Grad dad lands in public office

It’s not every year that a UVic student graduates and runs for public office in the same week. But Ryan Hinton isn’t a typical UVic student.

When Hinton decided to go back to school at 28, the image of his father, who returned to school in his fifties, gave Hinton the confidence to start his studies nine years after he graduated from high school. He juggled work and school commitments non-stop for five years to complete a BA in geography and political science.

Hinton’s wife’s support helped make his degree possible, especially after they learned their application to adopt a child had gone through.

“We got the call on April 13th of last year—that’s right before exam time— saying you’re going to be parents in two weeks, and I’m studying for four exams!” says Hinton. But thanks to the assistance of staff and professors at UVic, Hinton was able to both complete his course requirements and get ready for the new arrival.

Hinton entered UVic expecting to become a middle-school teacher, but UVic’s Co-op Program changed his mind. Through co-op, he worked for numerous departments in the provincial government. After jumping from the Ministry of Energy and Mines to the Ministry of Children and Family Development, Hinton obtained full-time employment as a policy analyst for the Ministry of Housing and Social Development, helping those on income assistance.

Working for the provincial government gives Hinton the reward of knowing he’s giving back to the people of BC, a goal that has also led him to run for Langford Council in the November 15 election.

Hinton grew up in a family where political debate was as common around the dinner table as food. As a result, he’s always been politically engaged.

“I like to say that I ran already provincially,” he jokes. “My mother was the candidate in 1975 Alberta provincial election while she was pregnant with me.”

As a teenager, Hinton got his first taste of local politics when he successfully challenged a proposal to restrict when youth could play at Cedar Hill Municipal Golf Course.

“I believe you should help the community, give back to the community,” he says.