WINDSOR JUNCTION: Brian Wong is refreshed and ready to represent the riding of Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank if he is selected as the PC Candidate for the area in an upcoming nomination meeting.
Meeting with The Laker News in a socially distanced setting on one of the picnic tables at the Windsor Junction Community Centre on a sunny day in late May, Wong spoke about the time he had away from politics that allowed him to recharge, and focus on his day job as a Principal at a school in the West Hants area.
“I kind of burned out of politics,” said Wong. “I had a hard time balancing my family life; work life; and just trying to find myself. After the 2013 election when I lost, it was devastating.”
He said the PC Party kept him involved doing various things, and he was enjoying. But there was the pull of him being told he had to run.
“It just didn’t feel right,” he said. “It wasn’t good timing for me and my family
So, Wong stepped back, and thus Dan McNaughton ran for the seat as the PC representative in 2017. He lost to incumbent MLA Bill Horne by 65 votes. Horne is not re-offering so that makes the seat wide open for the forthcoming provincial election, whenever that may be.
He delved back into work and family life after the election defeat.
“I was perfectly happy doing that,” said Wong as the wind picked up off Third Lake.
Wong said about a year ago he ran into NSPC Leader Tim Houston at the Elmsdale Superstore parking lot. They chatted a bit. He asked Wong if he would ever consider running again.
“No way,” recalled Wong was the response he gave to Houston. “That was it.”
When McNaughton decided to not run again, people began asking Wong that he should run.
“It kind of grew from there,” he said. ‘When I started envisioning myself as a politician, and the more people I talked to it drove me towards it. I made the decision to run about five weeks ago.”
Wong said his team is meeting on a weekly basis via zoom currently discussing the progress and selling membership.
He’s keeping his eye on many things in the community, including the Fall River Turf Field project which he thinks would be good for the community and concerns around the Aerotech Connector in Wellington.
“My aspect is to listen to people and then fight for what they need and what they want,” said Wong. “I need to be their voice.”
The nomination for the candidacy deadline was June 2. Wong and Scott Hope were the only two names to put themselves forward.
A nomination meeting will be held in the coming weeks to decide the party’s candidate for the riding.
