The dirty, sweaty, political life of a municipal councillor as the job description evolves

“He’s a fixer. A man with a garage full of tools and a pickup truck that’s ready for duty.

Whether he has specifically allowed it or not, there’s pretty much an open-door policy at his home. He will sometimes find residents sitting at his kitchen table, even when he’s just stepped out of the shower. Thankfully, he always covers up when coming out of the bathroom, he says with a laugh.

This is George Carlson. When asked to describe his job, he doesn’t hesitate.

“Mostly, I fix shit,” he says.”

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For five years, the entirety of my journalism career, I’ve been covering municipal politics. I’ve met many municipal councillors. From small towns in Alberta to the GTA, all of them go about and think about their roles differently.

I really wanted to explore that idea with this story, especially as Premier Doug Ford moved ahead with his decision to chop the size of Toronto council, something with a massive impact on local representation.

I also designed the graphics for this story.

Published October 2, 2018 in The Pointer - Brampton