By Mark Squibb
Mark Rice is hoping his down to earth, shirt sleeves up style of helping out has endeared him enough with voters to earn their support again when they head to the polls in Mount Pearl’s city election October 2.
Rice, who originally hails from Red Head Cove, has called Mount Pearl home for the last 40 years. He and his wife Carolyn have raised three children, Sydney, Victoria, and Mackenzie, in Mount Pearl.
Rice is a retired facilities infrastructure manager at St. Patrick’s Mery Home. He has volunteered with the Janeway Telethon for 25 years.
He plays rec hockey with the city’s men’s recreation league three times a week, and with that league helped organize the Toonie for Turkeys fundraiser. He is the Vice President of the First United Church Men’s Club, a member of the Waterford Valley Rotary Club and Mount Pearl Knights of Columbus. He has coached a number of volleyball and soccer teams over the years, and sat on a number of boards and committees.
“I’m a doer,” said Rice. “I’m not a person who sits back in the wings and waits for other people to do things. That’s why I’m involved in so many community groups, that’s why I volunteer… As a councillor, people rely on me. I get personal phone calls from residents, who have had an issue or problem for 10 or 20 years, and I’ll go and sit down and have a coffee or tea with them. I want to be a strong voice for those people. And the businesses in the city need to stay in the City of Mount Pearl, not leave and go to Paradise or another municipality. So, we need to work with businesses. I want to be a voice for the City of Mount Pearl, and not just for the residents, but the businesses. The bottom line for me is that Mount Pearl comes first.”
Rice would like Mount Pearl, Paradise, and Conception Bay South to petition government for a secondary source of water.
“It’s imperative that we work together,” said Rice. “If we have to rely on our tax base, our municipalities cannot do this alone.”
He also wants to see Mount Pearl expand its boundaries by purchasing land.
Rice said he would advocate for more noise reducing fences in areas of the city where commercial developments border on residential areas, a greater RNC presence in the community, more affordable housing, and lighting around Power’s Pond and Branscombe Pond.
“My record speaks for itself,” said Rice. “I’ve been involved in the community from day one. I’ve volunteered… I’m a leader in the community, not a follower. I’m heart and soul into everything I do. My wife is exactly like me, my kids are exactly like me… That’s the way I have been, and that’s the way I’m going to be going forward.”
Mark Rice