By Kezia Royer-Burkett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
In the latest episode of Pages of Me Podcast: Election Edition, host Kezia Royer-Burkett spoke with Alex Don, who is running for Ward 5 councillor, about his connection to Burlington, his early introduction to politics, becoming a husband and father, and why he believes listening to residents should come before telling them what needs to change.
Don moved to Burlington from Oakville with his family when he was in high school and attended Assumption Catholic High School for two years. Looking back, he remembers the city as a place that gave him opportunities to learn, grow, and become involved in his community.
“Growing up in Burlington was great. Assumption was a great school. I have really fond memories of my teachers at Assumption still,” Don said.
His memories of Burlington are not limited to the classroom. Don recalled working his first job at the local Denninger’s store on Guelph Line, where he worked during the Christmas season packing groceries.
He also credits Burlington’s schools, libraries, and recreational spaces with helping prepare him for adulthood.
“The schools, the libraries, the parks really prepared me for the grown-up life,” he said. “I think we have some of the best education in Burlington, the Central Library. I don’t even want to disclose how many hours I spent there.”
Don joked about the amount of time he spent studying at the Central Library, including when preparing for two bar exams. Outside of studying, basketball was another important part of his youth, with Nelson Courts providing a place where he could play late into the evening.
“I have been playing basketball since a young kid, and being able to go and play at Nelson Courts, you know, late, late in the night, and I remember to this day…we would go there because the lights were on until really late at night,” he said.
Those experiences have contributed to Don’s desire to give back to the community that he believes gave him a strong foundation.
“I would like to leverage and give back to the city to make sure that the coming generations can benefit from what I’ve benefitted,” he said.
His interest in civic engagement started long before his decision to run for city council. In grade 8, Don became a legislative page at Queen’s Park, an experience that gave him an early look at how government works and how laws are created.
“That was my first entrée to the political world,” he said. “And seeing firsthand how things get done, how laws pass, really motivated me.”
That early experience eventually led to a project during his grade 12 year at Assumption. For his required volunteer hours, Don decided to build on his Queen’s Park experience and drafted and lobbied for a private member’s bill focused on improving safety for new drivers in Ontario.
The bill received unanimous support from all three political parties.
Don said the experience was made possible through the support of his school, the Burlington community and organizations that recognized the importance of the issue.
“It all goes back to education. It all goes back to civic responsibility, and engaging the youth in feeling that all of these changes can be made by even a young person,” he said.
Although he was introduced to politics at a young age, he decided to first build a career and develop skills that he could eventually bring back to public service. He attended law school, earned another degree and worked in both Toronto and New York City.
In the current election, Don said he began by knocking on doors and asking residents what matters to them, rather than presenting them with a list of changes he would make if elected.
“Well, in simple terms, it’s really the job of an elected official to be the spokesperson for every person in their represented community,” he said.
Don said he has been asking residents what they are proud of in their neighbourhoods, what concerns them, and what keeps them up at night. His conversations across Ward 5 have shown him that the concerns of residents can vary considerably from one neighbourhood to another.
He pointed to differences between South Burlington and the Orchard, noting that residents in different parts of the ward have different priorities and lived experiences.
“In the Orchard, people are talking about the traffic and after-school childcare, and schools, and new parents concerned with cars driving too fast outside of their home,” he said.
For Don, those conversations reinforce the importance of listening.
“I think it’s important to be listening more and saying less, and taking into consideration everyone’s lived experiences,” he said.
That approach also extends to residents whose perspectives may differ from his own.
Don said representing a diverse community requires patience, respect, and an openness to understanding where people are coming from.
He used fiscal responsibility as an example, noting that while residents may broadly agree that taxpayer money should be managed responsibly, the meaning of fiscal responsibility can differ depending on a person’s circumstances.
For a retiree living on a fixed income, it may mean keeping property taxes manageable. For a younger family that has recently purchased a home and is paying a mortgage and after-school expenses, it may look very different.
“You have to be open-minded. You have to listen more and speak less, and take in these people’s situations,” Don said. “Take a second and put yourself in other people’s shoes and see where they’re coming from.”
Family has also played an important role in Don’s decision to seek public office. During the interview, he shared that he and his wife recently welcomed their first child.
“My family just grew by one about two and a half months ago,” he said.
He went on to describe the role his family has played in shaping his values.
“It’s my wife and my son, and it’s my parents,” Don said, explaining that his parents instilled in him the importance of hard work, education, community involvement, and being a good person.
He said becoming a father has made him think more about the kind of community he wants his son and future generations to inherit.
“I’d like, I mean, selfishly, of course, I’d like the same to be available to my son, and less selfishly to all the upcoming generations in Burlington,” he said.
Don describes the stage of his life as a “‘building for future’ era,” both personally and professionally.
“Now I’m at a point where I think I’m ready to bring those tools back and get back to my community,” he said.
For Don, that means thinking beyond the immediate election and looking toward the kind of Burlington residents will experience years from now.
“I’m really looking at ‘future’ with longer horizons, but with the mindset of sowing the seeds for the next 10 to 20 years,” he said. “And I hope to do a good job now, so we get to reap good rewards in the future.”
When asked what contributes to quality of life in Burlington, Don pointed first to safety, but also to the community connections and public spaces that residents can enjoy.
“We’re very fortunate to live in a safe community,” he said. “I think it starts with safety. I think it’s very important to be addressing that from the point of quality of life.”
For Don, quality of life also means knowing your neighbours, having community gatherings, enjoying local music and maintaining access to the facilities that make Burlington feel like home.
“It’s education, it’s the facilities, the parks, the libraries. These are really the things that make Burlington so great,” he said.
As the municipal election approaches, Don is encouraging residents to participate, regardless of which candidate they support.
“I would encourage everyone who’s watching this to go to vote, whether it’s for me or for the other candidates,” he said, pointing to voter turnout in the previous election.
For those meeting Don for the first time through his campaign, he describes himself simply.
“What you see is what you get,” he said. “You get someone who is very passionate about giving back to the community, someone who has a lot of ideas and a lot of energy.”
Watch the full interview with Alex Don below or on Pages of Me Podcast: Election Edition, as part of the Beyond the Campaign series.
