Decade in review: Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner discusses the challenges behind — and those ahead

It’s been a big decade for Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner after becoming the first Green party member to be elected to the Ontario legislature.

It’s a journey that he began in the early 2000s but ramped up in 2010.

Schreiner sat down for an interview with Global News at his office in downtown Guelph to look back on the decade that was and to look ahead at the next 10 years.

Global News: What were you doing in 2010?

GN: Thinking back to that year, how were you hoping things might shape up over the decade?

MS: We really wanted to be engaged in our communities across the province to really advocate for our vision for Ontario and really push for policies that would drive us towards being a more sustainable province.

In particular, the three issues that drove me was concern around the climate crisis, secondly is rising levels of inequality and third is how do we improve our democracy.

I had also set a goal over the next decade to bring the party — at that point, we’re raising about $50,000 a year — to … having over a $1-million budget so we could be a real player in Ontario politics and obviously, electing our first Green MPP.

GN: Were you right or wrong? If you were wrong, how so?

MS: I’d say we have accomplished all three of those goals in the last decade.

I had hoped that we’d elect our first Green MPP sooner than 2018. But at that point, in 2010, I was thinking it was a five- to 10-year project. I know from my entrepreneurial experience that often times it takes about five years to get a business really established and 10 years to have it solidly established. I was approaching the Green party in the same way.

Now I think we’re poised for growth in the next provincial election.

GN: What is the single biggest change (or name a few) that has happened in Guelph over the past 10 years that has been a game-changer?

MS: I think for Guelph, in and of itself, if I’m thinking about the community, I think it’s the huge growth we’ve experienced in the last 10 years. I think that’s had a huge effect on the city, accommodating that growth. What’s it mean for infrastructure? What does it mean for how we live in the city and our identity as a city?

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GN: What has been your biggest win?

GN: What has been your biggest disappointment or miss? What did you learn from it?

MS: I think the 2011 election was a big eye-opener for me. I don’t think I fully anticipated how the 2008-09 global recession would affect the Green party’s vote.

We’ve seen now environmental issues were top of mind in 2007-08 and then after the recession, those types of issues went to the bottom of people’s minds and economic issues came to the forefront.

I think we were also insulated from some of the economic concerns because it’s clear right now that the growth in the global economy is in the clean economy and the Green party is at the forefront of that.

GN: How has the makeup of Guelph changed over the last decade? How does this drive decisions for you at the provincial level?

MS: I think first and foremost when I vote at Queen’s Park, I vote based on my own values and principles, which I transparently campaigned on in the election and so I feel like it’s part of fulfilling my promise and the commitment I made to the people who voted for me.

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GN: What’s your biggest hope for Guelph for 2020-2030?

MS: Guelph, probably more than any other community in Ontario, is really well-positioned to take advantage of the growth in the global clean and caring economy. We know that $355 billion a year is going to be invested in clean energy every year over the next five years. I think Guelph is well-positioned to attract some of that investment.

GN: What is the biggest challenge Guelph faces over the next decade?

MSS: The two biggest issues facing Guelph is housing and climate.

Guelph is projected to grow pretty substantially over the next two decades and that’s going to be putting a lot of pressure on the city from a housing standpoint. Already there is a lot of challenges around housing affordability.

Climate is going to affect everyone and as we face more climate disruption, it’s going to have a significant impact on our lives, and I think here in Guelph in particular, it’s going to be the availability of water which is already a huge concern for the city. So when you combine population growth and changes in the climate, it’s going to put a lot of stress on our ability to access water.

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