Hi folks, The last few weeks have been great! I visited Port Blandford, Clarenville, Arnold's Cove, Bonavista, and Port Rexton meeting with municipal leaders, touring really smart businesses, and meeting with incredible leaders and innovators investing in their communities.
Then it was back to St. John's for the 200th Royal St. John's Regatta and the St. John's Folk Festival!
Check out all the photos and follow along through the Facebook album here. You can also follow by Twitter and search #GerrysSummerTour2018 Here's where I'm going next. If I'm going to be in your area let me know if you want to meet! Just email info@nl.ndp.ca. Monday, August 6 to Wednesday, August 8 – Gambo and Area
First stop is Gambo for Gambo Days taking in the Motorcade and Parade, then Wonderbolt Circus with Beni Malone and next Gambo’s Got Talent and closing off with fireworks! Come say hi! Over the next few days I'll also meet with mayors and councillors in the Gambo and Gander area, looking forward to it!
Thursday, August 9 to Saturday, August 11 – Eastport and Area
So looking forward to the Winterset in Summer Literary Festival at the Beaches Arts & Heritage Centre in Eastport over the next few days. On August 9, I'll be checking out Lyrical Voices at 8 p.m. with singers/songwriters Clare Follett, Pamela Morgan, Peter Willie Youngtree and Mary Barry, hosted by Jamie Fitzpatrick.
Meetings with reps with the Freshwater - Alexander Bays Ecosystem Corp. to learn about the great work they're doing.
August 10, looking forward to meeting with representatives of the Road to the Beaches Tourism as well as the Eastport Peninsula Heritage Society.
That evening I'll take in Journeys at 8 p.m. at Winterset, featuring readers and writers Jane Christmas, Katherine Govier, and Madeleine Thien hosted by Chris Brookes.
August 11, I'll be taking in the Royal Canadian Legion fish supper in Eastport. If you're going to any of these events I'd love to say hi!
Sunday, August 12 – Lewisporte
Then off to Lewisporte for the annual Mussel Bed Soiree. Look for me at the waterfront festivities at 2 p.m., the Boat Parade of Lights at 8 p.m., and the Giant Fireworks Display at 10 p.m. followed by live entertainment at the pub. Come say hello if you're in the area!
Monday, August 13 – Twillingate
Next up, beautiful Twillingate. Looking forward to meeting with the Mayor and other town representatives.
I'll be meeting with amazing tourism operators Deborah Borden and Wilma Hartman of the Anchor Inn.
Tuesday, August 14 – Springdale
I'm so very excited to meet with the change-making Indian River High School youth from Springdale!
Wednesday, August 15 – Woody Point and Area
Next, the beautiful west coast and Woody Point and the Writers' Festival. More details to come!
If you see I'm coming to your area, contact me, get a few people together around your kitchen table, as simple as that, and let's talk. Email info@nl.ndp.ca.
Looking forward to seeing you,
Gerry Rogers Leader, NL NDP
Meet the Executive Committee
We are profiling our Executive. Meet Kathleen and Tyler!
I'm a retired educator with a wealth of experience at all levels of education. In my career I taught in the public and private school systems in three provinces. Most recently, I instructed at the College of the North Atlantic and Academy Canada. As an educator, I was actively involved in the executives of the teaching associations and fully supported continuing education initiatives at all my workplaces. I'm passionate about democracy and get a kick out of organizing and attending meetings, the building blocks of democracy.
I see my work with the NL NDP as a way to give back to my family and my communities. The NL NDP has always worked towards fairness and justice for all. This is a legacy I would like to leave for my children and grandchildren. As a community activist, I realized that so many of the problems we had in our community were the result of purposeful political decisions – decisions that favoured privatization over public ownership and making public services less accessible to the people who needed them. I am idealistic enough to believe that government should be organized for the safety and benefit of the people, not as a siphon for public money into private pockets. I intend to work hard to see NL NDP candidates elected in over half the provincial districts in the fall of 2019. Now living in Heart’s Content, I devote my spare time to the NL NDP as Membership Secretary and to learning to play 120s.
I started my work with the NDP in 2011 as the campaign manager for the CBS campaign. After a few years away to finish my B.Sc. in Applied Math and Physics and my M.Sc. in Physics, I returned to work on the caucus website in 2016. Since then, I've been involved in campaigning for all three levels of government, as Assistant Campaign Manager for Sheilagh O’Leary’s
successful Deputy Mayoral campaign, as a volunteer and later executive member of the NL NDP, and as the Federal Candidate in the Bonavista–Burin–Trinity byelection in Nov 2017, as well as President of the St. John’s South–Mount Pearl Federal Riding Association. I'm also the current Treasurer of Happy City St. John’s, and the North East Avalon Representative on the Provincial Executive, where I've worked on the formation of many provincial District Associations, including St. John’s West, Mount Pearl North, and Windsor Lake.
When I'm not working in politics, I enjoy boxing, swimming, and the occasional bit of theatre. I hope to continue my work on the provincial executive through Finance, Policy, and other subcommittees. I believe strongly that empowering the individual member is key to empowering our party, and I'm committed to working to build our finances one member at a time.