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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, November 14, 2014 | 14 Ontario Labour Minister and Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn is celebrating 30 years in politics. He was a long-time Oakville Ward 1 councillor prior to being elected Oakville MPP in 2003. Above, Flynn hosts an annual barbecue outside his Bronte Village constituency office. At left, clockwise from top left, in his provincial role, making an announcement at the Oakville GO station, outside Queen's Park as Oakville rallied against a proposed power plant, celebrating a win on election night 2014 with his wife Janice and, on an Oakville Transit bus with Premier Kathleen Wynne. | Oakville Beaver file photos Flynn was at first a `lone wolf' continued from p.5 FLOOR MODEL LIQUIDATION SALE!! SALE!! UP TO 50% OFF EVERYTHING MUST GO!! Later in 1985, Flynn, still in his 20s, was elected Ward 1 Town and Regional councillor. "I was bit of a lone wolf when I first got on council. I was definitely the outsider (and) if there was an inner circle, I definitely wasn't in it," Flynn said. "I was the young guy with the new ideas and the big mouth for a while." As population growth, job opportunities and development changed the sleepy, but "unique," town of Oakville, property tax reform and urban planning became issues that were top of mind for Flynn and colleagues. "There was a real sense at the time, council was much too accommodating to the development industry ," he said. "It was the type of planning taking place. It was the lack of green space." The decision to enter provincial politics in 2003 stemmed from Flynn watching thenpremier Mike Harris attack the institutions that had come to define Ontario. "It was probably what I was seeing in the educational system that I felt was really shortsighted and mean-spirited," Flynn said. The soon-to-be Liberal MPP beat out fellow councillor Kathy Graham for the nomination, but was unsuccessful in that summer's general election against Progressive Conservative incumbent Gary Carr. In 2003, Flynn and his team would turn almost 8,000 votes in his favour to beat former councillor and PC Kurt Franklin. "I never thought in my wildest dreams I'd be the MPP for Oakville," Flynn said. "I was just a guy that helped on campaigns." The MPP , with his left-leaning roots and experience as a local business owner, found a place in Dalton McGuinty's 72-seat majority as the parliamentary assistant to the minister of labour Chris Bentley, and later Steve Peters. see MPP's on p.15 CONCRETE ExposEd aggrEgatE (pebble) 432 Kerr Street Oakville 905-582-8170 www.lightson.ca · DRIVEWAYS · FRENCH CURBS · PATIOS · STEPS · WALKWAYS · GARAGE FLOORS uality At Its Best! Call Fernando FREE ESTIMATES 905-844-5518 1-888-944-5518 www.concretetrimmings.com www