Peggy Revell
Incumbent Liberal Ken Boshcoff wants his constituents to know he has given his heart and soul to his job as Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP since first being elected to Parliament back in June, 2004.
“24/7/362” is what his work ethic is, he said, and one of the biggest strengths he brings to the job. As for the other three days?
“I’m not going to work every day!” he added, laughing, but saying it’s this kind of dedication that has gained him recognition as one of Canada’s hardest-working MPs.
For Boshcoff, being re-elected means the chance to complete some business that was left unfinished when the federal election was called.
“I have so many projects ongoing in Parliament, especially on the economic development side, that I just want to see them come to fruition,” he remarked. “Forestry, ‘Buy Canada,’ and ‘Buy local for agriculture’ are just three of the dozens that I’ve been working on since my first election.
“I want our borders welcoming to tourism, I want to see forestry thriving, and I want to see our young people working in our communities and staying in our communities,” he cited as his top three goals if re-elected on Oct. 14.
“I believe that I have the skills to bring people together to co-operate,” Boshcoff added, pointing to the number of times he’s had reports and bills passed through committees and Parliament unanimously.
“You can’t get that unless you have the ability to bring people together,” he explained. “So as an organizer and as someone who is quite well-known for bringing people together, I’m very proud of that part.”
One of the most recent examples includes Boshcoff’s “Buy Canada” motion that passed the House of Commons unanimously just weeks ago. If enacted, the motion would require set amounts of Canadian labour and products be used for public transport projects.
“I have always been someone who likes finding solutions, and I thrive on helping people,” Boshcoff said on why he originally decided to get into politics.
This political career began in 1978 when he was elected to city council in Thunder Bay, where he was born and raised. For 16 years he represented the Northwood Ward and then as a councillor-at-large. In 1997, he was elected mayor, and for the following six years in office, Boshcoff helped to establish both the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.
Alongside his political career, Boshcoff has worked as an interpretive planner with the Ministry of Natural Resources, an environmental planner at the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, vice-president for Reed Stenhouse Insurance, director of marketing for the Port of Thunder Bay, and with his brother established Boshcoff & Associates Insurance in 1991.
Federally, he admits to “dabbling” in the NDP during his youth and university days, spent at Lakehead University, where he completed political science and economics degrees, followed by a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies (Systems Planning) from York University.
During the 1984 and 1988 federal elections, Boshcoff also ran as a Progressive Conservative candidate—a party he said “became far too right wing for me.”
“The Liberal party not only has a proven record for economic responsibility, such as getting us out of debt from the Conservatives, but has balanced and a reasonable approach to finding long-term answers to difficult national issues,” explained Boshcoff for why he became a member of the Liberal party.
Alongside his work ethic, Boshcoff said his experience in Parliament since first being elected, and then re-elected in 2006, is another strength. “I have had during my parliamentary career enormous experience in committees, [and] in special committees,” he noted.
During his first term in Parliament, Boshcoff served as the chair of the Subcommittee of the Status for Persons with Disabilities, and was a member of the Standing Committee on Operations and Estimates. From April, 2006 to January, 2007, he was the associate critic for natural resources.
Most recently, he was the official Opposition critic for FedNor (the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario). During this time, he also was on the Standing Committee of Agriculture and the Standing Committee on Natural Resources.
As well, Boshcoff has been past chair of the national Liberal rural caucus.
Boshcoff claimed to have a bit of a maverick streak to him, especially during his first term, voting against his party on several occasions.
“I was called a maverick because I voted against the party for my constituents more than any MP,” he said.
“The parliamentary record will show that I am one of the most vocal MPs for the northwest ever,” Boshcoff added. “Whether it’s in Parliament, in committee, or in any other forum, the record shows that I speak often about the issues specific to the northwest.”
