After 30 years of teaching, Carla Johnson thought she would retire and begin the relaxing next phase of her life.
Unable to sit still, she volunteered with the Cambridge Poppy Project last fall where she realized how much she loved being part of her community.
Her passion for being a leader came from teaching and she wanted to do more for the city she calls home, so she decided to run in the upcoming election as the MPP for the riding of Cambridge.
Johnson joined the Green Party of Ontario because they share similar values and goals, including a mission to do more to stop climate change and work to promote inclusiveness and diversity.
Before she joined the political race, Johnson was heavily involved in the community. During the early days of the pandemic she launched an initiative called ‘CMH Lunch Is On Us’ which helped feed hospital workers 3,000 free lunches.
When she was a young adult, Johnson moved to the region from Sarnia to attend the University of Waterloo where she explored her passions for music and art to become a music teacher.
She developed close bonds with many students and maintains those connections.
“I like to tell my students, I’m your teacher forever, if you ever need me.”
Johnson has self-published two books and was also the vice president of corporate affairs for the Bravo Group in Mississauga, where she helped support small businesses. She loves to play the piano.
During the pandemic she found herself with more time on her hands so she began painting as a hobby and created a separate studio in the basement of her house where she can go to let loose and be artistic to unwind from the stresses of running a campaign.
Johnson says her motivation to put get her name on the ballot comes from her family and friends.
Her husband works for Habitat for Humanity helping develop projects in Ontario, and their trans non-binary child, who was raised in Cambridge but lives in Nova Scotia now, have connected her to different parts of the city over the years, giving her what she feels is an open view into what's happening or what the community needs.
One of her biggest pushes in the election is to get more help for those experiencing substance abuse issues and to promote the use of a Consumption and Treatment Services site in Cambridge.
After years of teaching middle school, she says the hundreds of young adults she's educated have taught her just as much.
“Kids are the biggest advocates for change; they're really smart and they are always coming up with ideas on how we can make things better. It inspired me,” she says, adding she wants to bring that motivation with her in representing Cambridge at Queen's Park.
Johnson is committed to continue volunteering. She likes to try new things and now admits retirement just wasn’t for her.
Politics and running a campaign may be new to Johnson, but as she spreads out her map of Cambridge she happily plots out what’s next.
“Life is short, wear a lot of hats.”
