78-Year-Old Woman With No Telephone Running For Mayor In Oakville
Posted October 21, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Daniela Giecewicz is 78-years-old. She’s got no political experience, no connections and no phone.
But she’s running for mayor in Oakville and hoping to make a point.
That point?
The elderly woman’s spent the last 21 years getting to and from her home through a wooded path and a hole in a fence. Several multi-million dollar estates have cropped up around the property leaving her landlocked.
It’s a ridiculous state of affairs that’s left her in search of any way she can garner attention.
All the development was approved by the town, despite extensive pleading from Giecewicz and her family. She even tried to fight the decision in court, but lost.
“My husband died and nobody noticed,” she said. “It was as if everybody was waiting for my death.”
The couple bought the property in the 1960s for $35,000. It’s now worth close to $750,000.
So why doesn’t she sell?
“Money has no value to us if you cannot use it,” she said. “This situation has complicated our lives.”
She now hopes running will bring attention to her cause, and thinks her simple platform will resonate with voters.
“The growth has to be balanced with the welfare of people,” Giecewicz said.
Oakville officials have advised her to build a driveway through the front of her property, but say she’ll have to pay for it.
Giecewicz says she shouldn’t have to spend a dime, and is holding her ground on principle.
