Female candidate looking for seat on council

By Sean Previl

A by-election is being held for Ward 7 and one woman is hoping to take the chair.

Robin Fortier, owner of Monty Formal Wear, is running for the Ward 7 city council seat in the by-election Dec. 9.

Fortier said she wants to bring new ideas to City Hall.

“We need to have somebody that’s open and ready to hear from the public as to what they would like to see in Windsor and to be responsible and accessible to the citizens,” said Fortier.

Fortier is the twenty-third woman to run for city councillor in the past 20 years.

“I feel every woman has the right to run and I feel a woman or a man can be strong in this position,” said Fortier.

Women have made up 17 per cent of the candidates for councillor elections since 1993.

Sean Stewart, a resident of Ward 7, said the lack of women might be because of how people view women in politics.

“I think on some level there are few women running for council because most get the impression that it’s a ‘man’s world,’” said Stewart.

Ward 6 Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac said she thinks who is elected should never be decided on gender.

“I don’t think your sex determines whether or not you’re going to be a successful candidate or not,” said Gignac. “People are pretty perceptive and when you go out and start knocking on doors and you connect with residents and you explain your desire to serve their needs, people are pretty perceptive. They will in the end determine who will best represent them in Ward 7.”

Ward 3 Coun. Fulvio Valentinis said it will be up to the electors who will represent them and they should not decide based on gender.

“The Ward 7 electors are the ones who will be deciding and the best candidate is the one who should be at the table regardless of their gender,” said Valentinis.

Gignac said the most important thing people should remember is to be ready for the election process.

“It’s a very public exercise and you have to be comfortable as you would have to be comfortable in pursuing any goal you set for yourself. You have to be prepared to win and you have to be prepared to lose.”