Fp member and candidate Ray Monteith

"I just love freedom, don't you?" is a typical Ray Monteith greeting, but Ray says it like no one else --- with evangelical zeal and a twinkle in his eye.

Despite being a "life-long Conservative", Ray finally became disgusted with the Conservatives and threw his lot in with David Peterson and the Liberals during Election '85 in the hope that Peterson was "a decent man" who would extend more individual freedom of choice to Ontarians. A retired railroad worker who had been employed by Conrail for 38 years, Ray posed with David Peterson for a photograph which was used in Peterson's 1985 election campaign material.

Although, as an Elgin county resident, Ray lives only thirty miles away from London, he was not familiar with Freedom Party at the time. But when he later visited our offices, he discovered that Freedom Party's commitment to the principles of individual freedom coupled with its enthusiasm about it matched his own outlook on life.

After years of searching, Ray Monteith finally found a "home" in Freedom Party.

A devout Seventh-day Adventist, Ray is very much opposed to Ontario's discriminatory Sunday closing laws and at his insistence, we produced our now-famous "It's Your Choice... Even On A Sunday" brochure. Were it not for Ray, Freedom Party may never have experienced the many positive consequences that grew out of its Sunday shopping campaign.

Ray spent entire Sundays talking to shoppers and handing out literature last December where his activity was covered by his local paper, the St. Thomas Times Journal. Ray was also instrumental in contacting the director of the Department of Public Affairs for the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Canada, D. Douglas Devnich, who agreed to be a guest speaker at our Paul Magder dinner last April.

At 67 years of age, Ray must be one of the fittest senior citizens alive, considering that he helped us haul garbage during our garbage pick-up campaign in London, and that he spent entire winter days outside discussing freedom issues with residents of his riding.

Ray was Freedom Party's candidate in Elgin during the recent Ontario election, and we look forward to watching him bring his evangelical fervour to future campaigns as well.

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Page last updated on April 28, 2002