By Mark Squibb/September 23, 2021
Actor, comedian, author, and former NHL player Terry Ryan is trying his hand at municipal politics.
“I’ve always thought about it,” said Ryan, who ran for Mount Pearl council in 2017, scooping up about five percent of the total vote. He said he wasn’t thinking of running again this term, until his daughter put the idea in his head.
“This time, to be honest, it was kind of out of sight, out of mind, but in mid-August, I was driving down the road to get a bite to eat with my daughter, Penny-Laine who is 11, and she said,’ Why aren’t you running?’ and I thought,’ Why not?’… I live in Mount Pearl, I grew up here, I’m still very involved with the community, so I guess the way I saw it when Penny-Laine said that was, ‘Why not?’”
Ryan is known by most for his storied hockey career, including a stint with the Montreal Canadiens in the nineties. He said while playing on the team, he learned about what it meant to be both a leader and a representative.
Off the ice, Ryan has written two books, worked in the film industry as an actor, crew member, stunt person, and writer, and performed standup comedy. He says his experience over the years has well prepared him for the council chambers.
“When I was 13, I didn’t think, ‘One day, I’m going to be a councillor,’ but I think that given the experience that I’ve had, a lot of things that I’ve learned and what I’m good at are going to come in as great assets to council, should I get in.”
On the ice, Ryan might have dealt with an opponent by throwing haymakers at him, but he said he’s not joining council as an instigator.
“A lot of people, when I say I’m running, they say, ‘Oh, go in there and shake it up.’ But that’s not really it,” said Ryan. “I love Mount Pearl council for the most part, and there’s not many months go by that I don’t call and inquire about something.”
In fact, current Deputy Mayor Jim Locke and former councilor Derm Connolly, both coached Ryan in hockey.
“Jim Locke is just a good guy,” said Ryan. “And he coached me when I was a kid and now he’s one of the best councilors we have, and he serves as deputy mayor… and Derm coached me while he was on council. So, I’ve always had a decent relationship with people that are on council, and I think they’ve done a great job. There’s a few spots open now, so I figured, ‘Why not go for it?’”
With that said, Ryan said Mount Pearl is not without problems that he would like to address should he be elected.
Near the top of that is list is traffic — and speeding.
“Since they built the Brad Gushue highway, sometimes, and I’m not joking, if you’re here in the morning and you’re trying to get out between 8 and 9 o’ clock, it often takes 20 minutes. The other day it took me a half an hour to get out,” said Ryan. “What’s the answer? I don’t know. You can’t expand Park Avenue I don’t think. My point is, it’s almost become a highway, so traffic is one thing, but the speed! Each exit into Mount Pearl, people are going really, really fast. And it was brought up to me by a few people.”
Ryan said that speeding is especially a problem in the city’s many school zones.
But Ryan’s biggest concern is what he calls an increase in crime in recent years.
“The biggest one for me is the break ins, and the crime,” said Ryan. “I don’t know Mount Pearl, in my lifetime, to be very dangerous, to have much crime, and I know nowhere is without blemish, but lately, I mean, my car was stolen right out of my driveway last year. I know that stuff has happened here and there, but now it seems like it’s happening a lot. Again, what’s the answer? How much power do we have over the police? I’m not sure, but I’d love to find out. And that would be one of my first things.”
He suggested the City could arrange more neighborhood watch type programs to help curb crime.
Having lived much of his life in the public eye, Ryan said he can use some of his connections to the city’s advantage.
“I’m not trying to name drop, there’s a fine line,” said Ryan. “But Jason Momoa is a buddy, and if we’re doing a fundraiser, I can get these people on board. I can’t see how the City of Mount Pearl would not benefit from the connections I’ve made in my lifetime.”
As it relates to elections, Ryan would like to see changes in how campaigns are conducted — particularly as it relates to signage.
“Why isn’t there a limit on signs?” asked Ryan. “I find it ridiculous.”
He said candidates should be limited to the number of signs they can put in the ground, and that only certain areas should be designated as approved sign areas.
It’s a concern, said Ryan, that candidates are expected to pound hundreds of signs into the ground, when they ought to be out talking face-to face with constituents.
“It makes my knees weak, it makes my stomach sick, that people don’t even know the issues,” said Ryan.
Unfortunately, he said, every politician he has spoken to has told him that signs are the way to go, and if he doesn’t put out signs, he won’t get any votes in the ballot box.
“I think it’s going to be one of these things that we look back on and say,’ Man, that was bizarre, all those signs,’” he said.
Signs aside, Ryan said he’s ready to get into the game.
“As a hockey player, I was a great teammate,” said Ryan. “I would work hard and always be there for my teammates, and in this case my teammates would be my fellow councillors and the citizens of Mount Pearl.”
