"It is a new riding, yet I grew up there, my mother still lives there and my father and grandfather practiced as veterinarians there," said Hess. He adds, "The people I went to school with are helping me with the campaign."
"I have a committee room — at the moment it is my mother's living room," said Hess. The campaign’s website is www.markushess.ca .
"Mrs. Alide Forstmanis (Latvian Federation Vice President of Political Affairs) lives in the riding. She has been heavily involved in Progressive Conservative riding affairs and is on side. She herself is running federally, but in a neighbouring riding," comments Hess.
"I now have people trying to sell (party) memberships until April 21, 2007, which is the cut off. After that we will be trying to convince the members signed by the others to vote for me until May 12, 2007 which is the date of the nomination," explains Hess.
In September of last year Hess and the Estonian Central Council marked with ceremony the twentieth anniversary of Black Ribbon Day, a momentous remembrance of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, when the USSR and Nazi Germany divided up Europe and facilitated World War II. Hess started the movement acquiring the organizational help of the National Citizens Coalition (which Prime Minister Stephen Harper headed when he took a break from elected politics). The end result of that movement was when the Baltic people strung a human chain of people holding hands from Tallinn through Riga to Vilnius. Shortly after Communism collapsed.
During the process, when the movement was active, Hess, accompanied by others like reporter Judi McLeod (now Publisher/ Editor of Canada Free Press), travelled to the countries entrapped by the Soviet Union, organizing and training liberation movements.
Hess's Black Ribbon Day movement was also active in Toronto fighting against the left wing elements at city hall (like federal NDP leader Jack Layton) and the Toronto School Board. For instance, Hess pushed for the name change of the Peace Arches to the Freedom Arches and succeeded.
On the Canadian front Hess spearheaded the campaign to expand NATO from 19 to 26 members.
Hess has been honoured for his work by being named to the Estonian Congress and to the Order of the White Cross of Estonia. Black Ribbon Day has been honoured by being declared an official holiday in Lithuania. Hess has also been awarded the Gold Cross of Merit by Poland.
On the home front Hess is a mechanical engineer (he has several patents of environmental benefit) and is Director of Research at Icefloe Technologies Inc. Markus and his wife Eha have four children.
When Hess wins, Queen’s Park will have a person with political savvy whose determination is unstoppable in a pleasant way.