January 11th, 2022

Horwath welcomes long-time Ajax mayor Steve Parish as NDP candidate for Ajax

QUEEN’S PARK AND AJAX — Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is welcoming Steve Parish to the team of Ontario New Democrats running for provincial election in 2022. Parish is the longest serving mayor of Ajax, holding that office for 23 years before choosing not to run again.
Parish will be acclaimed as the NDP’s Ajax candidate at a meeting on Jan. 22.
Quotes
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath
“Steve has been there for the people of Ajax for decades, and I am absolutely thrilled that he’s bringing his experience, advocacy and community leadership to the NDP team. Steve is Ajax to the core — he knows exactly what’s making life tougher for Ajax families, he knows where Doug Ford’s big cuts and bad choices have hurt people, and he’s focused on solutions that will make life better for everyday folks. In 2022, we’re going to work together to invest in our kids’ schools, protect the environment for future generations, make our home care system public and high-quality so our parents and grandparents can live in their homes for longer, and build a homier long-term care system where every resident gets a minimum of four hours of hands-on attention every day, and every dollar goes to their care, not a corporation’s profits.”
Steve Parish, NDP candidate for Ajax
“I love Ajax, and I am excited to be running to serve my community and to fight for a better Ontario — not for the wealthy and well-connected buddies, but for the people who live, work and raise their kids here in Ajax. Under Doug Ford, life has been getting harder. There’s a crisis in our long-term care system — including the humanitarian disaster at Orchard Villa. Children’s schools were facing deep cuts even before Doug Ford put them at the bottom of the priority list, sending them to endure at-home learning again and again instead of investing to make schools safer. And the climate crisis is an issue that concerns us all, and that can’t withstand more of Ford’s attacks on the environment. I’ve seen how Andrea Horwath is here for us. I know she’s exactly the leader we need right now, and I’m excited to be on the team. With Andrea and the NDP, people will get action to fix health and long-term care, invest in in our children’s education, and protect our natural environment — including by adding the Carruthers Creek headwaters to the Greenbelt.”
Biography

Parish was mayor of Ajax for 23 years, from 1995 to 2018.
Parish has spent his municipal career championing environmental causes while creating jobs, such as protecting the Greenbelt and Carruthers Creek, and revitalizing the Ajax waterfront. He has received several environmental awards for his work.
Parish is an advocate for thoughtful urban planning and liveable communities, he’s always worked to make Ajax a great place to live, work and raise a family.
Steve was raised in Ajax, where he still lives with his wife Rosemary. He has three children and four granddaughters.