Some people might recognize Cam Woolley from when he was the face of the Ontario Provincial Police while others might remember him from CP24, where he spent more than a decade as a traffic and safety reporter.
Now some will know Woolley as their local town councillor.
Woolley was elected as councillor in the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley on Oct. 26, receiving 1,550 votes. He is one of six councillors for the town, which is about a 20-minute drive away from Brockville, Ont.
“We’re only a few 100 yards from the U.S. border here. It’s right across the St. Lawrence River from us. It’s a really rural township, about 9,800 people live here,” Woolley said in an interview with CP24 Breakfast on Tuesday.
The former police officer explained that a proposal for a “mega quarry” in the town was the igniting force that sprung him into local politics.
- How to set CP24 as your preferred source on Google
- How to set CTV News as your preferred source on Google
“When I tried to connect with the local council, I found some who were quite engaged, and including the mayor and the fellow that’s now going to be our mayor, but others were not,” he said. “Rather than complain about it, I decided to run for council.”
Woolley spent 13 years on air at CP24 before retiring in 2021.
Though he is a familiar face to many Torontonians, he says many residents in Elizabethtown-Kitley didn’t recognize him as they paid more attention to news stations in Ottawa.
That said, he said some recognized him from “Canada’s Worst Driver,” which he appeared on as a traffic specialist and legal expert for 12 years.
“Name recognition is a big deal here and pretty well all the councillors running had pretty strong name recognition. Most of their families have been here since before Confederation,” he said.
The biggest areas of concerns for residents, according to Woolley, are road safety and taxes. Several roads in Elizabethtown-Kitley are not paved, he says, so residents want to see that work done.
“But that all costs money and leads to another issue,” Woolley said. “People are concerned about the taxes.”
Woolley’s strategy to combat these higher property taxes is to try and recruit new home builders and businesses to develop in the area.
“As long as the development is compatible with the tranquil lifestyle,” he said.
Woolley says he will also look at the policing budget.
“Our folks are happy with the OPP, we’re just not happy with the price, and I intend to use some of my background dealing with contract policing to maybe get us—ensure that we get good value for our money,” he said.
