Derek Ouellette pitches transparency, accountability and fresh leadership in Dryden mayoral race
| Follow our Dryden mayoral race coverage: • Jack Harrison pitches experience, growth and stability in bid for second mayoral term Interview with mayoral candidate Brenda Sedgwick coming soon |
As Dryden voters prepare to head to the polls, mayoral candidate Derek Ouellette is positioning himself as an alternative to the city’s current leadership, promising greater transparency, stronger community engagement and an internal focus on accountability.
Ouellette said his campaign is rooted in a belief that city hall has become disconnected from residents and that rebuilding public trust must be a priority for the next council.
Background
Ouellette has called Dryden home since 1999 and brings a history of public service to the mayoral race. A former firefighter and paramedic, he spent nearly three decades working in emergency medical services across Northern Ontario and later trained first responders, including First Nations response teams.
He now operates a local medical training company and remains active in the community through volunteer work with organizations such as the Dryden GM Ice Dogs, the Lions Club, the OPP Police Services Board and Team Rubicon Canada.
“The people’s candidate”
Asked what he would do differently if elected mayor, Ouellette returned repeatedly to the idea of transparency.
He said residents deserve more direct communication from their elected officials and a clearer understanding of how decisions are made at city hall. In his view, transparency is often discussed by politicians but not always put into practice.
“In my opinion, I’m the people’s mayor, because I’m not a politician. I’ve worked my whole life in first response,” he said. “My goal was always to help people, and here I can help on a huge platform. But the only way that is going to work is if I’m open and available to the people when they have concerns.”
Ouellette said he would create a public email address where residents could contact him directly, promising to check it daily and respond promptly.
“If I can’t answer your question, I’m going to find you someone who will. People are unhappy because they’re not informed. They don’t feel welcomed when they ask questions. I want to bring trust back to our elected officials.”
According to Ouellette, rebuilding confidence in municipal government begins with creating a more open dialogue between council and the public.
Building Dryden as a tourism hub
Economic development is another major pillar of Ouellette’s campaign.
He believes Dryden’s location in the heart of northwestern Ontario gives it a natural advantage and an opportunity to become a stronger regional centre. With major mining and resource projects underway across the region, Ouellette said the city should focus on attracting workers, businesses and investment.
Beyond industrial growth, he sees tourism and entertainment as important opportunities.
“The mill is stable right now, so what we should be doing is building our community to bring in tourism.”
Ouellette suggested building on existing attractions and events, including the agricultural fair and rodeo, to draw more visitors to the community and generate economic activity.
“Imagine having an incredible waterfront here where people can come and celebrate what we do and who we are. We could have a huge youth powwow, we could have entertainment. We could have so many things to celebrate, and I think Dryden’s gotten away from that over the years. We should focus on growing our community as the centre point for entertainment here in northwestern Ontario.”
Finding housing solutions
Like many communities across the region, Dryden continues to face housing pressures.
Rather than immediately prescribing specific solutions, Ouellette said the city first needs a clearer understanding of what types of housing residents require. He supports conducting a detailed assessment of local needs before determining where resources should be directed.
He identified affordable housing and housing options for seniors as key concerns, while also expressing support for alternative housing models such as secondary suites and “granny suites.”
Ouellette said addressing the housing shortage will require flexibility and creativity, along with policies that encourage development while meeting the community’s specific needs.
Accountability and collaboration
Accountability was also a central theme of Ouellette’s campaign.
The issue comes amid ongoing debates over council conduct. Last week, incumbent mayor Jack Harrison described conflicts involving a councillor and concerns about the treatment of municipal staff as one of the biggest disappointments of his first term, arguing the situation had become a distraction from council’s broader work.
Asked about those concerns, Ouellette said he believes many residents have lost confidence in local government and that a different leadership style is needed after more than a decade under largely the same administration. He said rebuilding public trust and improving accountability at city hall would be among his top priorities if elected.
“I’ve lived my whole life on accountability. As mayor, I’m going to make sure people hold me accountable, and I’m going to hold them accountable. We need to put the people first.”
Making his case to voters
As he seeks the mayor’s chair, Ouellette describes himself as a community-minded leader rather than a career politician.
Drawing on his background in public service and emergency response, he said he would bring a people-first perspective to city hall and focus on making Dryden a safe, welcoming place to live, work and raise a family.
Ultimately, Ouellette’s message to voters centres on reconnecting leadership with the community.
“I’m one of us. I’m a guy that has morals and values. I want to take those same core values to our leadership. If I can do one thing, it’s to give the community a voice and a safe place to work and play.”
