By Kezia Royer-Burkett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
For Paul Sharman, public service is only one chapter in a much longer story of learning, change, and finding a place to call home.
The incumbent Ward 5 city councillor has served Burlington since 2010, but his connection to the city goes beyond his years at City Hall. In the latest episode of Pages of Me Podcast: Election Edition, Sharman spoke with host Kezia Royer-Burkett about his unconventional career, the experiences that shaped him, his love for Burlington, and why he continues to see community as one of the most important parts of the city’s future.
Long before becoming a councillor, Sharman was a child who preferred experience over textbooks.
“Learning from books was just not my thing,” Sharman said. “So I had to be out there running around the fields, enjoying the countryside, climbing trees, making forts, and generally, you know, causing trouble of some kind.”
He credits his mother with helping shape the person he would become.
“My mother was a delight; [a] loving, caring person, so she kind of nurtured me with the perspective that she was going to try and help me grow up as a reasonably successful person,” he said.
That spirit of learning through experience followed Sharman into his professional life, which took him through several very different careers.
He began as an engineer, became an accountant and worked for Nortel before moving into consulting. He eventually worked with Harvard professors and major consulting firms on corporate reorganizations around the world.
After two decades, Sharman said he realized he had gained a broad range of experience across engineering, finance, and consulting, particularly in navigating major change.
He later became a senior leader at one of the largest accounting associations in the world, located just outside New York, where his work brought him into contact with senators, the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and ministers from around the world.
Eventually, he decided it was time to stop travelling.
“I came back to Burlington from the United States, right in the middle of just the beginning of a massive recession,” Sharman said. “That was where I learned that I really wanted to stop travelling and hang out in a place where people seemed to be loving where they lived. And Burlington was the place.”
Looking back at his journey, Sharman described it as one of learning and change, but not necessarily the kind that comes from sitting in a classroom.
“It was all about experience,” he said.
That experience has also shaped how Sharman views Burlington and the changes the city has experienced since he was first elected in 2010.
Sharman said he remains proud of Burlington’s stability, character, and reputation as one of Canada’s best places to live. While conversations about growth and change are common during municipal elections, Sharman said his experience knocking on doors suggests many residents remain satisfied with the community they call home.
“People say, ‘I love Burlington,’ and as I’m knocking on doors right now, you know, I’m not getting complaints from people,” he said.
For Sharman, the challenge is understanding how Burlington can evolve without losing the qualities that make residents want to live here.
He pointed to growth, infill development, property taxes, and traffic as some of the issues he hears about while speaking with residents. He also emphasized the importance of understanding the facts behind issues that generate public concern.
When residents raise questions about the proposed data centre, for example, Sharman said conversations are more productive when they begin with an understanding of what is actually being proposed.
“It’s really helpful when people are talking about things to have the facts,” he said.
Listening is a recurring theme in Sharman’s approach to municipal politics. He said he pays attention not only to residents, but also to his colleagues around the council and committee tables.
“I really feel the need to listen carefully, talk to people, and just try to understand what the right answer is,” he said.
For Sharman, that desire to understand people is not simply a political strategy. He traces it back to a memory from childhood.
He recalled sitting in a car with his mother when he was about six years old. Looking at her while she drove, he told her, “Mom, I love everybody in the world.”
His mother responded that such a goal might be a little ambitious.
Decades later, however, Sharman still remembers the moment.
“I think the most important thing for me is I really appreciate people. I want them to have good lives. I want us to do well,” he said. “And I simply want to make a contribution.”
That philosophy extends into the way he talks about the role of city councillor.
Sharman said one of the changes he is particularly proud of is the reduction in the number of councillors and the creation of community liaison positions for each ward. He described the liaison working with him as an important connection between residents and the city.
“We respond to every single question, we connect them with the right people, and we typically get the answer they want,” he said. “Not always, because sometimes what they’re asking for is not feasible.”
When asked about a barrier he would eliminate for Burlington families, Sharman turned his attention beyond municipal government to the province and the healthcare system.
He said Canada’s healthcare system was designed decades ago for a very different population, and that the growing number of seniors and people living with multiple health conditions has placed increasing pressure on the system.
His preferred solution would focus more heavily on helping people remain healthy and safe in their own homes for as long as possible, rather than relying on hospitals, long-term care, and retirement homes.
“People want to stay in their own homes. They want to die at home. They want to have a good life, and they don’t need to be dealing with failed processes,” he said.
That focus on people and community also comes through when Sharman talks about Ward 5.
He points to community initiatives and spaces, including the Appleby Line Street Festival, the Orchard Community Picnic, the Orchard Community Hub, Robert Bateman Community Centre, and Skyway Arena as examples of how the ward has evolved.
“When I first arrived here, people said, ‘neglected east end, and we’ve got nothing,’” Sharman said. “That’s not the case.”
He believes community building is about creating opportunities for residents to meet one another, develop relationships, and feel connected to where they live.
“What we want to do is build community where people have a chance to get out and mix and make friends and be party to it,” he said. “So what we call that is building community capacity.”
Sharman also highlighted his involvement with the Burlington Lions Club and the Festival of Lights, which was transferred from Hydro to the Lions Club with his assistance. He said the event has already begun to change and expects it to grow in the years ahead.
As Sharman considers the next chapter of his life, he said he is focused on using everything he has learned so far while continuing to look ahead.
“This chapter is where I’m taking advantage of everything I’ve learned so far, and always planning for the next chapter,” he said.
For Sharman, continuing to serve is ultimately about contribution.
“I could die tomorrow and that’ll be fine,” he said. “But the question is, in the meanwhile, what might I like to do with myself? And the answer is, I’d like to continue to make a contribution to the community we live in and to take better care of the people we love.”
Now, as he seeks another term representing Ward 5, Sharman says the message he would leave with residents is straightforward.
“I love my job. I love my community. I like making a contribution,” he said.
Watch the full interview with Paul Sharman below or on Pages of Me Podcast: Election Edition, as part of the Beyond the Campaign series.
