I volunteered to be the Libertarian candidate for the Nipissing District because I believe that evil prevails when good people do nothing.
I am a native of Northern Ontario and started my life in Timmins before moving to North Bay and then to Callander. I am of French, English, and Algonquin ancestry and am bilingual. I am also a status Indian with the Timiskaming First Nations. I have been calling Callander home since 2004 and now live here with my amazing partner Pat, who has been my rock.
We have five children, the eldest three are mine and are now young adults. My eldest two daughters and a son-in-law live with us part-time along with my six grandchildren. Our oldest grandchild is autistic and as a family, we have risen up to meet the demands of this challenge. There is never a dull moment in our home!
I am a small business owner, operating Gateway Monuments out of our home since 2017. My partner also owns and operates a small business called HomePro Canada. I spent time at the PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise as their Northeastern Business Consultant, I spend a lot of time interacting with small and medium sized business owners and have worked in remote locations such as Moose Factory to help women start, maintain, and grow their businesses.
Most of my work experience has been in sales. I was the Sales and Marketing Manager at Barclay House Independent Senior Living, Sales & Front Office Manager at the Best Western North Bay, Sales with the North Bay Trappers, Sales with La Tribune in Sturgeon Falls. I have sat on several Boards in various positions: I am chair of the Northern Freedom Alliance, a group of people promoting medical freedom of choice in Northern Ontario. I am also a board member of the Freedom Community, the Event Coordinator for the Women’s Business Network and the Chair of the International Student Exchange with the North Bay Rotary Club.
I am entering politics because more voices for freedom are desperately needed in society. There are serious violations of our fundamental civil liberties being committed: our property rights are being eroded, our rights as parents are being taken away, and our right to bodily autonomy is being trampled on. I am concerned that the traditional systems of checks and balances on government power have failed or are failing. Government overreach is at historic levels and people are falling into poverty at an alarming rate because of economic lock-downs, price inflation, and high taxes. It is time to restore the rule of law in Ontario and hold our leaders accountable for their failure to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic in a way that respects human rights. In the aftermath of this crisis, it is time for all of us to seriously re-examine the principles of individual freedom, personal responsibility, fairness, and respect.
The 2022 Libertarian platform provides those of us who want to take personal responsibility for our own lives with an opportunity to opt out of government services and choose non-coercive alternatives instead. We have a plan to do this that is both fair and does not take away government services from those who still want or need them.
In Freedom, always,
Michelle Lashbrook
