MEET YOUR CANDIDATE: Hilson sets sights on community building

HaltonHillsToday is profiling every candidate in the upcoming municipal election. Up first - Ward 1 (Acton) councillor candidates.

If you're from Acton, you've likely already seen, if not met, Alex Hilson.

The candidate for Ward 1 is a bit of a man-about-town, keeping busy with various happenings and organizations. Whether it's driving a water truck around the downtown core to care for the plants on behalf of the Acton BIA, or tending to the many community events he helps organize, one may say Hilson is everywhere.

Unsurprisingly, his campaign is focused on community-based initiatives and being accessible to the local residents he hopes to represent. If elected, the political newcomer has his eye on maintaining municipal services, supporting small businesses and advocating for volunteer-run organizations. 

Hilson said volunteers form the backbone of local events and non-profits, which he feels are crucial "to maintain the quality of life we have in our community."

Hilson spent over five years working as a youth program instructor at the Halton Hills Youth Centre - one of the municipal services he said is increasingly important during challenging economic times.

"I saw what a benefit that was to the young people, not just from a recreational perspective, but also that they were connected with counselling, connected with picking up healthy food, which some would bring home to their families.”

Hilson said he wants to take a more hand-on role in helping businesses access municipal resources because they “don't always have the time or the resources to figure out those programs. It can be confusing.”

The Acton youth said he's seeking a spot on council to better position himself to address concerns that local residents were already bringing to him at the BIA.

 “People would ask me questions about different levels of government. I was visible in their eyes and they didn't know who else to ask,” he said. “I made it my job to answer them as best as I could."

Among the youngest candidates, Hilson is known locally for his work as a music teacher and the co-ordinator of the Acton BIA (currently on a leave of absence). He's president-elect of the Halton Hills Optimist Club and has also served on the Acton Foodshare board for eight years. He's the parish administrator at St. Alban the Martyr Anglican Church in Acton and has delivered sermons there. His education is in philosophy and theology.