Getting to Know Lianne Rood The Strathroy-Caradoc community thrives on a foundation of farming, and the people who live here, whether they are farmers or not, embody the spirit of rural life: a strong work ethic, a desire to serve, and an innate ability to tackle life’s challenges. Lianne Rood, the current Member of Parliament (MP) for Lamb- ton-Kent-Middlesex, knows firsthand what that means.
After high school, Lianne got her university degree, and while politics still wasn’t on her radar, she knew by that point she had the heart to serve her country and do something that would make it better. Lianne’s political path began unfolding in 2006 when Bev Ship - ley, then MP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, offered her a job in Ottawa, which turned into several years working as a political staffer for several MPs and cabinet ministers, before being elect- ed in 2019 and serving as an MP for the past six years. During her staffing tenure, Lianne helped develop and imple - ment Bill C18, The Freedom for Grain Farmers Act, which she says gave farmers the ability to sell their grain when and to whom they wanted. During this time, Lianne also realized that women were in politics as elected MPs and knew that this was what she wanted for herself. Now, Lianne hopes she can be a role model for young people, especially young girls. “I love speaking with them and showing them that they can do anything,” shares Lianne. “Nothing can stop you from doing what you feel called to do.” Lianne also hopes to inspire young people to be bold enough to put their names forward on a ballot someday and be the leaders for the next generations. For now, Lianne continues drawing on her strong work ethic, desire to serve, and innate ability to tackle life’s challenges at the federal level for the people in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex. To contact Lianne, email liannerood@parl.gc.ca, call 519-245-6561, or visit liannerood.ca. Photo courtesy of Lianne Rood, MP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex Creative Bookkeeping FREE 30 Minute Consultation to Assess Your Needs Payables | Receivables | Payroll | Bank Reconciliation | Financial Reports Bookkeeping | Budgeting | Quickbooks Training Cloud-Based Accounting for easy 24/7 access & security Ana Costa, Owner & Operator | 519.319.3534 ana@creativebookkeeping.ca | creativebookkeeping.ca Cloud-Based Accounting for easy 24/7 access & security Ana Costa, Owner & Operator | 519.319.3534 ana@creativebookkeeping.ca | creativebookkeeping.ca Cloud-Based Accounting for easy 24/7 access & security Ana Costa, Owner & Operator | 519.319.3534 ana@creativebookkeeping.ca | creativebookkeeping.ca Cloud-Based Accounting for easy 24/7 access & security Ana Costa, Owner & Operator | 519.319.3534 ana@creativebookkeeping.ca | creativebookkeeping.ca Creative Bookkeeping FREE 30 Minute Consultation to Assess Your Needs Payables | Receivables | Payroll | Bank Reconciliation | Financial Reports Bookkeeping | Budgeting | Quickbooks Training FREE 30 Minute Consultation to Assess Your Needs Payables | Receivables | Payroll | Bank Reconciliation | Financial Reports Bookkeeping | Budgeting | Quickbooks Training FREE 30 Minute Consultation to Assess Your Needs Payables | Receivables | Payroll | Bank Reconciliation | Financial Reports Bookkeeping | Budgeting | Quickbooks Training Lianne enjoying her hometown beach, where she finds the peace and calm to balance her busy life.
Lianne grew up in Grand Bend, Ontar- io, where her family farmed potatoes on 1,000 acres of land scattered throughout Lambton, Middlesex, and Huron coun-
Lianne working hard to bring in the potato harvest
ties, including fields near Komoka, Strathroy, and Mount Bry - dges. Her family made potato history by being the first farm in Canada to bring mini potatoes to grocery stores. “Some of those potatoes would have come from the Strathroy-Caradoc area,” adds Lianne. Carrying on the entrepreneurial spirit inherent in farming, Lianne and her brother continue operating a business together, focus- ing now on growing fingerling potatoes in the New Liskeard area for a niche market that includes the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). They’ve also started growing haskap berries. “We both have full-time jobs, but we love farming,” Lianne ex- plains. “There’s lots you can’t control when you’re farming and different challenges arise every day, but I love solving problems.” Lianne brings that love of a good challenge to her political world as well, and it’s part of what makes her good in that arena. However, Lianne didn’t always see the path to becoming an elected official. “I had a keen interest in current events and politics, even as a young girl in grade school,” she recalls. “I vividly remember following federal political events, when I was 13. No one else I knew was doing that.” At a young age, Lianne found she was a natural leader on sports teams, and in high school, she served on student council. Yet a career in politics never occurred to her, and no one ever pointed her in that direction. “It was a very different world then,” Lianne admits. “When we discussed careers in the 90s, no one ever suggested politics. That wasn’t something women were encouraged to do.”
Brian (Bo) Derbyshire Councillor
Greg Willsie Councillor
Ward 2
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