Ric was born and raised in Amherstview and has lived most of his years in this riding. He graduated from St. Lawrence College as a Business Systems Analyst.

After graduating, Ric spent 1996 to 2015 working full-time as a Systems Analyst and then an Adaptive Technologist for St. Lawrence College, while also a part-time instructor in various fields, including computer science, economics and Wind Policy in Canada.

Ric has had extensive experience in Municipal politics. He has served on the Loyalist Township Municipal Council for 22 years, being re-elected five times and serving as councillor, deputy mayor and mayor.

During that time, he worked to build new residential and commercial areas, including the Loyalist East Business Park, which has added 21 new businesses. Loyalist has seen one of the highest residential growth rates in Eastern Ontario.  Provincially, his proudest achievement so far is the passage of Garrett’s Legacy Act, an act to secure moveable soccer goals in Ontario so they cannot fall.

Ric is married to Heidi Galloway Bourgoin and has a blended family, having raised five children and now enjoys spoiling their two grandchildren.