Maddy Dever – Rolling into the provincial campaign

Jeff Green | Dec 01, 2021

The Lanark Frontenac Kingston (LFK) Green Party will have a contest for its candidate, in next spring's provincial election in Ontario.

Maddy Dever, from Carleton Place, is competing with Dr. Marlene Spruyt, of Ardoch, to represent the party in the riding.

Dever, who is non-binary and is a member of the Ontario Autism Program Advisory Panel, said that they have worked with members of every party to find common ground where autism is concerned.

“I have been really hyper-nonpartisan for years, always looking at every issue on its face. I talk to people in every party. I even happen to be friends with a cabinet minister, and while we disagree on issues, we can work together on others. I never thought that much about politics from a party perspective in the past, as an advocate you work with everyone towards our goals.”

That changed a little bit, a couple of years ago, when Dever met Ontario Green Party leader Mike Shreiner, while on an advocacy trip to Queen's Park, with their child.

“He was talking to me about issues, and then he turned to my kid to ask about what they were going through, and hoping for. It made an impression on me. It's not about us vs them, for the Ontario Greens. We need to seek consensus, in order to move forward, and the Greens embody that principle.”

Dever has a lot on their plate. Not only are they raising four children, and working on creating a framework for autism related services at the same time, they also suffered a catastrophic car accident last August, leaving them in a wheelchair with limited use of their hands as well.

“I did web design and graphic design in the past, but I can't do that now. It has been a drastic change in my life. It also brought into focus for me how much there is a need for diversity in government. And that is why, since I can't exactly run for office, I am planning to roll for it.”

Dever sees the Green Party focus on climate change from the lens of the disadvantaged.

“When climate disasters hit, low income people have less, or no means, to respond. The intersection between climate and social issues, the housing crisis, poverty, and food security are all major focuses for me. Even when COVID first hit, people, who could afford to buy a month's worth of food at one time, started hoarding. A few weeks later, people who could only afford to buy what they needed for a week, ended up facing empty shelves, while others had stocked pantries.”

The push for electric cars, a key part of the Canadian climate change strategy, is another case.

“Electric cars are a great idea. They are great for efficiency. But I have no ability to go out and buy one. We need to make big changes, but there also needs to be a levelling for all people. All the incentives in the world are not going to make a difference for people living on $15 an hour when, in most parts of Ontario, the living wage is $2 or $3 an hour more than that.”

The Lanark Frontenac Kingston Green Party will be holding their candidate selection meeting, through virtual means, on December 12.