Van Brugge running for United Party of Canada in Oxford

Melanie van Brugge is running under the United Party of Canada banner for the Oxford riding in the upcoming federal election April 28. (Contributed Photo)

Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The newly formed United Party of Canada has been around since 2024 and is running 16 candidates in the April 28 election – one of them in Oxford.

Melanie van Brugge grew up in Oxford County and went to Beachville Public School and Woodstock Collegiate. After college, she returned to Woodstock and opened a clinic called Body Kinetics with her sister. Back then, she went by the name Melanie Folkema.

“I’ve always been involved in my community, volunteering as a youth leader at a local church. Our group loved doing mission work both at home and abroad. Many of us are still close friends and continue to make a positive impact in the community.”

She said she has always enjoyed listening to others' perspectives and engaging in debates.

“Just ask my English teachers! But I soon realized that life could be more peaceful if I kept my opinions to myself, as not everyone shared my values. So, I stopped asking why others took the stance they did on important issues.”

Van Brugge said in recent years, she started to feel staying silent was seen as agreeing with things she didn’t agree with.

“The COVID-19 pandemic showed me how different medical, financial and social ideologies were publicized as normal, yet seemed so different than what many believed. I hoped our government leaders would take a strong stand against the direction our country was heading, toward a post-national state, by providing the decisive leadership we needed at that time. When I met Grant Abraham and the United Party, I found a leader who spoke out against many of the issues Canadians cared about, and that’s when I joined the United Party.”

She said the main concerns she hears from people in the community are the devaluation of human life from conception to death, which she says is because Canada does not have laws prohibiting abortion and the use of medical assistance in dying (MAiD), the high cost of housing, and the uncertainty about Canada's future with finances, retirement savings, trade and global influence threatening our sovereignty.

“In a world where we’re often silenced if our opinions don't match what we're made to think is the mainstream, I would like to see the social censorship ended, especially with bills like C-18 (An Act respecting online communications platforms that make news content available to persons in Canada) and C-27 (the Digital Charter Implementation Act), which restrict our freedom of speech. Canadians should be free to express their views without fear of being shut down or oppressed, or at the risk of losing their job.”

She added one of the biggest issues in Oxford County is housing and homelessness.

“Many people struggle to pay rent or mortgages, sometimes going hungry and sometimes losing their homes. Another issue that needs attention is the legalization and easy access to hard drugs. Suicide, mental health and addictions are prevalent concerns and need to be tackled.”