STEFAN SZEDER profile

Stefan Szeder is running for councillor for Ward 3 in the Township of Chapple.
At 33, Szeder is a second-generation farmer in the township of Mather and has worked in the tourism industry. He also has experience in the forest industry, from supply of raw pulpwood to the small specialty product sawmill he has operated for the last 16 years.
He currently is the Ontario Soil and Crop Association’s environmental program representative for Rainy River District.
In addition, he has contributed to the community through his service as a volunteer with Scouts Canada in Emo and Chapple, with the Rainy River Cattlemen’s Association as a board member, the Ontario Cattlemen’s Advisory Councillor to the OCA board in Toronto, and as a board member for the Rainy River Soil and Crop Improvement Association.
As well, he sat as a legislative page in Queen’s Park in his youth.
Szeder feels he would bring a unique prospective to Chapple council from his experiences in business and community leadership.
He believes the municipality should be governed by the traditional pioneering spirit of the residents of Chapple, along with bringing a fresh perspective to move Chapple forward.
To do this, some hard choices will have to be made now to ensure Chapple is a strong and vibrant community 50 years from now.
Szeder knows the community needs to be proactive in creating a place where business wants to be, to wake up to the fact there are more pressures of a global market place affecting the local economies, and to strive to distinguish a uniqueness to those who would carry out their business in Chapple.
The community needs to continue to support the employees that carry out a fantastic job on maintenance and administration of the municipality through the tools they require, as well as provide a vision for improving infrastructure.
If elected, Szeder will do his best to represent the residents of Chapple in prudent fiscal management, as well as pursuing the best interests of Chapple and Rainy River District to the upper levels of government with the tenacity of a pit bull.
Democracy, in his opinion, is not just going out and voting, it is an involvement of participation for the greater good and not special interest. He has been very fortunate in his business ventures, as well as in his way of life as a farmer, and feels it is his duty and honour to serve the community.
If elected, he will continue his personal quest to make sure communication in the municipality is transparent and is transferred to all who wish it, and to actively engage those whom he serves through participation.
Szeder believes the control of the municipality should be local and he will fight to keep it as such.
He encourages those who believes as he does to send him to the Chapple council chambers on Nov. 13 to continue the hard and necessary work ahead.