Election 2021

The leaders of the two largest federal parties talked about how they would help Canadians adjust to life after COVID-19 during campaign stops in Winnipeg yesterday.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau announced new funding to support the safe return to work and school amid the pandemic.

He spoke at a grocery store in the Charleswood-St James-Assiniboia-Headingley riding, a seat that has bounced back and forth between Conservatives and Liberals over the last two decades. It's currently held by Conservative MP Marty Morantz.

The leaders of both the Liberal and Conservative parties will be making campaign stops in Winnipeg Friday morning.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau will be the first to speak, stopping at a Winnipeg grocery store at 8:45 a.m.

Trudeau is expected to make an announcement in regards to return to work and school plans while speaking at the Food Fare at 839 Cavalier Drive.

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole is in his first campaign for Prime Minister and will be speaking at Bison Transport at 10 a.m.

A negative reaction came swiftly to Derek Sloan's candidacy announcement from People's Party of Canada (PPC) candidate Nadine Wellwood.

"Derek Sloan, go home. Respectfully, Alberta doesn't need more Ottawa," she says in a YouTube video.  

“Obviously, Sloan lacks the confidence and the courage to run in his own riding, where he would face a strong Liberal opponent," states Wellwood in a written statement. "So, he has decided to come to Alberta in an attempt to steal one of Alberta’s seats, denying an Albertan a voice in the House of Commons."

A thunderous roar echoed through the Cochrane Curling Centre last night when Derek Sloan officially announced it's here in Banff-Airdrie that he intends to plant the seeds for his True North federal party.

It was one of many standing ovations received from a crowd of about 500 people who came from across the region to hear Sloan speak.

"I've started a movement that's going to spread across the country," he said. "But for the next 33 1/2 days, we're going to take a brief hiatus right here in Banff-Airdrie."

Running in the Conservative stronghold of Banff-Airdrie is a challenge but one taken seriously by long-time Liberal David Gamble.

"I'm giving people another option that is moderate, practical, understands oil and gas is one of our main industries, that we need to attract new industries, and that we're in the process of attracting new business."

In the lite of the COVID-19 pandemic causing an economic downturn, the Conservatives are ready to secure the future for Canada.

Earlier this week the party released “Canada’s Recovery Plan”, a platform that they believe will rebuild Canada’s economy from the effects of COVID-19. Erin O’Toole along with Conservative MP’s will be pushing this plan through to the federal election on September 20, 2021.

Kenora MP Eric Melillo is fully invested in the recovery plan that his party has put forward to improve the economy of the region and the country.

Incumbent Banff-Airdrie MP Blake Richards has made it official that he's seeking a fifth term in the House of Commons.

Today, he filed papers with Elections Canada.

Richards says the election is unnecessary, and it comes at a time when COVID cases are once again on the rise.

"It definitely seems like a pretty selfish decision on the prime minister's part to call an election when he thought it was in his best interest," says Richards. "I think he's going to pay for it. I think a lot of Canadians are going to see him for who he truly is."

Liberal candidate David Bruno is gearing up for his federal election campaign, as the announcement of the countries next general election was made on Sunday.

Bruno did agree with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision to call an election even though the country is experiencing a possible fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Current Kenora riding MP Eric Melillo has spoken about the Liberals decision to call a federal election.  

In a prepared statement, Melillo said “I believe this election is an unnecessary, self-serving move by the Trudeau Liberals at a time when Canada should be focusing on beating COVID-19 and recovering our economy”. Melillo continued by re-enforcing his, and his teams, continued effort to a secure future for Canada and for Northwestern Ontario.  

Local lawyer from Wauzhushk Onigum, Janine Seymour, has announced her candidacy for the federal NDP in the Kenora Riding for this upcoming federal election.  

Seymour announced the news while at the former St. Mary’s Residential School on Wauzhushk Onigum Nation, “I am here at the St. Mary’s Residential School to remind me of what this is about; the people of these lands, the stewards of the resources and territories,” said Seymour.