Familiar face

Anyone out there - especially those of you who live in Ward 1 - recognize this face?

This is Sarah Thompson, one of the frontrunners in Toronto's mayoral race.

But before Ms. Thompson threw her hat into the Toronto ring, she was a Hamilton gal who ran for Ward 1 Alderman in 1997. The then-29-year-old was inspired to run for council after an attempt to turn the ground floor of her Aberdeen Avenue home into a bookstore got hung up in City Hall red tape.

Thompson - who went by Sarah Whatmough back then - lost to Mary Kiss and Marvin Caplan (there were two alderman per ward at that time). However, she's decided to give politics a second round in the Big Smoke.

I'll leave you with a column written by Andrew Dreschel. Any of you remember Sarah Thompson?

9/22/1997
Newcomers restore faith in elections
Andrew Dreschel

It happens simultaneously. The lawn signs start going up and the candidates start knocking on your door. It's election time in the city.

I live in Ward 1.

A couple of times I've caught glimpses of incumbent Mary Kiss making the rounds, but the first campaign sign that appeared in my southwest neighbourhood and the first face on my own doorstep belonged to challenger Sarah Whatmough.

Whatmough, 29, is a personable young woman who's running for council because, frankly, she believes she can do a good job.

She's confident in her managerial abilities, her leadership and motivational skills, and she believes passionately in basing all her decisions on ethical grounds.

"My father always told me when you don't know what to do about something, do what's ethical."

Some might call that naive. I call it refreshing.

There's nothing like talking to enthusiastic newcomers to restore your faltering faith in municipal politics. When the challenger is credible, it can give you that same pulse of hope you feel when the calendar changes and a new year begins.

Because they're untried, newcomers are unsullied by the rivalries and personality conflicts, the backroom machinations and manoeuvrings that all too often become second nature among city hall careerists.

True, if elected, they too may fall prey to the pitfalls and games of elected office and their sparkle, like the new year's, may eventually fade.

But at least they offer voters the choice of a fresh face and voice. It's about the only advantage they do have.

Most are facing an uphill fight.

It's difficult to unseat an incumbent because of the built-in advantage of name recognition, an important factor given that voter turnout in city elections hovers around a dismal 36 per cent. When you consider that an aldermanic candidate needs an estimated $10,000 to run a strong campaign, the task becomes that much harder.

Candidates need the money for signs, leaflets, renting a campaign headquarters, running in phone lines. Because incumbents have an established political base, their greater resources for drumming up cash and volunteers give them an immense edge.

Whatmough, like other unknowns, has little choice but to campaign on the cheap.

She's already spent about $2,700 on signs and leaflets. The money has come from her own savings and donations from family and friends. She figures she'll need at least another $1,000 before the election's over.

For headquarters, she's using her Aberdeen Avenue home. You can't miss it. It's the one plastered with black and white campaign signs. Why black and white? Colour costs more.

She has 10 full-time volunteers working for her. She's hoping to eventually field 15 to 20.

Right now, she's one of four candidates in Ward 1 (deadline for registrations in all wards is Oct. 10).

She's up against Kiss, a member of council for 15 years, and Marvin Caplan, who won his seat in 1994 after Terry Cooke stepped aside to run for regional chair.

The third contender is Cam Nolan, executive director of the Hamilton Construction Association, who finished third in a field of eight in the 1994 election.

All three of them are experienced community networkers.

Whatmough's record is relatively weak as far as community and committee work goes. She participated in official plan amendment meetings and is a former secretary of the Kirkendall Neighbourhood Association. But her business career may carry weight with voters concerned about city hall management.

She's a doer who loves challenges.

Whatmough started pumping gas when she was 15. By the time she was 18, she was operating a station for Texaco. She was 20 when she switched to Sunoco: they offered her two sites and she jumped at the opportunity.

Whatmough soon established a reputation for improving volume and service. At 25, she was managing five stations. She's currently running two in the Hamilton area and has won the top Sunoco dealer award in Ontario two years running.

She's also a mature student at Mac and hopes to open a bookstore and lending library in her home, a plan that's raised some controversy among neighbours opposed to a business operating in a residential area.

Whatmough knows she's an underdog but like all newcomers, she's dreaming the dream. "I think I have a chance if I can get out to enough people so they can meet me, " she says.

It's a good thing she likes challenges. This may be the biggest of her life.

Comments

[Mahesh P. Butani]

This is such an interesting post Emma! We should be celebrating Sarah's journey.

Yes, I do recognize the face and the name. I did meet Sarah Thompson [Whatmough] back in '98/99, and do remember her to be very focused and highly personable.

Back then she had also started a new newspaper in Hamilton - which did get published for a while. It is no surprise that she is now a forerunners in Toronto's mayoral race!!

This post is all the more interesting to me, considering that it was Dreschel who was behind this so very "positive" and full-length piece on a newcomer to politics!!

I am sure a decade does bring a lot of change to ones outlook in the high pressure world of Hamilton journalism :-)

Thank you Emma for sharing this wonderful story. And my best wishes to Sarah Thompson.

I will treasure this quote for a long time: "There's nothing like talking to enthusiastic newcomers to restore your faltering faith in municipal politics. When the challenger is credible, it can give you that same pulse of hope you feel when the calendar changes and a new year begins." ~ A.D.

Mahesh P. Butani

[Glenn Hamilton]

Hi Emma,
I hope Mr, Andrew Dreschel thinks I'm as intriguing as Sarah Thompson.
I'm not quite as pretty and I'm a fair bit older. But I am new. Very energetic and just like Sarah, must raise money for all the expenses to run this Mayoral Campaign of mine. Nice to see Andrew has or had a soft spot for the underdog. I hope I can live up to his inspiring view of new comers since I'm new and running for Mayor of Hamilton

I state my case below:

NAME: Glenn Hamilton
That’s right, Hamilton! Hamilton for Hamilton!
AGE: 53
OCCUPATION: Businessperson: Presently, very busy running for Mayor of Hamilton / Property Management, Residential Renovations, Property Maintenance / E Business and group home creation and development / Professional Technical Sales and Management / other experience and abilities, see Biography on my Websites: hamiltonforhamilton.com or hamilton4hamilton.com or voteglennhamiltonforhamilton.com

[Kathy Hagan]

I do remember her and felt at that time she was a breath of fresh air on the Hamilton political scene. Sadly we have no newcomers who are as focused, most are looking to feather their own nests and personal agendas. We badly need a shake up at city Hall but I do not see anyone out there that will make much difference to the status quo.

[Mahesh P. Butani]

Kathy my response was a call to celebrate the progress made by a woman in a male dominated world of cynical politics.

Your response appears to be an extremely sad and uneducated reflection on your own very personal dilemma: "Sadly we have no newcomers who are as focused, most are looking to feather their own nests and personal agendas." - Kathy Hagan, July 17, 2010

I can perfectly understand how you have not had a chance to personally meet any of the candidates running in this election:
"My favourite hotspot to cool off during the summer is sailing on Hamilton Bay." - Kathy Hagan, July 14, 2010

Has this exactly not been Hamilton's problem for many decades? ...Too many feathered nesters attempting to find the lost HamiltonNext - on sailboats and yachts?

Could it be that you have more in common with the status quo than you are willing to admit? Would you care to elaborate your background to all here, and share with us as to how you have participated in Hamilton's regrowth to date?

If not, Hamiltonians will have to assume that you are one of those few visibly confused social mavens who are enamored by incumbents intent on ensuring that the status quo remains intact for "your" Next-Hamilton.

Good luck with your choice - which you already seem to have made!

[ed]

Looks like a realestate agent to me. I find the 2 businesses are the same, lots of flash but very little substance.

[Tom Robertson]

Mahesh...Great campaigning. An attack on the character of a voter and taxpayer will certainly attract you a lot of votes. Your response to Kathy tells us more about your character than hers.

[Kathy Hagan]

Mr Mahesh...
First of all I have no intention of elaborating on my background on this public blog It is not I that is running for a political seat.
However. I will state quite simply I am not "a social maven" with a large Yacht on Hamilton Bay. I have a small sailboat which I will say is older than you, but that aside based on your attack om me and my perceived status I will inform all my friends in the sailing world of your petty comments, it is my opinion that you do not have the expertise to run this city or hold any kind of public office.
I never ever vote for a woman in any position just because she is female I strongly believe both sexes are equal when it comes to qualifications and abilities.
I did not single you out in that blog I simply stated I was not impressed by the newcomers. I have not met you but I will be sure to introduce myself should I see you on the campaign trail.

[Mahesh P. Butani]

Hello Ms Hagan,

You will agree that words often hurt more than actions do.

Yet, when we are verbally hurtful to others - we have simple explanations for them. But when we are shown a mirror - instead of reflection and realization, we often turn go out and hurt others more. I am guilty of this too, on many occasions.

Correct me if I am wrong -- these are your words -unfiltered- and possibly straight from your heart, and not political spin:

"Sadly we have -no newcomers- who are as focused, -most- are looking to feather their own nests and personal agendas. We badly need a shake up at city Hall but I do not see anyone out there that will make much difference to the status quo."

You also agree later that you have not met me - and yet you do chose to paint me with your broad choice of words: "all newcomers".

On behalf of all newcomers - I am at a loss here Ms. Hagan.

Having taken the trouble to bring to my attention in a personal email, your many contributions to those in need in our community - now, I am totally in awe of our achievements.

So then, why such broad strokes that hurt all in your line of fire - when in fact you are blessed with all these wonderful human qualities that you choose to hide so well?

Please don't be angry at me for this. Life is too short to hold such grudges.

My best wishes to you, and also to Tom Robertson - who now come to think of it, has yet to confirm the planned coffee meetup to shed the burden of preconceived notions that weighs us down on most days.

Best,

Mahesh

[Michelle Hruschka]

Ms Hagan: Mahesh has hit the nail on the head. There are many new people who are running in the election, I have met quite a few of them.

They have great ideas and are not part of the status quo. So in your statement when you say there are no newcomers, I take that you have not gotten off your butt to actually go out and find out who is running. But here you are making comments about people that you nothing about nor have you even tried to expand your mind.

I do not know this Ms Thompson but as a woman, she is entering a very male dominated world and she deserves to have support as a woman running, as very few do.

We have Geraldine McMullen running, she would be a great asset and we have Wilamena McGrimmond running as well and she has been a champion in this city on many issues as well.

[Kathy Hagan]

Mr Mahesh.
I stand by my statement. No I have not met you I have however researched your credentials and read most of your comments and your views on Hamilton. Some of your comments on what is lacking in Hamilton are very true however, I do not think that you are qualified to have the city's top job, had you been running in my ward as a councillor I might have considered voting for you. I pass through Jackson square most days enroute to the waterfront, I will introduce myself should I encounter you and will look forward to hearing your vision for Hamilton and the downtown core. I wish you all the very best in your campaign.

M. Hruschka..... Love your vocabulary!!! I opt to park my "butt" in places I choose, Maybe a library or auditorium or media places listening to these notable newcomers, I then make my own decision on their abilities. I do not have to meet a elephant to know that it is fact an elephant. Nor do I choose to make comments about the state of others "minds" I find your posts vulgar, offensive, and greatly lacking in thought or credibility .
I always find it is best not to argue with people who just want to cause a stir.

[Emma]

Mahesh, Kathy, Michelle - thanks for the dialogue, but please remember to be respectful. I won't be publishing any more posts directed towards other commenters.
Thanks for your understanding.

Emma