By Mark Squibb/August 19, 2021
A 20 year-old Memorial University student entering his final year of a Geography and Political Science program, while working as a political researcher with the Progressive Conservatives, has thrown his name into the running for Ferryland council.
“I believe it’s always been in my blood to give it a go and run,” said Nathan Ryan. “Growing up, I was always someone to enjoy giving back to the community and being involved, whether that was through school or through the community organizations.”
Ryan said his involvement in the Ferryland Come Home Year in 2019 was a particularly eye-opening experience.
“I realized that I had more in me to give back to the community, so I felt that this was a logical next step for me, to put myself out there and offer something new and different,” said Ryan, who believes young people should become involved in politics because they bring a different perspective to the table.
“Right now, when you look at the current council that’s there, there is no one young, no disrespect,” said Ryan. “And I think you need a more diverse group of people sitting around the table to represent the variety of issues. A lot of the issues today are quite different than what they were 20 years ago. The issues that mattered when my mom and dad were younger are different now.”
He said regardless of age, he thinks his record stands on its own.
“I think my involvement in the community speaks for itself,” said Ryan. “People know who I am and they know my work ethic. People know I’m going to get stuff done. When I say I’m going to do something, I do my best to get it done, and it’s going to get done. If you’re getting involved in politics, one thing I’ve learned is that you’ve got to be a people person and you’ve got to be there for all the right reasons, and that’s something people look for as well. They look for someone that’s going to represent them and represent their best interest, and that’s what I bring to the table.”
He said Ferryland is a town with a booming tourism industry but a declining population, and more work needs to be done to attract and retain families.
“We have to offer programs and services in our community that keep people there, and bring new families in, and that all comes back to infrastructure,” said Ryan. “We have to find new ways to spark growth in the community and keep young people there. So, we need to invest more in our young people and try and find ways to keep them there. And I know a lot of that comes federally and provincially, but in the role of councillor, you have a role in advocating for those kinds of things.”
One of the major drawbacks of living in Ferryland, said Ryan, and one that needs to be addressed if the town is to attract more people, is the internet connection.
“We need good broadband service, and that’s something I believe a young person on a council can take and lead by example,” said Ryan. “People today need to be connected. Especially today, with people working from home, people need a good signal. And in Ferryland, you’re not getting that. And that’s unfortunate, and that’s one of the big things I want to get to work at.”
Ryan said that with improved infrastructure and services, more folks wouldn’t mind living in Ferryland and making the hour trek to St. John’s for work and appointments.
Also top of his mind is the local wharf — or lack thereof.
“We have young people in the community who want to be involved in the fishery,” said Ryan. “And they have no where they can tie up a boat In Ferryland. There’s no government wharf, the government wharf that was there was deemed out of commission probably 10 years (ago), and basically they tore it out.”
He said so far as he knows, council is pushing for a new wharf, and that if elected he plans to push alongside them. A new wharf, he added, would also open up opportunities for tourism boating.
Ryan, who also serves as the president of the Young Progressive Conservatives and was heavily involved in PC Loyola O’ Driscoll’s successful 2020 re-election campaign, said he loves being involved, and would run for council whatever he thought the outcome might be.
“It’s been really eye opening to see how the inner workings of politics work, and it excites me,” Ryan said. “I really enjoy getting out there and meeting with people. I love it. It’s not every day you see someone young that’s eager to step up in your community and district, and I believe that now is the time for the community to embrace it and lead by example by electing me.”
He said the support so far has been overwhelming.
The municipal election will be held on September 28, just eight days after the federal election on September 20.
