About Greg
Greg was born in Haliburton in 1958 to Curry and Aldyth Bishop. He grew up on Riverside Drive in the Haliburton Village with his sisters. Greg spent his childhood playing hockey at the arena in town, swimming with his cousins at East Bay on Drag Lake, and hunting with his family at his great-grandfather’s camp north of Fort Irwin.
Greg started working for his father’s land surveying firm from an early age, spending long days in the bush with (many, many) blackflies. He credits this experience for his deep knowledge of the municipality and his appreciation for the environment. Following his graduation from HHSS, he spent four years at the University of New Brunswick, where he graduated with a survey engineering degree.
After four years of long drives back and forth from the Maritimes, Greg returned home to Haliburton to marry his wife, Sandra, in 1980, and start working full-time as a land surveyor and engineer. They made their family home on Highland Street, in the former residence of his great-grandfather, W.R. Curry, and raised two children, Chris and Mallory.
Greg worked hard to gain his Ontario Land Surveyor designation and became a principal at Bishop & Wilson Land Surveyors. He volunteered his time with community organizations, taught surveying courses at Sir Sandford Fleming College, and earned his financial planning and insurance licenses.
In 2000, he accepted a provincial appointment to the Ontario Municipal Board, where he adjudicated municipal and planning related disputes or appeals. He was elevated to a Vice-Chair position in 2003 before deciding to step down in 2004, wanting to spend more time at home in Haliburton.
He launched his own successful surveying and consulting firm from the basement of his home in 2004. In 2007, he was honoured to be chosen as one of six members for a federally appointed panel that was struck to evaluate the future of the Trent-Severn Waterway. Following 30 public meetings with more than a thousand public comments, the Panel’s report It’s All About The Water was released in March of 2008 and has been directly linked to millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements by Parks Canada.
Greg officially retired from land surveying in 2020, when he was re-appointed to what would ultimately become the Ontario Land Tribunal. In his capacity as alternate executive chair, he worked with 45 adjudicators and 100 public service staff, helping to navigate a new tribunal structure and the COVID-19 pandemic. He retired from the public service in 2024 and has been enjoying spending time with his family, helping folks with their planning applications, and providing local non-profits and community organizations with planning support when they need it.
He decided to run for Mayor of the Municipality of Dysart et al because he wants to offer dedicated, strong and positive leadership to his community in a time where there’s a lot of uncertainty and change.
Professional Life
Surveyor and Engineer
Greg got his start as a land surveyor as a kid, working in the bush in one of his father's field crews. After forty years as an Ontario Land Surveyor and Professional Engineer, he knows just about every corner of Haliburton County, having mapped it out for decades.
Land Use Planning
and Mediation
Greg has been helping landowners work with municipalities on their planning proposals for decades - from minor variances to large scale development like retirement homes and subdivisions. He knows the importance of having knowledgeable, sensible decision makers at the Council table.
Provincial and Federal Work
Greg has considerable experience working collaboratively with the federal and provincial governments.
In 2007, Greg was appointed to a federal panel to investigate the future of the Trent-Severn Waterway. The panel took in dozens of public meetings, hundreds of comments, and released a report in 2008 that has resulted in millions of significant infrastructure improvements to the Trent-Severn Waterway.
Greg has also been appointed as an adjudicator with the Ontario Land Tribunal (formerly Ontario Municipal Board), and was elevated to the position of Acting and Alternate Executive Chair.
Greg knows how to advocate for his community to the upper levels of government, which will be key in the governance discussions to come.
Small Business Ownership
Greg owned or co-owned small businesses in Haliburton for decades, and understands the unique privileges and challenges of running a business in the County.
Having worked with the trades and homebuilding industries for his whole life, he's committed to ensuring Dysart et al is doing what they can to support small businesses, process approvals efficiently, and make the community an attractive place for businesses and their workers.
Community Involvement
- HHHS Foundation "Here for You Campaign": Campaign Cabinet Member who helped raise over $6M, enabling the purchase of Haliburton County's first CT Scanner and a new diagnostic imaging suite.
- Supporting the Community: Over the last fifty plus years, Greg has had the opportunity to serve his community in many capacities: minor hockey coach, Rotarian, serving as the president of the Haliburton Community Housing Corporation and serving on committees with his church, among other things.
- Post-Retirement: Volunteering time to help community organizations and groups with their planning applications and development proposals.