THUNDER BAY — Candidates running in Thunder Bay’s north-side area riding say they’re ready to hit the campaign trail.
The 37-day campaign is the shortest allowed under Canadian law and comes roughly six months ahead of the fixed date. Liberal leader Mark Carney visited Governor General Mary Simon on March 23 triggering the process to dissolve the most recent Parliament.
Election day is April 28.
Thunder Bay-Superior North Liberal incumbent Patty Hajdu said it’s a very important time for Canada.
“I think all Canadians are united right now in understanding this is a very pivotal moment for our country, and they want someone that's going to stand up for Canada,” she said, adding that her party has been ready for an election.
“We are always ready for an election in a minority government,” she said. “As a matter of fact, I don't stop in between elections, ensuring that I have a strong volunteer base, that we have regular donors and that we're well funded and ready to fight the … campaign whenever the election is called.”
“So, I'm fully ready.”
For Hajdu’s challengers, the relatively short campaign length means less time to get themselves out in front of potential voters. Adding to that is the size of the Thunder Bay-Superior North riding at over 130,000 square kilometres, and which includes dozens of municipalities, other smaller communities and First Nations.
“The Conservative Party of Canada really had no control over when the election was going to be called,” said Conservative candidate Bob Herman. “It was either going to be now or towards October, but we're here and as a party we are ready to face the electorate, both across Canada and Thunder Bay-Superior North.”
Herman, a former city police chief who also held interim leadership roles with the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, said he plans to visit as much of the region as he can in the roughly five-week campaign.
“My plans are to attend all the outlying communities that are part of … Thunder Bay-Superior North,” he said, adding that he will also do “a lot of door-knocking in the city.”
“I think it's very important for a candidate to get out there and listen to what the concerns are of the people that you want to elect you, and so that you can represent them properly.”
The New Democrats’ Joy Wakefield called the timing of the election “a challenging time,” given its proximity to the recent provincial vote and that it’s taking place during a period of heightened tensions and an ongoing trade war with the United States.
“We've got things shifting, every day sometimes, when it comes to Trump making threats or statements or whatever else he's saying,” said Wakefield, a Thunder Bay lawyer. “It's an unfortunate time to be in the middle of an election and not to have a Parliament in sitting and doing its job of governing during that time.”
With that being said, Wakefield added that she’s “excited to put myself forward for citizens of the Northwest.”
Wakefield said voters will be asked to “make a decision about what they want to see, given everything that's going on and what kind of a government they want to have over the next … five years or so.”
“There are pros and cons to it.”
The People's Party of Canada candidate Amos Bradley said of the election call that "it would be nice if we had a little bit more time."
"I'm kind of concerned about how long Parliament was out, so I would say it's not a great time, but we'll work with it."
The Greens have yet to nominate a candidate in Thunder Bay-Superior North.
-With files from Nicky Shaw and Gary Rinne
NOTE: This story was updated to include comments from People's Party candidate Amos Bradley.
