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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Ballots cast in Fort Whyte as advance polls open

By: Carol Sanders

Posted: 08/26/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Lisa Kingham, manager of Elections Operations, sets up a voting sign at the returning office located at 2233 McGillivray Blvd. Saturday after it was knocked down by the wind. The McGillivray office is one of two advance polling stations that opened Saturday morning for the Fort Whyte byelection. They will be open for advance polling until Sept 1st. (RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

On a sunny summer afternoon, the spray pad outside the community centre was quiet as a steady stream of voters filed indoors to an advance poll in Fort Whyte's byelection Saturday.

"If you don't vote, you can't bitch," laughed Tim Green, who stopped to cast his ballot at the Linden Woods Community Centre, where he is vice-president.

Premier Greg Selinger called the byelection on Aug. 3, giving each campaign team five weeks to get their message out before voting day on Sept. 4. The byelection was called after former Tory leader Hugh McFadyen resigned.

By suppertime Saturday, close to 200 voters had cast a ballot at Linden Woods and around 70 at the 2233 McGillivray Blvd. polling station, Elections Manitoba workers said. The advance polls stayed open until 8 p.m.

Advance polls are open again today from noon to 6 p.m. at the Lindenwoods Drive West club and in an office building at 2233 McGillivray Blvd.

The PCs have held Fort Whyte -- solidly -- since it was created in 1999.

Green said he's always voted Progressive Conservative.

"I'm a redneck from the oilpatch," he laughed.

But Green said he is having a hard time with the fact his party's candidate and leader, Brian Pallister, doesn't live in Fort Whyte. Before taking the reins of the PC party, the former MLA and MP was a financial consultant based in Portage la Prairie. He now lives in Charleswood.

Green said the fact Pallister is the PC leader didn't sway him but he did not divulge which candidate got his vote.

He voted at the advance poll because he was at the community centre Saturday on other business and it was convenient, he said.

Some showed up to vote because they will be out of town for the Labour Day weekend, and didn't want their names published to advertise they won't be home.

A woman setting up for an anniversary party at the community centre said she's lived in Fort Whyte for six years and was planning to vote Progressive Conservative until she heard Pallister doesn't live in the riding.

"Definitely it matters!" she exclaimed.

Another voter who will be travelling next week said he doesn't care if Pallister lives in Charleswood. "He's a curler, that's good." The man said he wants to see an "overhaul" of Manitoba's health-care system.

"Health care is a big issue," he said. With less than a million people, Winnipeg doesn't need more than three hospitals, the 23-year area resident said.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

The candidates

Brian Pallister (Progressive Conservative): He is the new leader of the party and a former MLA and MP. Before taking the reins of the PC party, he was a financial consultant based in Portage la Prairie.

Brandy Schmidt (NDP): A relative newcomer to politics, she works for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada as manager of community engagement.

Bob Axworthy (Liberal): Axworthy is the younger brother of former Manitoba Liberal MP Lloyd Axworthy. He's a businessman and longtime Liberal activist.

Donnie Benham (Green party): Benham, son of former Winnipeg city councillor Donald Benham, ran in Tuxedo in the 2011 provincial election. He works in security at the city's airport.

Darrell Ackman (Independent): Ackman was charged earlier this year with allegedly recruiting girls to appear in porn and work in the sex trade. He is out on bail with a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and is prohibited from contacting women under 18.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 26, 2012 A4

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