SUNDRE – Although there was no traditional debate format for this federal election cycle in Sundre, voters nevertheless had an opportunity to meet and greet recently with all five candidates running in the new Yellowhead riding.
The Sundre and District Chamber of Commerce hosted the informal affair on the evening of Wednesday, April 16 at the Sundre Community Centre with approximately 80 people attending.
Each one of the confirmed candidates – William Stevenson, CPC; Avni Soma, NDP; Michael Fark, Liberal; Vicky Bayford, PPC; and Dale Heath, Christian Heritage Party – were offered five minutes to introduce themselves and present policy platforms before then heading over to tables that were set up throughout the gymnasium to meet with voters.
Among them were stout conservative supporters who were already decided such as Sundre resident Tom Boucher, who was carrying a sign for Stevenson.
Asked what were among the main issues on his mind, Boucher said, “The biggest one would be an honest politician that doesn’t lie.”
But he also felt that some fat could be trimmed from what he considers a bloated federal bureaucracy.
“Get rid of some of the government,” he said. “There’s too many people in the government.”
While the Sundre region certainly has a well-established track record of voting blue in both the provincial and federal political arenas by large margins, conservatives are not necessarily a monolith.
“The things that matter most to me are the climate and I totally understand the economic issues out there, and the importance of trying to get reasonably priced housing for the upcoming generations,” said Bob Griebel, who lives in the Bergen area.
Griebel said all of the major issues might seem separate but are actually often interconnected and should all be approached at once with consideration to how one impacts another.
“The economy will impact the climate, the economy will impact our relationship with the U.S. – which is another big issue I think we have to deal with,” he said.
At the time of the forum, he still wasn’t quite sure which party might earn his vote.
“I still am undecided,” he said. “I’ve always leaned to the left, so I think my votes would go between the NDP and the Liberal Party.”
He did not express a particular preference for which one he hopes to see coming out ahead.
“I fully realize that the NDP vote is bleeding towards the Liberals nationally, and I think a lot of people are trying to decide whether they should be voting strategically or where their historic roots have been.”
While advance voting took place April 18-21, the official day for Canadians go to the polls is Monday, April 28.
For more on Yellowhead candidates, see pages 22 and 23.
