ThoroldToday will be profiling every candidate in the upcoming municipal and school board elections on Oct. 24. Today: Mike De Divitiis.
55-year-old Mike De Divitiis is a local businessman. He is running for city council to contribute to the community that he loves.
“I want to bring my love for Thorold and my business experience to City Hall, work together with the Thorold council and residents to get things done and continue to help make our city great,” De Divitiis says, in an interview with ThoroldToday.
The De Divitiis family is well known in Thorold and owns many local businesses such as The Moose and Goose and banquet hall Amici’s.
“I think the people of Thorold know my family’s track record and how dedicated we are to Thorold,” De Divitiis says. “I love everybody in Thorold, I know everybody. I saw downtown grow from 1988 until now.”
De Divitiis highlights the charity work he has done with his family and says it’s his business experience, in the hospitality and real estate industry, that will serve the people of Thorold well.
“Running the city is like running a business,” he says. “It takes a lot of time, it takes a lot of hard work, it takes a lot of dedication. Being in business is not easy, and running a council is not easy too. You have to know how to get along with people and when you disagree the next day it’s back to busy, you don’t hold a grudge.”
There are different issues De Divitiis would like to help with if elected.
“I would like to see more affordable housing through the city,” De Divitiis says. “I think my background in development helps with that one to help council meet this goal. Utilize our parks for more community events, festivals, farmers' markets, bringing people together to show that Thorold is open for business. I want to keep taxes respectable by providing quality services.”
Another important aspect of his platform is inclusivity.
“I like to promise to people to embrace diversity,” says De Divitiis. “I’m all in for inclusiveness. With my family, our history, we’ve done so much for pride, we’ve done so much to develop that and equality for everybody.”
Being in the hospitality business for over 35 years, De Divitiis has learned a lot.
“That’s the thing about hospitality," he says. "You learn how to treat people right because you don’t get successful if you don’t treat people the way they want to be treated equally and fairly to everyone and listen.”
De Divitiis will have a methodical approach if he gets elected.
“My first hundred days my plan is to listen, learn as much as possible, familiarize myself with all the ins and outs of being a councillor,” De Divitiis says. “I want to review and study the city’s documents, the plans. I want to let councillors know that I’m a councillor who is dedicated to gets things done."
All De Divitiis wants to do is make his community a better place.
“I would just like to see some change, some new ideas, a fresh perspective with a business mind,” he says. “I want to continue to make the city great.”
