As the campaign turns: Karaoke and balloon faces

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This article was published 16/10/2015 (3671 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Behind every candidate is a hungry group of volunteers, pounding the pavement, handing out flyers and working until all hours of the night.

Behind every volunteer is the campaign office, which has similar markings — a refurbished office with barren walls save a few campaign posters, teams of volunteers planning the door-knocking schedule and a fridge to feed the masses.

The Free Press decided to head to the campaign offices of three candidates from the three main parties, to find out what goes on behind the scenes and what’s in their fridge.

Terry Duguid, Liberal candidate for Winnipeg South, campaign office on Pembina Highway: Beyond the sea of red that hits you the second you walk in – reflections from the Justin Trudeau posters that plaster the walls – it is evident Duguid has gathered a huge machine in his fourth bid to take office. He’s recruited a group of University of Manitoba students, many from the Pakistani Student Association, to work the phones. His campaign manager, David Boyes, has a hideaway bed in his office, which he sleeps on during long nights of the campaign.

Most unique thing about the office: It’s attached to the abandoned Zellers on Pembina Highway, which the campaign team has co-opted as their own personal sign warehouse.

What’s in the fridge: A bottle of white wine, sandwiches, soda drinks, salad and muffins. On the Friday night before Thanksgiving, they had a spread of hot food selections, including pulled pork, chicken pasta and a vegetable tray.

Erin Selby, NDP candidate for Saint Boniface-Saint Vital, campaign office on St. Mary’s Road: Walking into the former NDP MLA’s office is like a throwback to the provincial leadership race last year. Former fellow cabinet minister Jennifer Howard was at the office with her family, along with a host of other volunteers seen during Theresa Oswald’s failed leadership attempt. Alissa Brandt, the former director of the premier’s secretariat, is managing Selby’s campaign. While not as well-fed as Duguid’s campaign, they know how to have fun — orange balloons with the faces of volunteers drawn on them line the walls of the office; even NDP Leader Tom Mulcair has his own balloon.

Most unique thing about the office: The karaoke machine, which is put to use every Saturday when the team winds down. Selby is known to entertain the crowd with songs by ABBA. According to Brandt, the team’s top karaoke songs include P!nk’s Get the Party Started, Summer Nights from the Grease soundtrack, Taylor Swift’s Shake it Off and Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline.

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What’s in the fridge: The team probably eats healthier than the average campaign, with a selection of fruit, yogurt and homemade soup available for hungry volunteers.

Jim Bell, Conservative candidate for Kildonan-St. Paul, campaign office on Henderson Highway: Bell probably boasts one of the youngest campaign volunteers pounding the pavement — four-year-old Cole Chabbert. Drawn in by the allure of shoving flyers under doors and juice boxes branded with Bell’s name, he is described by the team as one of the most enthusiastic volunteers. Cole’s mom, Rachel Chabbert, said they turned volunteering for the campaign into a family affair, allowing Cole to learn about the democratic process. Bell’s office is managed by Evann Goltz, a former parliamentary assistant to the riding’s former Tory MP, Joy Smith, who was in Winnipeg just to help with the campaign.

Most unique thing about the office: The campaign office doesn’t have karaoke or a hot-plate spread, but it does have freshly baked desserts from a former professional baker — Helen Bell, Jim’s wife.

What’s in the fridge: The fridge is bare save for some fruit, but Helen’s freshly baked platter of cookies, lemon buns and cinnamon buns more than makes up for it.