District residents are facing an historic election when they head to the polls June 28. For the first time, this area’s MP also will represent the residents of Thunder Bay and Atikokan.
By its sheer size, the new riding presents some challenges to candidates who want to court favour with the large number of voters in Thunder Bay, but who also want to assure residents in the more rural west end of the riding that their voices will be heard.
The candidates for the three main parties all have run for political office before—all in the Thunder Bay area.
Since the election call May 23, these three candidates have been making an effort to get acquainted with the district and the concerns of its residents.
“There is a special interest in the Rainy River District because it’s new,” said Fort Frances Mayor Dan Onichuk, who noted some of the candidates already have promised to set up a constituency office here should victory be theirs.
“That’s something Fort Frances has never seen before,” he noted. “I think they truly want people to believe they will listen to us and they will be here, whereas it was just a matter of routine before.
“I think there’s a bit of a special emphasis with the candidates right now in trying to make us feel like we’re a part of that riding.”
While Mayor Onichuk said a federal constituency office in town would be a good indication of an MP’s intentions to represent the district, he said the changes in the electoral boundaries still will have a negative impact.
“Overall, I think it has taken away the political opportunities for anybody in the Rainy River District who might choose to do that,” he remarked.
Regarding voter turnout, the mayor said there was a good level of public awareness during the municipal election back in November, and that likely would carry over into the federal one.
“I think we’re going to have a fairly good voter turnout,” he remarked. “I think there’s a lot more awareness with our young people than there ever was before.
“But we still need to build on it.”
Emo Reeve Russ Fortier agreed the candidates are making a good effort to meet with district residents and hear their concerns, but some more than others.
“I certainly haven’t any of the NDP people yet, but the new Conservative party and certainly the Liberal party have made several trips to the district in the last month,” Reeve Fortier said.
“It was always our concern that being attached to a large city like Thunder Bay, where about 80 percent of the vote would be, why would they waste a whole lot of time with us?
“But talking to them, I believe they’re doing their best to get out and spend a lot of time with us, and I think they will represent us very well,” he added.
It is difficult to say how the changes in riding boundaries will affect voter turnout on June 28, Fortier admitted. “I expect a reasonably good turnout in the district,” he remarked, adding they usually have a 60-70 percent voter turnout there.
“We don’t have a chance to have our say very often.”
People also are better equipped to understand the issues before heading into the polling booth, he noted.
“In the last 10 years or so, people are becoming more sophisticated. They understand government a lot better and probably have a more educated position to make a decision on who they vote for,” Reeve Fortier said.
While voters are keeping an eye out for the candidates who listen to them, the campaign managers are faced with trying to get their candidate to meet as many people as possible in an electoral district that covers nearly 40,000 square km.
“The geography makes it very difficult for us, especially in a short campaign period,” said Kevin Kleghorn, campaign manager for Liberal candidate Ken Boshcoff.
“We’ve set up organizations in Atikokan and Fort Frances which liaise with the main campaign in Thunder Bay,” he noted. “They are trying to cover as much of the territory surrounding Fort Frances and Atikokan as possible.
“You’ve got to try to maximize the candidate’s time to get to as many places and meet as many people as possible,” Kleghorn stressed, adding this can mean spending more time travelling than actually meeting with and speaking to voters.
The other parties expressed similar experiences in their campaigns.
Conservative candidate David Leskowski has been knocking on doors in Barwick and Stratton, and even made it to the Emo Walleye Classic last weekend.
“That’s a big consideration,” said John Carroll, the riding association’s nomination chair speaking on behalf of Leskowski’s campaign manager, Janice Hewson.
“It certainly makes it harder to campaign,” he agreed.
The size of the new riding means parties sometimes have to change their strategies a little.
“We have to depend a lot on media coverage, flyers, and postcards that we send out,” Carroll explained. “Thunder Bay is a large area, too. It’s a fine balancing act.”
Despite the challenges, Carroll said the riding would be well represented. “I think it’ll work. I don’t think the people are going to be short-changed.”
How well it works also could lie in the hands of the electorate, he added.
“A high voter turnout in Rainy River is critical because it will indicate people are concerned about this riding. They’re not just a tag-along to Thunder Bay,” Carroll said.
When asked what his main strategy was for reaching as many people in the riding as possible, NDP candidate John Rafferty’s campaign manager said, laughing, “Lots of driving.”
David Loan said they have set up campaign offices in Fort Frances, Atikokan, and Thunder Bay. The goal is to have local people from each office reach out to voters in their own community.
“That’s a very important strategy for us. We want to make sure people realize that John wants to represent them and not feel left out,” Loan said.
“It’s certainly a challenge for me to work out John’s schedule,” he added.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
