Biography - Lesley Etchegary-Nicholson

I am a newcomer to Owen Sound - I moved from Oakville/Burlington and purchased a home here in the Spring of 2024.  I see a diamond in the rough in Owen Sound, such beauty around us, and the budding possibilities for growth, prosperity, and a better quality of life.  But I also see the dire issues holding the City back, and I want to help make a difference. 

I met Jim Hutton in the Fall of 2024.  I read his report to the council from November 2023 and reached out.  I felt that his analysis of the City’s current finances, disturbing trends, and potential solutions to those problems was “bang on”.  The solutions are straightforward, but it will take the Mayor and City Council to commit to an agenda of making solutions a priority.  I encourage you to read Jim’s report at 2023 Service Review, or access the updated data on the www.RemakeCouncil.com website.

My own professional career spanned 30 years in the high-net worth investment industry, giving me a deep understanding of financial matters; I also was a very active partner in an Oakville/Burlington landscape design business, managing plans, marketing, financial and legal requirements; I understand the impact of taxation on investments and property, having also owned and managed several income properties, both in Canada and the US.  My story is one of varied and hands-on experiences in the financial and business management fields.

My story also includes experience with homelessness and poverty (they go together like jam and bread), starting when I was fifteen.  I understand that being homeless leads to missed opportunities, like not graduating from high school in my case.  My situation was due to circumstances beyond my control and I have always been grateful for the opportunities that came along the way that allowed me to achieve my goals.  Once I got my foot in the door in the investment business, I aced my licensing exams and learned everything I could – the rest was history. Everyone has their own story.  

I hope that my history and experience can be used to help Owen Sound get involved and understand that there is a path forward to more opportunities for youth, young families, seniors, and businesses.  We can have a vibrant downtown, we can have safe and functional playgrounds, we can address the homelessness situation, we can reverse the decline, we can have a City Hall that is accountable to its citizens, and we have a chance to do this in the next election October 2026.