Media Gallery Photos

I've included some press photo proofs taken during an intense team strategy session at FMO.

For print quality images, please e-mail bpocock(at)gmail.com

Bill Pocock, photo 1

Bill Pocock, photo 2

Bill Pocock, photo 3

Bill Pocock, photo 4

Bill Pocock, photo 5

Bill Pocock, photo 6

Bill Pocock, photo 7

Bill Pocock, photo 8

Bill Pocock, photo 9

Bill Pocock, photo 10

Bill Pocock, photo 11

Bill Pocock, photo 12

Bill Pocock, photo 13

My Life Story (shortish version)

I feel I should explain myself a bit. Short and semi-sweet.

Wait! There's more.

I was born and raised in the rural countryside of Halton county, Ontario. The youngest of three children with an older brother and sister, I enjoyed an adventurous youth. Summer vacation was the best time of year where I'd strike out in any direction over the farm fields to see what I could find. You make your own entertainment in the country like building tree forts, throwing apples at each other in Mr. Foster's pasture, or riding your bike over to a friend's house. I'd help load the hay wagon just to ride back on top to the barn - watch those branches! Then make hay forts in the mows. Every year mom would pack the car and we'd head up to camp for two weeks in Killbear Provincial Park at the end of July. Harold's Point campground was my favourite.

My first exposure to art and the environment was through my childhood friendship with Robert Bateman's son, John. I remember we'd take dead birds out of the basement freezer to look at - sample species his dad would refer to in his painting. The kids were told our nature walks were to look for native arrow heads. That was the bait to get us walking quietly through the woods, looking at birds through Mr. Bateman's binoculars. I never did find an arrow head, but I guess you could say I learned to appreciate just being in nature, looking and listening.

My parents separated when I was 17 years old and I moved with mom and the siblings to suburban Burlington. Can't say I liked suburbia or high school much. I read books in the library at lunch, or hung out in the cool music teacher's office for laughs.

I don't remember much about my four years at York University in Winters' College residence. I did study film making and philosophy - that I remember. For me, it doesn't get much better than living in a fine art residence with 250+ young women and men who like to have a good time. I met a lot of friends there who I'll always keep. I also did a stint on the Winters' College council as a student rep, so I'm not a complete political virgin. As college councillor, the most pressing issues involved making sure there was enough beer kegs for the all-you-can-drink dances, and that people didn't launch too many bottle rockets at passing cars.

After university, I moved off to the exotic land of Vancouver, BC. It was a beach bum lifestyle for a good long while and I enjoyed every minute of it. You could say I'm a sun worshipper. My first job of many was as a Shaolin kung-fu instructor. I'd practiced t'ai chi and karate before, and kung-fu was somewhat of a mix of those plus a whole lot more. I know one thing for sure, there's very little that anyone can do to me that the Shaolin masters haven't already done to me over and over with expert skill. That ended after a year when a visiting master laid down the law:

"You have a month to decide whether you will teach kung-fu at the the temple for the rest of your life or leave forever. If you tell me you will commit for life, then decide to leave,...there will be...trouble for you, Mr. Pocock".

Meaning, I would suck food through a straw for a very long time. I decided to explore other career options.

That's when I began to learn carpentry, building and shipping custom industrial crates of pulp and paper machinery. I learned how to deal with pressure by managing the logistics of shipping multi-million dollar machines world-wide with cargo jets waiting to take off. It's all about details and not taking crap from anyone. There are no excuses, only results.

One morning, riding my chopper to work, I was t-boned at a main Vancouver intersection by an old man in a minivan. In slow motion the front grill hit me and suddenly, painlessly the lights went out on the world. I'll leave out the gory details, but say that I survived by a miracle and didn't lose my leg. Now I've got a metal pin below my knee holding everything together. There's something liberating about having your clothes cut off your body, covered in blood and a thousand strangers looking on. Life lessons.

Back to Parry Sound and Deerwood Forest where ma helped me to walk again - it took eight or nine months and I still have the occasional limp. I'm a cripple, but I try not to let that stop me. I'll tell you a story about Ma Pocock, a woman who at 60 years old (20 years ago) bought what I now call Deerwood Forest as a bush lot. They chainsawed and bulldozed a road in and she lived with her two cats in a trailer at the building site for three months. Cookies and lemonade delivered by my mom must have made it easier for the construction workers while she supervised the build.

So, the story is, my leg was healing, but I couldn't walk yet. I wanted to get into the woods to at least cut some deadwood for winter fuelwood. Mom hooked the cargo trailer up to the dangerous three-wheel ATV - which she hadn't driven before - and I sat in the back of the small trailer with the chainsaw, gas and oil. So, she takes off down the driveway toward the trail entrance. You know those 3 wheel ATVs are now banned because they're death machines, right? Ma starts working the throttle and drifting toward the left ditch 2 -3 feet deep and littered with sharp sapling stumps and granite rock. The ATV's back wheel caught and the last thing I saw was Ma's grey hair disappear down and forward into the ditch as the ATV flipped over and landed on top of her. Then the trailer slammed into it. She was dead for sure.

"Mom?", I wondered aloud.

"I'm fine", came a quiet reply from somewhere down there.

I jumped out of the wagon and managed to pull the ATV, wheels still spinning, off of her. Not a scratch, though bruised I'm sure. I got the 3-wheeler back on the driveway and the wagon attached.

"You okay", I asked.

"I'm fine", she said, though how could she be?

"Let's get back to the house", I said.

"No, let's go on and cut up some wood. I'm fine if you are", she insisted.

"Sure, I'm fine...", I guessed, but not really. How could I be? I thought she was dead two minutes ago. I wasn't gonna start moaning and groaning now, though. So, I got back in the wagon and we continued into the woods like nothing happened. I'm sure she was badly hurt, but she didn't mention it. That's Ma Pocock.

Eventually, I could walk with a cane, then mostly without a cane. I moved to Los Angeles to try my luck in Hollywood writing scripts. Since university I'd wanted to try LA, not wanting to live with the regret of wondering, "What if I tried?" and didn't. Now I know I didn't like it. Some things you've gotta learn the hard way. Right away I didn't like the place and never learned to like it. Canada was some far off, distant paradise. LA was a strange, hellish planetoid where everyone seemed desperate to get into showbiz and looked past you for someone who could help them advance their career.

Back in BC with my old job back, I decided to give the business world a try and got a Masters in Business Administration. I did my internship with a management consulting firm specializing in improving the operation of resource companies like mines, and pulp plants, and sawmills around the world. I decided living for two years beside some remote copper mine in South America wasn't for me.

I returned to Ontario and settled in Toronto so I could have a relationship with my nephew and niece while they were young enough to still be interested in Uncle Bill. I got another job at an elite Toronto management consulting firm, The Chartwell Group, which was really a think tank for municipal, provincial, and federal government on how to make the public sector more efficient, provide services more effectively. It was a great learning experience to absorb the thoughts of these geniuses, integrating the government into a whole, actually figuring out who they served and doing it better.

A long public sector strike hit Ontario and much of the consulting work stopped. I didn't like sitting on the bench. And I remember looking out the lunchroom's high rise window, across Adelaide street and seeing all the other office workers in their cubes, working away, eating lunch at their desk like I was about to do. "People aren't meant to live like this", I said to one of the partners, sipping my fourth coffee. The company was struggling so I recommended to give me a lay-off - last man in - and I got it.

For a couple months I back-packed around southern Europe then returned. I started working with the guy I grew up with across the country road building decks, fences, building new and renovating houses around Muskoka and the Greater Toronto Area. And I've done it ever since. I've lived in the white collar and blue collar worlds. I can work in both, but if I had to chose, I find working with others for a common goal - making something that lasts - is more satisfying for me. People working together, helping each other as a team is what I like. I find, if you can get with a good group of people, not worry about who gets to be hero or heroine, it's amazing what you can do. The simple life is the best life.

In 2007 an old buddy of mine from BC and I got the crazy idea to journey across Canada in a human-powered vehicle. It ended up we wanted to talk to grade school kids about what they can do in their everyday lives to reduce the impact of Climate Change. We designed, financed, built, and piloted the EcoRocket velomobile on the Kids Can 2007 expedition.

My partner, a marathoner and mountain-climber abandoned the expedition when we reached Toronto on our eastward journey to St. John's, Nfld. Exhausted and almost out of money, I decided to press on alone. I pitched tent along the TCH wherever I could and hoped for the best. You know, you can sleep on gravel if you have to. Thanks to the generous financial support from many friends, I made it to St. John's ahead of schedule. I slept that night on Signal Hill and watched the sunrise. Crashing in fire station beds for a few days, Easson's Transport gave me a lift back to Toronto. Expedition over. Check out the expedition Econauts blog if you're interested. I'm the guy called 'Major Dude'.

Now I live in Seguin Township. When not working on construction sites, I manage Deerwood Forest for my mom, cutting trails and planning a 20 year improvement cut of the forest for the health of the trees, and a flourishing environment for plant and wildlife. It's a really big garden I enjoy sustaining and improving. My HICKWILLY blog is where I write about my woods work these days.

I've been close to death many times and know a complete and utter peace is found at last. So, I say let's enjoy our lives, and help make our paradise on Earth. I know we're not always gonna get along, but at least I try.

Google Me

If you've just Googled 'Bill Pocock' to find out who this would be councillor is, I also offer my list of web logs (blogs) on the right border of this page to make your job a bit easier. Since 2006 I've written about my various adventures for your possible amusement.

I can offer no better evidence that I've had no previous aspiration to public office than the words and pictures contained in these blogs. HICKWILLY is my current blog for writing about all things relating to my sustainable forestry practice in Seguin and my general woodsman thoughts.

"Well, there goes a career in politics", could have been said about me many a time. But I've always been honest and straight forward. I tell you what I think the first time and you can take that to the bank. I'm human as are we all. Not perfect and no angel. Experience has taught me to be cautious of people who say they are.

If you can accept that, if you believe I will represent you better than any other candidate for Ward 1 councillor, then I hope you'll vote for me.

The Hat in The Ring!

I tossed my hat in the ring this morning at the Seguin Township admin office for Ward 1 councillor. The form was filled, the $100 nomination fee paid, and now I am in it.

The receipt.

And here's the top page of a stack of documents given to me by Karen Bethune, acting township clerk, so I can get acquainted with the whole thing.

It's thick enough to kill someone with.
Or suicide - death by a thousand paper cuts.

The 'One Seguin' Slogan

What do I mean by 'One Seguin'?

I'm a former seasonal resident and now permanent resident of Seguin township (Ward 1).

I've heard people say there's some difference of opinion in the views of seasonal and permenant residents in the township. There's two Seguins.

And I've heard people say there's some difference of opinion between residents in the different wards. There's six Seguins. Twelve Seguins.

And every person I talk to seems to have their own personal Seguin. 15,000 Seguins.

I want to focus on One Seguin. The one we're all a part of - not stuck with. Focus on that reality, embrace the benefit of our positive, diverse aspirations and realize the strength of that diversity. If we all believed the same thing about everything, Seguin would be just too damn boring. We'd all be a bunch of robots.

We also have to get over the false Golden Age that was before the amalgamation. We need to make an effort to understand what it's like to be our neighbours across the whole township. Then be a good neighbour to them - and ourselves.

And when that neighbour borrows your BBQ tongs? Well, they come back clean in an hour with your favourite BBQ chow as a bonus. Cause that's what good neighbours do. And if the BBQ tongs don't come back for six months? Let's not put sugar in their gas tanks - until we get the tongs back. That was a joke.

What Does a Councillor Do?

So, I asked myself, "What does a councillor do?"

Wiki came to the rescue with an explanation.

Under councillor skills...

More specialised decision making structures mean councillors are expected to perform a range of different roles, such as; licencing and regulatory decision making, policy overview & scrutiny, executive decision making, political leadership, determining planning applications and community representation.

Hmm...no problem. I think.

Seguin Map

This map shows the six wards of Seguin Township, Ontario.

Click image for a larger view.

Seguin Facts

Area	700 sq. kms
Permanent Population	4,280
Seasonal Population (approximate)	15,000
No. of Lakes	186
No. of Households	4,678
No. of Commercial Properties	105
No. of Industrial Properties	49
Assessment	$2.3 billion
Municipal Maintained Roads	290 kms
Private Maintained Roads	174 kms
Bridges/Structures	24
No. of Tonnes of Waste in 2008	2339
No. of Tonnes of Recycling in 2008	543
Emergency Calls in 2007	420

Municipal Office	1
Township Libraries	4
Township Fire Stations	4
Fire/Ambulance Base	1
Community Centres	4
Arena	1
Airport	1
Public Beaches	7
Boat Launches	19
Parks	2
Museum	1
Sports Fields/Fairgrounds	5
Cemeteries	5
Nursing Station	1
Landfill Site	1
Waste/Recycling Transfer Stations	7

Post Offices	1
Golf Courses	2
Marinas	13
Provincial Parks	2
Schools: Public Private	1 2
Churches	7
Private Fairground	1

SOURCE: http://www.twp.seguin.on.ca/376/seguin_facts.htm

Types of Democracy

I did a Wiki search on 'types of democracy' and came up with an interesting entry that lists umpteen different ways of giving individuals voice in a democracy.

The entry on e-democracy was interesting. Here's a quote:

The research indicates the political process has been alienated from ordinary people, where laws are made by representatives far removed from ordinary people.^[3] The goal of e-democracy is to reverse the cynicism citizens have about their government institutions.^[7] However, there are increasing doubts concerning the real impact of electronic and digital tools on citizen participation and democratic governance and warning against the "rhetoric" of electronic democracy.^[8]

I believe the Internet is an emerging and liberating tool to better represent the broad range of opinion of constituents than any other communication channel before. The challenge in using the Internet in a campaign to maximize voter/candidate understanding is ensuring that all constituents have access to this communication channel. Residents who don't spend their entire year in Seguin have a window into the evolving issues and have a means of influencing policy. While Sequin libraries now have very good Internet access computers, my feeling is that older residents likely wouldn't have the Internet skills to participate at this time. Representation by way of the Internet alone would not serve constituents who aren't connected in this way.

The reason why I like to use a blog to communicate is that there is no intermediary filter between my words and the reader. There's no editorial slant or filter. And this is a two-way medium where people can give their feedback directly to me and visible to all other readers. No private phone calls, backroom deals, special influence.

In the absence of the Internet with it's potential to link a candidate to every single - confirmed - constituent through the use of on-line polls, on-line discussion forums, I think a candidate or representative is trapped in a coccoon of his/her inner circle of influencers. The Internet makes it possible for every, in this case, ward voter to add to the sum of community opinion on every issue. Each community participant has an equal unit of influence. On-line forums permit constituents to present grassroots ideas and have that idea gain influence based on its merits judged by others in the community. In this way, the quiet, well-reasoned voice is not drowned out by others who might wish to dominate discussion for personal benefit at the expense of the community as a whole.

A combination of, say, monthly town hall meetings between representative and interested constituents would allow people who don't engage in Internet discussion to also have voice, participate in polling which helps to guide their representative. In this way, the disconnect between constituents and representative is greatly reduced with a better, stronger, faster feedback loop.

I just wouldn't want to be unduly influenced by individuals pushing their own agenda at he expense of the community as a whole. That just isn't my idea of democracy.

To Run or Not to Run

I create this blog now to pour out my thoughts on whether to run as a candidate for counsellor (Ward 1) in Seguin Township, Ontario.

The very idea strikes me as a huge ego trip - the presumption to represent the people where I live in council. I'm confident I could handle the administrative acts required in council due to my business training and work as a management consultant to government in the past.

But the problem of knowing the opinions of constituents on the issues of the day is at the heart of representation. How could I or anyone properly represent constituents.

I've become so cynical of the motives of politicians in general, the arrogance of presumed knowledge, the power of lobbyists, special interests, the influence of a few loud voices.

It seems to me that every 3 or 4 years in come the clowns and there's only a moment for people to vote for the least contemptible option, or simply boot out the latest scoundrel at whatever the cost. Then, whatever the vote, people are stuck with the vote winner and whatever he or she decides to do without recourse from the electorate.

If I were to run for the 2010 fall election in Seguin, I'd have to...find a way to know what people in my ward want me to do as their representative, and simply do that. It couldn't be about me and what I want to do. I would have to take myself out of the equation. An honest broker of the constituents. This all sounds like the same old phoney talk.

I don't know the incumbent, but I would like to try something new. If I'm to believe what I read in the newspapers, and a handful of people I've met, things are not working very well for the ward at the moment. All I could do is offer an alternative way of representing people in the ward.

How the hell did I come to seriously considering this? Public office is the last thing I could ever think of. A few years ago I was at The Albany Club and that old devil, Mike Harris, shook my hand over drinkies, said I should run. Me? I laughed like a donkey. Harris was a charming bastard, but way wrong about my interest in running for office.

Boy, the things you think in middle age....