Steve Graham

Hillier Ward Seven

Steve Graham and his wife, Jaime, have been working hard to carve out a nice life for themselves and their two kids. Graham was born and raised in the County. In fact, Graham, his wife and his two kids were all born at the Picton hospital. Jaime runs a successful cleaning business and Graham has had a few jobs over the years, but is currently the Yacht Club manager at CFB Trenton. He works on the military base and manages what is considered a special interest club. On top of that he manages boat slips. It is big job, but Graham’s passion is sailing, so it’s a great fit for him.

This is Graham’s second run at council. He was successful in his first run at politics four years ago and has enjoyed his time representing Hillier around the horseshoe. When he was first elected, he was 35 years old, and one of the younger members of council.

“When you get in, things are a little crazier than you’d expect regarding procedure and the way things run at council. It was a steep learning curve and I was considered a greenhorn. There’s a lot of things you expect you can do to effect some change when you arrive, and you realize that council’s really not about that,” says Graham.

One of the things that got Graham into municipal politics in the first place was the growth and recognition that the County was receiving at the time. There was so much excitement at the time and he got to know Peggy Burris and her son, who helped vault him into the political ring around 2013.

As far as the top concerns facing Hillier residents, Graham says that what he hears about the most is the condition of Closson Road. The state of the roads in Hillier, especially, raises other important issues like planning, consulting and budgeting and also who is in charge of choosing the roads to repair and in what priority are they attended to. The influx of cyclists on the Ward’s roads is another area of concern.

“We have cyclists weaving back and forth on Highway 33, where cars are going 80 to 90 kilometres per hour constantly. It’s dangerous and something has to be done about how cyclists behave on our roads,” says Graham.

Graham also points to a few patches of sidewalk that are in bad shape. He jokes about bringing the issue up until someone pays attention. Water access is another hot-button topic. Graham would like to spend some money to find what areas have clear title to these water access points. The accommodations crisis also hits home for Graham, with many homes being used currently as cottages for urbanites who use the properties once or twice a month and mostly in the high season.

Graham is full of energy and wants to keep the momentum rolling from work he has done around the horseshoe in the past four years. He likens his four years to a roller coaster ride. His term came with many ups and downs, but the drive to serve his community is there and stronger than ever.

“I’ve taken the ride, and I want to go again. I don’t want to stop right now. I want to keep going and continue to learn and serve the residents of my riding to the best of my abilities,” says Graham.