Vanessa lives in Newmarket with her partner and his three children, where she is having a crash course in step-motherhood, a vastly different experience than being the primary caregiver for her mother as she battled lung cancer between 2004 and 2006. Both of these experiences, at the opposite ends of life’s spectrum, have filled Vanessa with a passion for environmental health and creating a better world for future generations.

Vanessa graduated from Queen’s University with dual degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biology and recently attended York University for International Studies. She has worked as a private school teacher, acupuncture clinic assistant, and administrative assistant, but for the past several years has been a personal trainer and lifestyle coach. She has been certified in Sound Healing, Reflexology and more fitness related skills than she can remember. She has recently begun to invest in real estate and healthy lifestyle products as she continues to broaden her knowledge and skills base.

She hopes to help create a world that is environmentally sustainable, socially just and spiritually fulfilling – a pledge she took at a recent Awakening the Dreamer Symposium. She is also the current Candidate of Record for the Green Party of Canada for Newmarket-Aurora. You can learn more about her political aspirations at www.vanessalong.ca.