I'm Victoria Stewart. I'm a mother of three, a widow, a non-profit leader, and someone who believes strongly in the importance of community.

My path to where I am today hasn't exactly been a straight line. I returned to school as an adult and graduated with my Bachelor of Commerce in Business Administration and Economics in 2016, beginning a new chapter in my career at a point when many people are already well-established in theirs. Since then, I've built a career in non-profit and community leadership that has given me the opportunity to work with some incredible people and organizations across Chatham-Kent.

Family has always been a huge part of my life. Like most people, I've experienced some wonderful chapters and some incredibly difficult ones. Becoming a widow changed my life in ways I never could have anticipated. Those experiences have shaped my perspective on what matters, how quickly circumstances can change, and just how important it is to have strong communities and people who show up for one another.

They've also taught me that life doesn't always go according to plan—and that sometimes the opportunities you didn't expect are the ones that lead you somewhere meaningful.

Wallaceburg was one of those unexpected opportunities.

More than five years ago, I became the Centre Manager of the Wallaceburg Adult Activity Centre. I came to Wallaceburg for a job, but somewhere along the way it became much more than that.

Running a community organization meant becoming part of the community itself. I got to know members and their families, local businesses, volunteers, community organizations, and municipal staff. I became involved in community initiatives and built relationships that extended well beyond the Centre.

I saw a community with an incredibly strong identity and people who care deeply about its future. I also heard the frustrations—the feeling that Wallaceburg sometimes has to fight harder to be heard, concerns about economic development and the downtown, infrastructure, services, and the challenges facing residents in their everyday lives.

Over those years, I developed a genuine affection for Wallaceburg and the surrounding area.

When I left the Centre earlier this year to become Executive Director of the Active Lifestyle Centre in Chatham, I didn't stop caring about Wallaceburg. In fact, one of the things I hadn't fully anticipated was how much I would miss being part of the community every day.

I'd already been thinking about the possibility of running for Council while I was still working in Wallaceburg. Changing jobs happened before nominations opened, but it didn't change the reasons I'd been considering it in the first place.

I still wanted to contribute.

My work in the non-profit sector has given me an unusual view of municipal government: I've spent years working alongside it from the community side of the table.

I've worked in organizational leadership, governance, budgeting, grants, community programming, and partnerships. I've worked with boards, volunteers, businesses, community organizations, residents and municipal staff. I've helped take ideas from an initial conversation through planning, funding and implementation.

And one lesson has come up again and again:

A good idea is only the beginning.

You also need to understand how to make it happen. You need to know what resources are available, who needs to be at the table, what barriers stand in the way and how to build enough support to move an idea forward.

Working closely with older adults over the past several years has also given me a firsthand appreciation for issues that affect people's ability to remain active, independent, and connected to their communities. Affordability, accessibility, transportation, recreation, social connection, and access to services aren't abstract policy discussions when you're regularly talking to the people affected by them.

At the same time, my work across Chatham-Kent has shown me something else that I think is important for a Ward 5 councillor: representing Wallaceburg well doesn't mean working in isolation from the rest of the municipality.

Moving Ward 5 priorities forward requires more than strong advocacy at the Council table. It also requires someone who can build relationships, find common ground, and earn support from colleagues representing communities across Chatham-Kent.

I believe my experience gives me the ability to do both.