Meet some of P.E.I.'s new MLAs

A paramedic, an educational assistant, a dairy farmer.

Robin Croucher, Susie Dillon and Hilton MacLennan held these jobs for years. Now, they'll all share the same occupation: MLA.

Croucher, Dillon and MacLennan are among the new faces that will be in the P.E.I. Legislative Assembly once the legislature sits again later this spring.

Nine new MLAs were elected on April 3, all of them with the Progressive Conservatives.

Coming from different backgrounds and different parts of the Island, the three said they're hoping their backgrounds will help them better serve Islanders.

CBC News caught up with them to discuss what they will bring to the table.

Robin Croucher

Robin Croucher won District 1: Souris-Elmira in the election.

Croucher is a volunteer firefighter who has worked as a paramedic for more than a decade.

He said he attended his first Progressive Conservative caucus meeting last week despite having worked an overnight shift and getting only about an hour's worth of sleep.

"Working under pressure is not new for me," he said. "I do that daily in my work."

Over the four weeks of campaigning, he went door-to-door in his district, hearing people's concerns.

Croucher said his past in emergency response helped him: He'd already been in many of his constituents' homes when on call, as paramedic or firefighter.

Doing it as a politician was "certainly different" and enjoyable, he said.

"I would go in and we would chat about some of our previous history… maybe on a fire call or a paramedic call," Croucher said, adding that he appreciates that personal connection.

He said that as a paramedic, he has helped seniors and people with mental health and addiction struggles — something he would like to continue doing from the floor of the legislature.

"That's something that I've advocated for very strongly as a paramedic over the last decade or more. And it's something that I look forward to being a stronger advocate for in government."

Susie Dillon

Susie Dillon, who won District 11: Charlottetown-Belvedere, is an educational assistant at Eliot River Elementary School in Cornwall.

Dillon has nearly three decades of experience in the education sector, working with families and children with special needs.

She said she's seen how students can thrive when they're given the support they need. Some transferable skills from her job in education include problem-solving and helping people get support with schooling issues, "whether it's needing to find tutoring, whether it's needing to find other supports that go along with education."

Dillon said she hopes in her new role to better support people in her community, from seniors to students, to newcomers. 

She's also looking to bring back a sense of community to her district, which she said was missing in the years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I'm excited about helping the … people in my district to be the best versions of themselves," Dillon said.

"I kind of feel like COVID put us in our house, and Fiona took us out and taught us that we are seeking connection."

Hilton MacLennan

Hilton MacLennan will represent District 23: Tyne Valley-Sherbrooke.

He's the manager of the O'Leary Co-op Feed Mill and Retail Store. Before that, he owned a dairy farm for nearly three decades.

MacLennan's daughter and son-in-law took over the farm four years ago.

MacLennan is hoping to be a voice for agriculture in government, including the dairy and beef industries. He's also hoping to tackle the land use issue that came up during the election campaign.

"I hope I can represent the agriculture industry. I have a good understanding of it," he said.

As someone who works in retail, MacLennan said he'll bring to the legislature an ability to listen to people and their concerns. At the store, he has heard from community members about the struggles they're facing, from housing to health care.

"That drives me to just go and try to make a difference, to see if I can help people, and try to be very supportive to the people within your area, your constituents."