What is Joey Wright about

By Tecumseh MacGuigan

Photo Editor

Joey Wright is about to enter a new stage in life.

The 23-year-old Windsor native just finished performing in a local adaptation of Othello in September amidst campaigning for council of Ward Five. By 3 p.m. one Friday in October, Wright had already been interviewed for TV by students at St. Clair college, video profiled by the communications program at the University of Windsor, and sat down at the Manchester Pub downtown for the opportunity to talk about what he likes about Windsor.
Wright is not only running in Ward Five, but also lives there, which is stereo-typically an area thought to be avoided. Clearly Wright sees something in the area.

“I think that there is a lot that Ward Five has to offer,” says Wright. “There are a lot of nice little neighborhoods, a lot of nice houses, we have the Ford Test Track… we have three schools… I think that the stigma that exists of Drouillard and Seminole is just that, a stigma with .”
Wright says He believes in a “Windsor made for Windsorites.”

He thinks water slides are fun, but the bus ride getting to the water park can be a different story. Wright relies solely on the bus for transportation, the only candidate to do so.

But while every politician has their platform, it doesn’t always speak to who they are or what they like. While drinking a Coke, Wright delved into more detail about who he is.

Wright saw and experienced bullying against gay and straight students while attending Walkerville High School. Instead of simply accepting the bullying, Wright led a coalition that lobbied the Greater Essex County District School Board to create the area’s first ever Gay-Straight-Alliance in 2009.

“Since Walkerville established a GSA there has been one at every public high school in the county,” said Wright. “It’s a student-run organization and its sole purpose is to provide a safe space for everybody, not just members of the LGBT community.”

Following high school Wright has moved into his own home in Ward Five, performed in the Kordazone theater, and spends his days enjoyed Windsor. Dining at the Twisted Apron, going to bars downtown and walking the trails of Ojibway park as well. Wright says he truly loves Windsor and all that it has to offer. He hopes to make Windsor Not only a great place for visitors, but also a great place for Windsorites.

“People come to Windsor and they only go downtown,” says Wright. “New pools are nice but I want people to see the rest of the city. Ten years ago people would say ‘oh don’t go to Walkerville, but now its one of the nicest parts of the city. With the right work that could happen in Ward Five and many others neighborhoods that some consider undesirable or just not worth going to.”