Erin Tedford hopes to bring a fresh approach to the Pointe-Claire board

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Erin Tedford moved to Pointe-Claire in 2020, but she is quickly making a name for herself in city politics.

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Tedford was the latest candidate to put her name in the ring for the council position in the Pointe-Claire Village / Cedar Park district. But when the votes were counted on November 7, she emerged the winner in a three-way race with incumbents Claude Cousineau and François Giasson.

Tedford championed environmental causes and protecting the town’s heritage during the campaign, issues that resonated with voters in one of West Island’s oldest neighborhoods.

Tedford, 45, is still getting his feet wet in town hall, but hopes to bring a level of integrity to town hall as a strong, independent voice for the village’s residents.

“Being independent is very important to me because I see the role of a councilor as… an advocate for the residents and an intermediary to reflect their views.

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“I am not a partisan person. When you put people into teams, they don’t work together as well. They think of a winner and a loser. They fight more, ”said bilingual Tedford, who has no appetite for divisive politics.

Andrew Swidzinski, director of the Pointe-Claire Heritage Society, encouraged her to apply. He was impressed by Tedford’s resume, which includes a stint as an education manager at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and coordinator of the Legislative Page Program at Queen’s Park in Toronto. He has also taught English and history in public and private schools in Canada and Great Britain.

Before that, Tedford was an accomplished athlete. She was a provincial rhythmic gymnastics champion and competed nationally and internationally.

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Although she grew up in Beaconsfield, her parents Pat and Bruce Tedford still live there, Erin spent time in Pointe-Claire Village as a teenager. His first job at age 17 was at the old Calico quilting shop on Lakeshore Rd., Now home to Ye Olde Orchard Pub.

Tedford said that living in several major Canadian cities such as Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary for nearly two decades allowed him to appreciate the natural beauty of Pointe-Claire as a garden city.

“I was in the downtown centers for almost 20 years. Right in the middle of Calgary, London (England), Toronto and Montreal. And I moved here because of the green spaces and the trees, mainly because I found it to be a great stress reliever.

“The specific reason I wanted to be here was the mature trees and the green spaces. In Toronto, I saw a lot of areas change very, very quickly. Markham, Mississauga, everything is concrete, they took down all the trees. I think that in another 10 or 20 years, it will be a human right to have access to green spaces, given what we know about mental health. We know that a 10-minute walk in a park is a great way to relieve stress. “

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Although you didn’t live in Pointe-Claire during the controversial Pioneer Bar demolition, you know the town’s unique history.

He attended his first concert at the Pioneer as a teenager and sees both sides of the debate: heritage preservation versus urban renewal.

“I understand that some people had a very strong emotional bond with the Pioneer,” Tedford said.

“I really believe in moderation in all things, so I try to take a balanced approach. I think those will be beautiful condos and they will add to the town, but the windmill is from the 18th century. This is a historic town with one of the oldest settlements in North America. I think it is very important to preserve that history. Also, this area will become increasingly popular with people looking to escape the city. “

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She calls the town the “Jewel of Pointe-Claire.”

Tedford, recently appointed to the city’s demolition committee, wants any future development in the town to respect the appearance and size of existing buildings.

“I think it’s really important to limit the number of floors to two stories, and maybe three on Cartier Ave. If you start building large condos here, it will completely destroy the character and feel of a historic town. People come here because it is picturesque, small in scale, and human in size. “

Tedford was also grateful that Claude Cousineau reached out to her after the election. “He sent me a really lovely letter. I sent it to my nieces as an example of integrity and being a gentleman. “

He said he will try to follow that example in his new role.

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