As Canadian institutions grapple with the details of cannabis legalization, Abe Verghis is helping to fill in some of those gaps.

The Halton Hills resident and mechanical engineer works with a company that is developing oral drug test kits for cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamine, which will revolutionize roadside drug testing for police officers once pot is legal.

Aside from his day job, Verghis is running for a seat in council, where he hopes to offer some of his expertise in road safety, business and community matters.

“I’ve always had a fascination for the work of a council,” said Verghis. “I like to be involved. I think I can bring a lot of experience to the council.”

Verghis has a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Manitoba, and after graduating pursued a career in engineering that led him to working in road safety, and subsequently, a company that manufactures breath tests for drugs and alcohol.

“I’ve dealt with all facets of life,” said Verghis, who would focus his efforts in council on promoting urban sustainability.

He says that he’d like to help move forward initiatives that make it affordable for homeowners to make green energy retrofits and upgrades to their homes, like using solar panels.

He says he would also fight for the town to get a larger portion of property taxes.

Currently, the town gets 11 per cent of what is collected from homeowners in Halton Hills.

Over the summer, Verghis says he noticed a serious flaw in the planning of roadwork in Halton Hills, with construction in Norval as well as north Georgetown happening simultaneously.

“How do you have them both happen at the same time?” He asked, noting that both main arteries in and out of town were impacted.

He says that better forecasting is needed to plan summer roadwork.

All in all, Verghis says that residents in Georgetown love where they live and are comfortable with the way the town is currently.

“Everybody is generally happy with the way Georgetown is,” he said, noting that he would work to keep the town’s small-community charm and lack of congestion. “I’d like to take it to the next level.”