By Kezia Royer-Burkett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
As part of the Beyond the Campaign series, Mark Carr sat down with Kezia Royer, host of Pages of Me Podcast, to give Burlington residents, particularly those in Ward 3, an opportunity to get to know the person behind the campaign. The conversation moved beyond campaign platforms and election messaging, exploring Carr’s background in business and the not-for-profit sector, his previous experience in municipal politics, his connection to the community, and the experiences that have shaped his approach to leadership.
Carr is returning to municipal politics, more than two decades after first serving on Burlington city council, this time seeking to represent Ward 3 in the upcoming municipal election.
Carr, who has lived in Brant Hills and the City of Burlington for more than 35 years, describes his decision to run as a return to something he has long been passionate about. A former Burlington business owner and executive director of several not-for-profit agencies, Carr said his professional and political experiences have given him an understanding of both business and community organizations. He previously owned IMS Couriers before selling the company and retiring, but said concerns about issues including taxes and policing eventually encouraged him to step back into public life.
“I’ve always been very interested in politics because, of course, as you well know, politics, everything is political,” Carr said during the podcast. His connection to politics also extends through his brother Gary Carr, who served in the Ontario legislature, including as Speaker of the Ontario Legislative Assembly, and more recently as Halton Regional Chair. Mark Carr said he managed his brother’s campaigns for a number of years, giving him an early opportunity to experience politics from behind the scenes.
Carr said his approach to politics has evolved over the years. While he described himself as more rigid in his thinking when he was younger, he said his experiences in business, radio, and the not-for-profit sector taught him the importance of negotiation and understanding different perspectives.
“You can’t be set in concrete with an issue,” Carr said. “You have to be, when someone is against that issue, prepared to negotiate some sort of a settlement so that you’re both happy with the eventual outcome.”
That approach is something Carr said he would bring to his work representing Ward 3, particularly when residents and developers or other groups have competing interests. He pointed to his involvement with residents in Millcroft who have opposed a proposed redevelopment of the golf course as an example of the kind of situation where he believes negotiation is necessary.
Carr said his goal is not necessarily to have every party walk away completely satisfied, but to find a negotiated solution that addresses the concerns of those involved. “It probably won’t please either of them, but that’s a negotiated settlement when you can get it,” he said.
For Carr, learning to understand another person’s perspective has also been shaped by his family life. He spoke about raising two daughters and the negotiations that came with parenting, including finding compromises around issues such as curfews. He said those experiences reinforced the importance of remembering that everyone brings their own perspective to a disagreement.
“You have to look at it from the other person’s point of view,” Carr said. “When I was younger, I only looked at it from my point of view. Now I look at it from my point of view and the other point of view as well.”
That philosophy extends to how Carr says he would connect with residents from different backgrounds and circumstances across Ward 3. Burlington includes seniors, families, newcomers, renters, homeowners, and residents from a range of cultural and faith communities, and Carr said listening would be central to understanding their concerns.
“The biggest issue for me is to be able to listen to those people and understand where they’re coming from,” he said.
Carr said residents may sometimes present what appears to be one particular concern, but further conversation can reveal a broader issue underneath it. He used traffic as an example, saying that a resident who is concerned about traffic may ultimately be expressing a concern about safety.
“If they’re upset about the traffic because we’re building too much in Burlington, then the traffic issue is really a safety issue, and we can all agree that safety is important,” Carr said.
He said identifying that common ground can create an opportunity for people with opposing views to begin working toward a solution.
Carr’s professional background has also shaped his understanding of leadership. As a business owner, he said he had more than 100 employees over the lifetime of his company and gained experience hiring, training, and motivating staff. His work with not-for-profit organizations provided another perspective on leadership and community needs.
His return to politics, he said, was partly prompted by conversations with his brother and other members of council, who encouraged him to run after hearing his concerns about municipal issues.
“Gary was a big supporter of mine as I am of him,” Carr said, noting that his brother is also running in Ward 2.
After spending time away from elected municipal office, Carr said he feels prepared for the responsibilities of council because he has experience navigating City Hall and understanding how municipal government operates. As he looks toward the election, Carr described himself as being in a new chapter of his life. Rather than viewing his return to politics as a continuation of his earlier career, he sees it as the beginning of another stage.
“I would say I am at chapter two,” Carr said. “Chapter one was my whole life up until this point in time.”
Carr said the chapters that follow would be defined by what he is able to accomplish if elected, with each achievement creating an opportunity to move forward.
“As you accomplish things, you move on to the next chapter,” he said. “I would say I’m at chapter two and looking forward to, after the election, hopefully with everyone’s support, looking forward to chapter three.”
To watch the full episode of the Pages of Me podcast, click here to go to the Burlington Local News YouTube channel or watch below.
