.
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