Candidates race around Spruce Woods as byelection looms Tuesday

RIVERS — The Progressive Conservative and NDP candidates in Spruce Woods spent Monday racing around the constituency in a last-ditch effort to earn votes ahead of Tuesday’s byelection.

NDP Premier Wab Kinew joined candidate Ray Berthelette in Rivers in the afternoon, where the pair, along with about 25 volunteers and staffers, targeted those who had yet to vote.

“I don’t think that we could have run a better campaign, and that’s because the people have been willing to take the time to talk to us,” Kinew said while knocking on doors in Rivers.

“We’ve managed to visit the communities across the riding, put the time in, knocked on the doors, and so now it’s up to the people,” he said. “People will make their choice, how they’re going to vote, and that’s the beauty of our democracy.”

Tory candidate Colleen Robbins said she was focusing on PC supporters getting out to vote.

“We’re just in the last push, and we’ll see tomorrow,” Robbins said from Brandon’s North End Community Centre, as she and volunteers were sorting flyers to give out later in the day.

Berthelette said he could see a light at the end of the tunnel after a month of campaigning.

“It’s been a grind, no doubt about it, but I’ve got a great team that is working hard for me,” Berthelette said outside Rivers Collegiate, before hitting the road to go to other parts of town.

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Berthelette’s campaign manager, Will O’Connor, said the candidate and his team have had conversations with 27 per cent of voters in the riding. Robbins said she, along with volunteers, had knocked on virtually every door in the riding by Saturday.

The flyers she was giving out had information about how to vote, including the times polls were open.

“Let’s put this on supporters’ doors, reminding them that it’s election day,” she said. “So they’ll see this, they’ll go, ‘Oh right, that’s (Tuesday).’ A lot of people have it in their calendars already, but you can’t be sure.”

The constituency has voted Tory every election since it was first contested in 2011.

Robbins said people often call Spruce Woods a PC stronghold, but if voters think that and don’t show up to cast their ballot, “you’re not going to win.”

The byelection was called last month after Grant Jackson, the former MLA, stepped down to run for the Conservatives in April’s federal election.

After door-knocking in Souris in the morning, Robbins was headed to Oak Lake, Rivers, Kemnay and Alexander to round out the day.

She said she’s walked as many as 31,000 steps a day since the campaign started, and is averaging more than 20,000 per day.

“I think I might have to keep doing this — I lost some weight and got some muscle and (am) toning myself and having fun,” she laughed.

Liberal candidate Stephen Reid said he worked hard over the weekend.

“I’m kind of sitting back, hoping that people are going to realize after hearing debates and after reading interviews, that the smart choice is to give me a try for this next two years,” he said. “Because I do possess the skills to get it done.”

Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at 20 different polling stations across the constituency. Spruce Woods residents can vote at any of the stations.

More information can be found on Elections Manitoba’s website at electionsmanitoba.ca.

— Brandon Sun