Curtis is youngest town councillor candidate to date

Clayton Curtis. (Contributed Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

A young Tillsonburg businessman is the latest to file his nomination papers to run for Tillsonburg council.

Clayton Curtis, a 28-year-old father of one, filed his papers on June 18. He is the youngest councillor candidate to date. He owns StrictlySpores, an international Mycology and mushroom research and genetics company. He started the business in 2020 and has worked with the federal government on medical mycology research, as well as facilitating the development and building of the University of Montreal Fungarium. He also worked with John Hopkins on a PTSD study using medicinal fungi as the basis of curing PTSD.

Curtis’s family has deep roots in the area, dating back 170 years, including a connection to the town's founder, George Tillson. He has been involved in the community as a volunteer with the Station Arts Centre and other organizations.

“I am passionate about our town,” he said. “I bring new perspective, an endless reserve of determination, energy, willpower, and modern solutions to age-old problems. I know I will act in the best interests of all residents in our community, and do so with the long-term success of Tillsonburg at the core of all my decisions.”

Curtis has always held town council meetings in high regard.

“I have made a point to follow the decision-making and achievements of our town council for roughly six years,” he said, explaining that after he got married in 2020 a decision was made that Tillsonburg would be the centre of his long-term plans.

Curtis sees the major challenges facing Tillsonburg over the next four years as homelessness, addiction and mental health crisis, a national recession, maintaining a responsible town budget, and properly managing massive population growth while ensuring the infrastructure is in place to accommodate the increase.