Stroke survivor and community advocate would push for accessibility, housing and accountability
A first-time candidate for Fort Frances Town Council, Nathan Galusha has thrown his hat in the ring with plans to move the town forward using advocacy and transparent leadership.
Galusha acknowledges that he lacks formal political or council experience but intends to bridge that gap with knowledge gained through involvement with advocacy groups, specifically the Rainy River District Ontario Health Team’s Patient and Family Advisory Committee and Northwest Primary Care and Living and Dying Well Collective-Rainy River District.
“I don’t have boots on the ground political experience, but I’ve dealt with a lot of different political aspects,” Galusha said. “I’m part of the co-founders of Living and Dying Well Collective-Rainy River District. Me and a like-minded individual to myself found there was nothing here for stroke survivors, so we started our own advocacy and survivors’ group.”
For Galusha, the motivation to enter municipal politics is personal. He said the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the state of local health care were key factors in his decision to run. Having survived a stroke himself, he has a close understanding of the importance of accessible communities and reliable health services.
“A big part of healthcare is the AODA,” he said. “I talked to the town and asked who’s in charge of the AODA: ‘Don’t even know what you’re talking about.’ Then I asked who was going to enforce the act. ‘Don’t know.'”
“Where are the accessible bathrooms, the ramps, the doorway switches? The thing is, it doesn’t have to be that you’re disabled to need them. We have an aging population, and sometimes people just don’t have the physical capabilities to fully lift their legs or push the door open.”
“There needs to be change, accountability.”
Although accessibility remains at the forefront of his platform, Galusha said council must also tackle the community’s housing shortage. He hopes to work with both social service organizations and developers to help create more housing opportunities in Fort Frances.
“We need affordable housing,” Galusha said. “I just looked at an ad—there was a three-bedroom house for rent, $3,000. Who can afford $3,000 per month in rent? I know I can’t, being on a fixed income. A lot of people can’t.”
“There are organizations that can help support you, but there’s the other problem is there’s nothing. Where is the housing? We need to get developers to start building, to try to partner with people.”
Beyond accessibility and housing, Galusha said he would like to explore strategies to keep local graduates in Fort Frances and strengthen efforts to attract new workers, businesses and economic development.
“I have young children, 20 and 21. I want them to stay here, but what is here for them to stay?”
“We were a one-horse industry town at the beginning, and there were companies that tried to come in when the mill was still here. The council said, ‘No, we have a business.’ Now that business is gone, and what do we have? We have the mine, which is fine, but what’s going to happen when they go?”
“We have an abundance of cheap power, and we need to promote that. We have land, we have power, we have water. Promote that. Get businesses in. Go talk to some bigger businesses and get them to start developing here.”
Asked about his approach to serving on council, Galusha said transparency would be a guiding principle and that he would advocate for the priorities he has campaigned on.
“There needs to be transparency, and there needs to be accountability,” he said. “Don’t give false hopes. If you walk the walk, talk the talk. If I’m saying I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it. I’m not going to lie to you.”
Galusha also noted that he is planning to work as a councillor without financial compensation and will put in a notice of motion in an attempt to have a bylaw passed that would allow him to be employed without pay while working for the town.
“I’m not doing this for money,” Galusha said. “I’m doing this for principle. I’m doing this for the town of Fort Frances, because it’s not about you, it’s not about me, it’s about everybody. It’s about what’s best for the whole group.”
Overall, Galusha wants to listen to the people in town and work based on what he hears.
“One of the best bosses I had was someone who listens to the people, and when I became a boss, that was my biggest thing. Listen to the boots on the ground. I might not always have the best information; I might not have the best view, but you know what? The people actually out there do.”
