Why I Am Sharing This

I am knocking on doors, attending community events, meeting residents in person and campaigning online because I want to reach a broad cross-section of Port Hope.

Not everyone attends political events or is home when a candidate knocks. Some people have busy schedules, family responsibilities, mobility challenges or simply prefer to learn about candidates in their own time. So before I ask you to consider my positions and research, I think you should know something about the person asking for your vote.

How Did I Get to Port Hope?

I was born in Barbados and came to Canada more than 50 years ago. I am the mother of two adult sons, a retired educator, Realtor, entrepreneur, advocate and community volunteer.

I have called Port Hope home for approximately 13 years. I found Port Hope almost accidentally. While driving one of my sons to Carleton University, I noticed a sign advertising homes that seemed within my price range. I had recently sold my home in Thornhill, so I made a note to stop on my way back. I stopped at Mason Homes, and when I drove onto Lakeshore Road, I knew: this was where I wanted to live.

When I told my son, he said, “Mom, it is too far from your life.” He had a point.

The Life I Was Leaving

Before Port Hope, I had built a full life of family, business and community service in Thornhill, Markham and Toronto.
I was involved in children’s ministry and outreach in underserved communities, Haiti relief efforts, Black History Month activities in Markham and equity work within the Toronto District School Board.

I also started a children’s camp for students learning English as a second language and supported children’s soccer and other community activities.

Some of the work closest to my heart happened around my kitchen table. I started a women’s group in my Thornhill home for friends from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Some were dealing with loss, marriage difficulties, or simply needed somewhere to rest on a Saturday morning. We ate. We laughed. And sometimes we cried. We also learned. I invited people to speak with us about finances, wills, powers of attorney and other practical matters that could help women and their families.

Community service did not begin when I entered politics. It has been part of my life for decades. I still return to my old neighbourhood to reconnect with friends, though some reunions have become funerals for people who once shared our everyday lives. Life is not about holding on to a title, but about leaving a lasting mark on people’s lives. Titles fade, and positions change, but people remember how you treated them, whether you showed up, helped, listened, and made them feel seen. That is the legacy that matters to me: not the position I held, but the difference I made.

Port Hope Became Home

When I moved to Port Hope, the location changed. My values did not. I made friends, became involved and continued helping where I could. Residents call, message and stop me when they need help finding information or navigating a problem. I have helped seniors searching for doctors, assisted people with applications and directed residents toward services and information. When I don’t know an answer, I don’t pretend that I do. I help find where the answer can be found.

My Working Life

I became an entrepreneur at 18. My working life has included education, banking, insurance, business ownership and real estate. I have been fortunate to build a successful business career. As an educator, I worked with children and young people with different abilities and needs. Those experiences reinforced something I still believe: people should never simply become numbers.

Over my lifetime, I have met dignitaries and people from many socioeconomic backgrounds. The common thread is simple: we are all people. We want to be heard, respected and treated with dignity.

I Am a Lifelong Learner

During COVID, I joined Cobourg Toastmasters to strengthen and refine my public speaking. I participated in speaking competitions, challenged myself to grow and later served as the club’s Treasurer. I am a lifelong learner. Leadership should require the same attitude. We should never become so comfortable with what we already know that we become unwilling to learn something new.

Experience at Different Tables

I have served on the Board of Directors of Community Care Northumberland, participating in organizational and financial decision-making. I have participated within the Ontario Health Team of Northumberland environment, contributing to discussions involving health equity, access to services and community needs. Through my involvement with the Port Hope and District Chamber of Commerce, I have gained experience with governance and finance.

In Port Hope, I have participated in municipal consultations, surveys and community engagement on issues including Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, parks and recreation, trails, public spaces and community planning. I have written to Council, asked questions and challenged practices when I believed greater fairness, transparency, accessibility or accountability was needed. Advocacy does not mean automatically opposing government. It means asking questions, examining evidence, listening to different perspectives and working toward solutions.

Collaboration Matters

Qualified residents from different professional backgrounds have approached me and become part of the background team supporting my campaign. When I need help researching an issue or understanding technical information, I can call upon people with knowledge and experience. That is collaboration. Leadership is not pretending to know everything. It is knowing when to listen, when to seek expertise and when to challenge your own assumptions.

You Might Ask, How Did I Enter Politics?

When I moved to Port Hope, I asked what I thought was a simple question about a tax rebate. That question changed the direction of my life. What followed drew me into a conflict I never expected. I faced serious allegations, including allegations involving threats to life and property. I knew those allegations did not reflect what I had done, so I pushed back.
The experience caused me to look more closely at how systems operate, how decisions are made and how ordinary residents experience those systems when something goes wrong.

I realized that sometimes it is not enough to help one person at a time. Sometimes you have to challenge the system itself and ask whether it is paying enough attention to the people it is supposed to serve. That became part of the reason I entered municipal politics in 2022. Years earlier, while living in Markham, I had been encouraged to consider running provincially. At the time, I was not ready. Perhaps I lacked the confidence, the courage, or perhaps it simply was not my time.
By 2022, that had changed. I was ready to step forward.

2022 Taught Me. 2026 Prepared Me.

During the 2022 campaign, I spent too much time responding to labels and defending my character instead of keeping the conversation focused on the issues I was raising. I learned from that experience.

In 2026, I will not allow labels to define my campaign. My message has not fundamentally changed. My delivery has. My preparation has deepened. My courage has grown. I don’t want to be defined simply as a “good mayor.” If elected, I want residents, after four years, to be able to say that I was a credible, full-time, hardworking and prepared Mayor who did her best for the average person.

I Am Independent

I am not affiliated with any political party. I do not begin by asking which party brought an idea forward. I ask: What is being done? Who does it help? Is it fair? Is it responsible? Does it serve the people? For me, good ideas should be examined on their merits, not on the political label attached to them.

How I Approach Leadership

I am friendly and approachable, but I am also disciplined. I look at issues from more than one perspective and think critically about what is happening now, the long-term consequences, who benefits, who may be affected and whether there is a better way forward.

Leadership is not about promising that every decision will please everyone. Sometimes responsible leadership requires difficult decisions, weighing competing needs and explaining clearly why a direction was chosen. I will listen carefully, but I will also think critically.

I am not running to tell residents what they want to hear. I am running to examine the information, consider different perspectives and make the best decisions I can for Port Hope as a whole.

And Yes, There Is Life Outside Politics

I love gardening, travelling, meeting people, music and dancing. I enjoy long walks and quiet time to think. And my favourite food? Ice cream.

Why I Am Running

Port Hope is changing. I believe the status quo should never be protected simply because it is familiar. Where something works, build on it. Where it does not, examine it, ask why and, when change is needed, have the courage to make it.

I believe in Port Hope. I believe change takes courage. Once we begin that change, we must use the people, knowledge and resources around us to finish the job. Approximately 13 years ago, my son told me Port Hope was too far from my life. He was right. It was far from the life I knew then, but I brought my values and a lifetime of community service with me.

Today, Port Hope is my life.

I am asking for the opportunity to serve the community I chose to call home.

Want to Support the Campaign?

If something in my story or in the issues I am raising speaks to you, there are several ways you can support this campaign.
If you would like a lawn sign, a campaign button to wear, or information about making a contribution to the campaign, please send me a direct message.

You can also help by sharing my posts, joining my Facebook group Eyes on Our Community – Port Hope and Angela In Port Hope and inviting others to follow the campaign and continue the conversation in your neighbourhood. Every sign, every button, every conversation and every person who shares reliable information helps this campaign reach more residents.

Come Meet Me

I would love the opportunity to meet you in person. Please join me at my Open House at the Masonic Temple in Port Hope, with two drop-in times available: Saturday, August 29.
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Come by, say hello, ask questions, share what matters to you, and let’s have a conversation about the future of Port Hope.
Angela Grogan
Mayoral Candidate, Municipality of Port Hope
Your Voice… I’m Listening.