The federal Guelph Greens have a new candidate for the upcoming election: Dr. Anne-Marie Zajdlik.
The party announced Saturday evening after a vote between Zajdlik and Dylan White, with Zajdlik coming out on top.
Sixty-one-year-old Zadjlik is the founder and medical director of the Hope Health Centre and is well-known throughout Guelph and beyond for her work in public health.
A news release states she’s “dedicated her life to caring for vulnerable populations, locally and globally. Her long standing work, including the highly successful “Bracelet of Hope” campaign for HIV/AIDS relief in Lesotho, Africa, demonstrates her commitment to positive change through both action and advocacy.”
She is also the former director of ARCH, an organization that provided care, treatment and preventions services for those living with and at risk of contracting AIDS and HIV.
It goes on to say she will bring a community-focused perspective to the role and represents the party’s commitment to social justice, environmental responsibility and compassionate governance.
“I am deeply honoured to represent the Green Party in Guelph,” she said in a press release. “Our community deserves a voice that champions healthcare, social justice, and sustainability. I am committed to being that voice and to ensuring the values we hold dear are respected on the national stage.”
Current Green Party Leader Elizabeth May congratulated Zajdlik, calling her a “powerhouse of integrity and empathy.”
“Her tireless work in Guelph has saved lives and strengthened community bonds,” she said. “I’m thrilled to see her on the path to Parliament, where she’ll undoubtedly lead with the same compassion and commitment she brings to her work in public health.”
Zajdlik announced her intention to run in the election in July. She was initially approached by the Liberal Party, but wanted to work with a smaller party to “cross party lines and get things done.”
She told GuelphToday in July her main focus as a politician would be to build a local primary care clinic in Guelph and create a climate change entity for education with local action to fight the climate crisis.
While she is looking to wind down her family practice, she feels she can’t retire because “the world’s a mess.”
“So if there's something that I can continue to do that contributes to an effort that makes the world healthier, even in a small way, and then inspires people who are hopeless to no longer be hopeless. Then that’s what I want to do next,” she said.
The next federal election is expected by October 2025, though since it's a Liberal minority government, an election can be called at any time.
