Rouge environmentalist seeks council seat in Ward 38 Scarborough Mirror
By Stuart Green
September 17, 2003 – One of the leaders of the fight to create Canada’s largest urban park in the Rouge Valley has set his sights on the jungle that is City Hall.

Scarborough resident and longtime Save the Rouge Valley System president Glenn De Baeremaeker registered yesterday to run for the Ward 38 seat on city council. The seat is up for grabs with the decision by incumbent Brad Duguid to run for provincial parliament.

An assistant to former city councillor Doug Mahood and current Ward 35 Councillor Gerry Altobello (Scarborough Southwest), De Baeremaeker said he wants to put his nine years of experience working for constituents to use helping residents.

“City hall can be an intimidating place for your average citizen,” he said. “I want to be there for people who are walking into that system for the first time.

“I’m not going to be there for big developers, I’m going to be there for local residents.”

In addition to helping save the Rouge, De Baeremaeker was a prominent voice in the fight to save the Oak Ridges Moraine from development and currently runs his own environmental consulting firm.

He said experience is the difference in this campaign and isn’t intimidated joining an already crowded slate of candidates.

Also running for the seat so far are Michael Binetti, former school trustee Betty Hackett, Tom Plantzas and Willie Reodica.