Meet Ric
Ric was born and raised in Amherstview and has lived most of his 55 years in this riding. He graduated from St. Lawrence College as a Business Systems Analyst.
After graduating, Ric spent 1996 to 2015 working full-time as a Systems Analyst and then an Adaptive Technologist for St. Lawrence College, while also a part-time instructor in various fields, including computer science, economics and Wind Policy in Canada.
Ric has had extensive experience in Municipal politics. He has served on the Loyalist Township Municipal Council for 22 years, being re-elected five times and serving as councillor, deputy mayor and mayor. During that time, he worked to build new residential and commercial areas, including the Loyalist East Business Park, which has added 21 new businesses. Loyalist has seen one of the highest residential growth rates in Eastern Ontario.
Ric is married to Heidi Galloway Bourgoin and has a blended family, having raised five children and now enjoys spoiling their two grandchildren.
The Government of Ontario has worked extremely hard throughout the pandemic providing a steady and experienced hand during its most difficult times. Now that the threat of COVID-19 is receding, it is time to open up and start rebuilding the province and the Riding.
Ric understands that Hastings-Lennox & Addington must begin work to restore itself after two years of pandemic disruptions. He knows that many people are concerned about economic recovery, the rising cost of living, and the debt taken on by businesses and individuals to get through the past two years. His primary focus is on helping small and medium businesses, restoring jobs and working towards bringing in more affordable housing to the Riding.
Ric’s time in municipal politics has taught him that rebuilding the economy starts with developing healthy communities that can create and sustain secure, well-paying jobs. This is done by assisting small and medium-sized businesses and providing incentives to invest in, rebuild, and start new businesses. Small and medium-sized businesses employ at least 70% of the Canadian workforce and create 85% of all new jobs.
Hastings-Lennox & Addington has stepped up to protect its most vulnerable during the last two years. As a community, we got vaccinated, put important moments on hold, and stayed home. It is now time for us to start moving forward again as a community. And the Progressive Conservative Government has already laid the foundation for that process by investing 8.4 million dollars into this riding to expand our Community Paramedicine for Long Term Care Programs to help more seniors on long-term care waitlists stay safe while living in the comfort of their homes longer, adding 450 new long term care beds in Napanee, Tyendinaga and Madoc, investing millions of dollars in local infrastructure, and providing necessary funding to support businesses during this difficult time.