Meet the 5 candidates running for Ward 3 in the upcoming St. John's byelection

Five candidates are vying to represent their city in the upcoming byelection for Ward 3 councillor on Nov. 5.

Mark House, Walter Harding, Scott Fitzgerald, Paul Morgan and Greg Noseworthy are running to fill the vacant seat left by Jamie Korab, who jumped up to provincial politics as Waterford Valley's MHA in August.

All longtime residents of Ward 3 themselves, public safety and better seniors services are top priorities for this roster of candidates.

Scott Fitzgerald

Scott Fitzgerald says he has volunteered on school councils since his children entered the classroom more than 15 years ago. Alongside his career in the IT industry, he says he's been involved with community groups representing both the young and old ever since.

"If I can contribute to young people being able to look at St. John's and see it as a great place [where] they want to stay and live and work and raise a family, or whatever their goals are, that's my motivation," Fitzgerald told CBC News.

Some of his top priorities include traffic calming in residential areas and school zones and improved quality of life for senior residents aging in place.

He also wants to see the city increase public transparency on financial matters affecting taxpayers, like the city's subsidization of the Mary Brown's Centre and its recent loan payoff on the BF Barnes Arena. He says that, as a city councillor, he would push an "affordability perspective."

"For me, there's no greater compliment you can give a politician than to say he was a constituency person," Fitzgerald said.

Walter Harding

Walter Harding says he's been volunteering and leading community cleanups in the west end of St. John's for more than 30 years.

"What I bring to my community is what my mom instilled in me — to have such a drive and passion for humanity and love for others," Harding told CBC News. "It's something that's in my blood."

Harding was awarded Citizen of the Year by Clean St. John's in 2015 for his community contributions. This is his fourth time running for council.

Harding says he wants to improve neighborhood safety by creating a municipal traffic enforcement team for the City of St. John's. He also wants to address property tax structures to better suit residents who pay for but don't receive services like garbage and snow clearing.

Boosting local tourism is also important to the candidate. "I've been for 15 years now doing little impromptu unpaid tours in my time off when a cruise ship will come in. I love going down and, you know, introducing myself as just a city resident … to welcome people home."

Mark House

Mark House is a retired music educator with years of experience teaching at St. Mary's Elementary and in theater production around the city.

House's motivations are in increasing public safety, providing better services for seniors, and supporting local business. In a recent campaign video on his Facebook page, he said expanding recreational options and strengthening community programs are also priorities.

House declined an interview.

Paul Morgan

Paul Morgan says his career as a school teacher and athletics coach has equipped him with the leadership skills needed to be a city councillor. 

"I'm a good listener, hard working and dedicated, and I think that's what we need — strong support in our ward," Morgan told CBC News.

Collaboration is key for Morgan, who says he wants to see municipal leaders come together with government agencies and for community groups to join forces in fostering safer communities.

"In our city, a lot of seniors have difficulties mowing their lawn, getting out in the winter time, and I think it would be a great idea for community groups, youth and old, to get involved in helping out our seniors."

Morgan says he is dedicated to issues like increasing road safety with more speed limit signage and on-street parking law enforcement. He also says bringing more performers to the pedestrian mall is as important to him as to his community members.

"The needs of my constituents obviously need to be dealt with in a caring and compassionate manner to achieve a better and stronger community," he said.

Greg Noseworthy

Greg Noseworthy says being a lawyer with years of experience representing non-profits is what equips him to represent the residents of Ward 3. "I want to hear their issues and I want to be able to take them to the city council and fight for them," Noseworthy told CBC News.

Noseworthy sits on the St. John's Seniors Advisory Committee and wants to make changes to how the city addresses rising costs of living. He looks to the Town of Paradise's tax discount for seniors and similar programs as possible solutions.

Public safety is also a point of focus for the candidate, who told CBC News he wants to see changes to speeding laws around Waterford Valley.

"We're only one bad situation from a tragic story, and I think we can work more to enforce our speeding laws and make sure that our streets are safe for people," Noseworthy said.

Before this year, Noseworthy ran for Ward 3 in 2021 and Ward 2 in 2020.

"I'm committed to where I'm from," Noseworthy said. "I made that commitment three years ago and I'm seeing that commitment through now."

Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Click here to visit our landing page.