“The Newmarket-Aurora Greens and I are having our best election ever. Newmarket and Aurora deserve an MP that represents their best interests in Parliament and is there to work, not just follow orders, recite the party lines, and go on prorogue vacations.”

Vanessa Long is an entrepreneur and lifestyle coach and is running because she feels that the short-sighted climate of fear and mistrust being created by the government is not truly representative of voters. She has hope for the future and for the equitable distribution of resources and justice, where all voices are heard and respected, a view that does not seem to be shared by our current representatives. As a devoted entrepreneur she loves the Green policies for creating vibrant local economies with quality jobs for all residents, returning Canada to its former position of respect and leadership on the international stage.

Vanessa graduated from Queen’s University with dual degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biology and recently attended York University for International Studies. She has worked as a private school teacher, acupuncture clinic assistant, and administrative assistant, but for the past several years has been a personal trainer and lifestyle coach. She has recently begun to invest in real estate and healthy lifestyle products as she continues to broaden her knowledge and skills base.

Vanessa was one of the founding members and CEO of the local Green Party Association, and served on the Board and Committees of the York Region Children’s Aid Society between 2006 and 2008. Now that she is helping to care for three growing children she is becoming more involved with local schools and recreational activities.

Vanessa lives in Newmarket with her partner and children, where she is having a crash course in motherhood, a vastly different experience than being the primary caregiver for her mother who battled lung cancer between 2004 and 2006. Both of these experiences, at the opposite ends of life’s spectrum, have filled Vanessa with a passion for environmental health and creating a better world for future generations. She knows that the Green Party is the only Party that shares her commitment to a diverse society where every citizen can live with dignity and a high quality of life and she is communicating this Vision to Newmarket-Aurora.