ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Juanita Mercer
The Telegram
@juanitamercer_
The St. John's Ward 2 byelection set for Oct. 20 has a sixth candidate.
Matt Howse, former downtown business owner of the now closed Broken Books bookstore, announced on Thursday he will seek the council seat recently vacated by Hope Jamieson.
While the nomination period doesn’t officially begin until Sept. 15, five others have also already declared their intention to run: Lorne Loder, a downtown restaurateur; Ophelia Ravencroft, an academic; Wallace Ryan, a cartoonist; Shawn Skinner, former city councillor and former MHA; and curler Greg Smith.
Other than running Broken Books for six years, Howse was also a founding investor of Fixed Coffee and Baking.
“Through my involvement in those I became all too familiar with the struggles faced by small business operators in our city,” he told The Telegram on Thursday.
Howse said his soon-to-be-released platform will include support for small business, particularly downtown businesses. He said his platform will also support affordable housing, suggest changes to the city’s public engagement around development and include ideas to keep more municipal revenue in the city.
He also says the Bike St. John’s Master Plan should be implemented as soon as possible. Howse said it’s particularly important given public health concerns in the province around obesity.
“That’s been in the works a very long time, and with the Grand Concourse we’ve already got one of the finest municipal trail systems in the whole country, really, and it’s about time we had cycling infrastructure that equalled the quality of the Grand Concourse. … I think it’s really important that we make the city more accessible and more activity-driven for more people.”
In terms of potential savings in the municipal budget, Howse said he’d like to see the city “slack off” on subsidies for St. John’s Sports and Entertainment. He said he finds it hard to justify when there are people in the city who are struggling to make ends meet and find suitable housing.
Howse is a Memorial University graduate with English and education degrees, and a master's degree in folklore. He has worked as a high school teacher, historical interpreter and eco-tourism guide, and is currently a residential youth care worker.
Howse ran against Kerri Claire Neil in the NDP’s race for a Windsor Lake candidate in the 2018 provincial byelection. He was also the NDP candidate for Baie Verte-Green Bay in the 2015 provincial election.
“Whether I was lobbying against the provincial book tax, protesting the Muskrat Falls project or advocating for small business at city hall, I have always used my voice to put forward the needs of the community,” Howse stated in a news release issued Thursday.
He said he will be a progressive voice on council, and will always put the community first.
“This is a stressful time for many people, but it's also an opportunity to get our priorities right and to set an agenda for the future that works for everyone. I live in Ward 2, I know these streets well, and I will be working non-stop in the coming weeks to earn the support of my neighbours.”
