Vrebosch hailed as 'true superstar' candidate by party leader

North Bay Deputy Mayor Tanya Vrebosch has been officially nominated as the Ontario Liberal candidate for Nipissing in the June 2, 2022, general election.

Vrebosch was acclaimed during a hybrid nomination ceremony held in North Bay, Thursday evening, attended by Ontario Liberal Party Leader Steven Del Duca and other supporters and made available online in light of public health gathering limits.

In making the announcement,  Del Duca referred to Vrebosch as "a candidate who you all know already, and the rest of our party and the rest of this province will learn in short order, is a true superstar. We know that Tanya Vrebosch is a phenomenal person who is already in public service for the right reasons — because of her dedication to her community."

See related: Vrebosch seeking Liberal nomination in provincial election

In accepting the nomination, Vrebosch thanked her family and supporters and echoed the importance of her party's focus on the issues of mental health and addictions, housing, and northern transportation.

"When Steven asked what was important to me, I kept coming back to the mental health and addictions crisis we are currently facing. From the average citizen who wants to feel safe walking down the street, to the families begging for help for their loved ones, to the businesses that are directly affected, and most of all to the people who suffer from mental health and addictions who are left behind by a broken and very complex system," said Vrebosch. "The opioid and addiction crisis — and its consequences on community safety — can no longer be ignored and I refuse to ignore it."

Earlier, Del Duca addressed the opioid crisis that is "ripping thousands of Ontario families apart...Tanya will take a leading role in the platform development for our party on this topic...something that can actually help us rise to the occasion as a province and help those in need. I know Tanya's leadership, locally, will help us a great deal."

Vrebosch, in turn, encouraged voters to get to know Del Duca and the party's policies, as "he is the right choice. I wouldn't be standing here if I didn't believe it."

Del Duca also spoke of Vrebosch's dedication to her family, including her partner Dan and their two daughters, who are supportive of her candidacy, and her family's "sense of public service." 

Tanya's father Bill, a long-time politician and former mayor of East Ferris — now a city councillor in North Bay — was also on hand and spoke during the ceremony. A proud Bill, in reference to the Vrebosch family's interests in politics, said half-jokingly, "When you get one of us, you get us all."

The new candidate noted her daughters "love what I do and I'm blessed that I have a family that supports me and the opportunity to add my voice and perspective. It is important that mothers of young children be at the table on issues that affect us. At the same time, I hope that by taking on this challenge, I inspire others to answer the call of public service. We need more diversity at all levels of politics."

"Tanya wants her kids to grow up in a province that provides every kind of opportunity," noted Del Duca. "This is a community that will need to thrive and faces some really important challenges right now. We all know Tanya is going to do a phenomenal job — not simply as an Ontario Liberal Party candidate — but as an individual who will be an extraordinary champion at Queen's Park for the people of North Bay and the people of Nipissing.

"That's a really important distinction. Communities like Nipissing, communities like North Bay, don't need someone to be Queen's Park's mouthpiece. They need someone who is a champion for the needs of this community at Queen's Park."