DAN CEARNS, The Standard
KAWARTHA LAKES: Jason Ward has taken himself out of the race to be Kawartha Lakes’ next mayor.
In a social media statement to residents, posted on Tuesday, March 8th, Mr. Ward announced he was withdrawing from the mayoral race. “Truthfully, I struggled profoundly with my decision; it has been many pensive months in the making, even a few tears. I am upset with myself for not pursuing this opportunity,” his statement read.
“Seeking mayorship is, in my mind, the best way for me to give back to a place [which] has given so much to me and my family. But I know this about myself; I could not have been your mayor without giving it everything I have, leaving nothing on the table.”
He noted, he has to take care of himself and his family first, at this time.
“As it turns out, in my own journey, I neglected one important thing, my own mental health and well-being. It is time for me to take better care of myself. Actually, I have no other choice. I also know how much I love, admire, and need to be with my wife and children, who deserve their dad’s unconditional, undistracted love and support. I must assiduously seize this opportunity, while I still can.”
Mr. Ward owns Wards Lawyers PC, a firm based in Lindsay, and practices civil litigation. He previously dipped his toes into politics in 2003, when he ran as a Liberal candidate in the Ontario provincial election. When he announced his candidacy last year, Mr. Ward had told The Standard, growth seemed inevitable in Kawartha Lakes.
“We can’t maintain a quiet, sleepy community attitude. The population is increasing, development is increasing, and the key is to manage that growth and development in a way [which is] consistent with our historic values,” he said.