Corporate Lawyer Alex Don Eyes Ward 5 Seat on Burlington City Council

Alex Don is making his first run for elected office, hoping to represent Ward 5 as Burlington's next City and Regional Councillor. The internationally-trained corporate lawyer brings a background advising major pension funds and institutional investors — experience he says translates directly into the kind of financial discipline he believes City Hall urgently needs. Don has deep Burlington roots. He attended Assumption Catholic High School, worked as a lifeguard at the local YMCA, and bagged groceries at Denninger's on Guelph Line. He founded the National Canadian Lawyers Initiative (NCLI) here in Burlington during the COVID pandemic, mobilising more than 400 graduate lawyers and law students to provide free legal advice to Canadians coast to coast — one of the country's largest pro bono legal organisations at the time. He says the inspiration to run came from family — specifically, the birth of his son Theo. "As I start my own family, I feel a deep commitment to public service and to preserving what makes Burlington and our neighbourhoods special," he says. His platform centres on fiscal responsibility, long-term planning, and safer communities. Don's biggest concern is property taxes. He argues that four consecutive years of roughly 10% annual increases are unsustainable and are already pricing Burlingtonians out of their own city. If elected, he's committed to bringing tax increases in line with the Consumer Price Index by rooting out inefficiencies and waste at City Hall. He also flags rising rates of home break-ins and car thefts as issues requiring stronger local solutions. Don also ran a Private Member's Bill at Queen's Park back in 2011 — aimed at improving novice driver safety — that received unanimous all-party support. He served as a Legislative Page at Queen's Park in 2008. This fall's municipal election will be his first time on a ballot.