✅ We’re More Alike Than You Think | Jon Hillis, candidate for Mayor of Collingwood
Before people decide what they think of me as a candidate for mayor, I hope they take a little time to understand who I am, where I came from and why I agreed to run.
I am a husband to Michelle, a school teacher, and a dad to two young boys. Like many Collingwood families, much of our life revolves around hockey rinks, soccer fields, volleyball courts and school activities. I coach hockey and soccer locally, spent 10 years coaching college volleyball, founded the Collingwood Volleyball Club and Collingwood Flag Football, and have been involved with the Optimist Club. Community work is not something I started because I decided to run for office. It has simply been part of our life here.
I was not born in Collingwood, and I do not pretend that I was. But I think many lifelong residents and I have more in common than people may realize. I grew up blue collar in Paris, Ontario, a small town smaller than Collingwood, in a family surrounded by manufacturing and the trades. My family started Pride Signs 40 years ago. I grew up in that business. I welded signs, wired signs, worked on the shop floor and helped build a massive neon installation that stood in the centre of Yonge-Dundas Square. I understand the pride that comes from making something with your hands and being part of a team that depends on one another.
That is one reason Collingwood’s shipbuilding history resonates so strongly with me. My family recently celebrated 40 years of Pride Signs, and two days later I stood with my oldest son at the commemoration marking 40 years since the Collingwood Shipyards closed. The timing felt serendipitous and meaningful. One anniversary celebrates something my family was fortunate enough to build and sustain. The other remembers an industry that helped build this town and generations of families whose lives were connected to it. I want my boys to understand that history and the people who made Collingwood what it is today.
My career eventually moved from manufacturing into entrepreneurship and technology, but the mentality never really changed. I like building things. Today I run Tenure, BenchFund, Atmosia and Collingwood Eats. I also created Techskis, bringing entrepreneurs and business leaders together in this community. Earlier in my career, I helped build a technology company that ultimately sold in a transaction valued at approximately $36 million. Along the way I have built teams, managed budgets, employed people, worked through regulations and dealt directly with municipal, provincial and federal governments on funding, policy and community priorities.
Running for mayor, however, was not a leadership position I went looking for. I was not planning a political career. People in this community approached me and asked me to consider running. Residents helped put together my nomination package because they saw leadership in the businesses, organizations and community programs I had helped build, and believed that approach could bring something valuable to Collingwood. I have always believed some of the most meaningful leadership roles are not the ones you chase. Sometimes others see something in you, ask you to step forward, and you have to decide whether you are willing to accept the responsibility. After a lot of conversations with my family and the community, I decided to put my hand up.
One thing people have mentioned during this campaign is that I have not served on Collingwood council. That is fair. I have not, and I will never suggest otherwise. But not having served on Collingwood council is different from having no experience. I have been elected to leadership positions before. I have built organizations, managed budgets, employed people, worked with governments and spent much of my career being accountable for results. The strongest organizations I have been part of put good people around the table, listen to those closest to a problem, ask difficult questions and then execute.
The more people I meet, the more convinced I am that Collingwood residents have far more in common than our debates sometimes suggest. Some families have been here for generations and others chose Collingwood more recently. Some work in the trades, some run businesses, some are retired and some are raising young families. Our experiences are different, but most of us want the same basic things: a safe community, opportunities for our kids, successful local businesses, good infrastructure, respect for our history and responsible use of our tax dollars.
That is why I agreed to run. I do not think Collingwood is broken. I think it is an incredible community at an important point in its history, and the decisions we make now will shape what this town looks and feels like for decades. I hope people take the opportunity to get to know me during this campaign. You do not have to agree with me, and you do not have to support me to have a conversation with me. We may have more in common than you think.
❤️ Thanks, Jon, for your donation to Hope Chapel Church.
