Lloyd Longfield never thought he would go into politics, let alone spend a decade as an MP; he merely wanted to make a difference in his community.
“I saw what was happening in political discourse, and I thought, I don’t want to be 81 years old thinking that I could have had a chance to change some of that. And I didn’t take that chance,” the Guelph MP said.
His campaign for the 2021 election started just months after he had heart surgery. Recovery was long, and he relied heavily on his campaign team.
“The first year was a real challenge for me. But I'm glad that I made the decision to run again, because I didn't want to leave the COVID chapter open. I wanted to see what we could do on the other side of COVID,” he said.
Now in his third term, he’s ready to pass the baton to the next person. By the time the next election rolls around, he’ll have been in the role for 10 years and have celebrated his 69th birthday, at which point he said there won’t be enough gas left in the tank.
“I think there’s always a time to leave where you’re not staying past your best before date,” he said. “It’s bittersweet. It’s been an amazing journey.”
A lot has happened during his tenure, including a federal investment of more than $140 million in local businesses to help them transition to zero emission vehicles and improve Canada’s supply chain for clean technology.
But what stands out to him most is how he’s been able to help community members do important work through government support, like helping to resettle countless Syrian, Afghan and Ukrainian refugees, or witnessing Guelph collectively work on creating a circular economy locally and across Canada.
“I see the people in Guelph doing these amazing things, I played a role. I've got some good memories, but my real memory is the work that the people in Guelph did while I was a Member of Parliament,” he said.
“It’s incredible to see what everyday people do on top of trying to get through their own lives, to help the lives of other people. And Guelph is just such a rich community for that.”
Knowing that he’s leaving in two years brings some urgency to the role, though he’s looking forward to helping the next person settle in when they take over.
While he doesn’t know exactly what he’ll do when he retires, he’ll still be in Guelph and involved with the community.
“I'm sure whatever I'm doing will have something to do with community service and innovation and helping people,” he said. “One thing about Guelph, there’s no excuse not to be involved.”
But first, he’s going to take some much-needed time for himself and his family.
