Keenan Aylwin said his first taste of politics ended in disappointment.

Despite community efforts to save Prince of Wales Public School, and later Barrie Central Collegiate, both schools wound up shuttered.

Although Aylwin may have lost those battles, the 24-year-old Barrie native is the Green party candidate for the new Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte riding.

“We need a new way of doing politics,” Aylwin said, “putting aside political gain and focusing on the issues that matter.”