Growing up, Wilson always enjoyed learning and sharing knowledge with those around him. He attended St. Augustine Catholic High School in Markham, Ontario, where he was part of their Reach for the Top team from Grade 9 to Grade 12. He still loves some good trivia.
He moved to Ottawa in 2009 to attend Carleton University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2013. He ultimately did not pursue a career in journalism, having found a passion for communications late in his university career. He became a bus operator at OC Transpo in early-2014, where he found himself operating routes in Barrhaven often, at first due to seniority, later by choice. The time he spent in the community contributed to his decision to move there in 2019 (plus his wife’s family is there).
Wilson sought to be more than just a bus operator and combined his job with his desire to share knowledge and stories. He started his personal Twitter account in 2018 to give a behind-the-scenes look at the job. He built several relationships with regular passengers and people online, some of which continue to last.
In mid-2020, he left the driver’s seat for a communications role at the agency, where he helped manage the customer service aspect of the OC Transpo Twitter account (all his responses are signed with ^WL). His role evolved to managing transit-related inquiries from City Council offices while regularly contributing to social media inquiries.
Wilson decided to transfer his skills and devote his energy and dedication to a role where he could more effectively serve his neighbours, and ran successfully to be Barrhaven East’s first Councillor in 2022. He is also the city’s first Chinese-Canadian City Councillor.
He lives with his wife, Amelia, in the Rideaucrest community.