Dancho running for Conservatives in Kildonan-St. Paul
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This article was published 30/09/2019 (2190 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Raquel Dancho is the Conservative Party candidate for Kildonan-St. Paul.
The 29-year-old served as a policy analyst for the provincial Progressive Conservative party, and as special assistant to ministers Rochelle Squires and Cathy Cox. She said she was inspired to run for election at the federal level by many of the women she has worked with in government.
“I thought, if they can do it, maybe I can do it,” the North Kildonan resident said. “I just couldn’t sit idly by and watch what Trudeau has been doing to our country.”
Dancho, who grew up in Beausejour, Man., and studied political science at McGill University in Montreal, said she feels the Liberal government’s “reckless” spending has had little to no positive impact for residents in Kildonan-St. Paul.
“People are squeezed,” she said. “When you spend the cupboard bare, how it is going to be when interest rates go up, or if we end up in a recession? That’s of grave concern to me, particularly when I haven’t heard from one person in this riding who feels like they are better off in the last four years.”
The seed to Dancho’s passion for politics was planted early on by her farming family.
“Chrétien had introduced some policy that affected farmers, and I heard my parents and grandparents venting at the kitchen table,” she said. “I felt that there was a disconnect between my humble, hard-working family and the decision-makers in Ottawa. I was concerned about it, and thought that one day I’ll go to this Ottawa place and fight for my family.”
Dancho has made it a point with her campaign to share her passion for politics with others who might be new to the political process.
“I felt that if I ran, it might inspire other young people to get involved,” she said. “We have a team with a group of people who are very experienced, who have been through many elections, and on the other hand a group of young keeners who are first-timers who I’ve brought on board and mentored. I hope to continue encouraging youth involvement going forward.”
After committing as the Conservative candidate for Kildonan-St. Paul, Dancho quit her job as special assistant to the Minister of Sport, Culture, and Heritage and started her own consulting business.
“I wanted to focus on this campaign, because it is very important to me,” she said.
With her experience at the provincial level, Dancho feels she would be well-suited to facilitating large infrastructure projects for the area.
“I’d like to see the Chief Peguis extension go forward, but you’re only going to get a major project like that together if you get all three levels of government at the table,” she said. “You have to work collaboratively, if you want to get major projects built. I do feel I would be the best-placed of all the candidates running to deliver on major infrastructure funding or community level funding.”
Another local project that Dancho feels deserves immediate attention is the North End Sewage Treatment Plant.
“The Red River runs literally down the middle of this riding,” she said. “There are a number of things that can done to fix this problem with the North End Sewage Treatment Plant, but I would consider it a huge victory if we can deliver on starting that process very seriously.”
Sheldon Birnie
Community Journalist
Sheldon Birnie is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. The author of Missing Like Teeth: An Oral History of Winnipeg Underground Rock (1990-2001), his writing has appeared in journals and online platforms across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. A husband and father of two young children, Sheldon enjoys playing guitar and rec hockey when he can find the time. Email him at sheldon.birnie@freepress.mb.ca Call him at 204-697-7112
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Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Sheldon Birnie
Community Journalist
Sheldon Birnie is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. The author of Missing Like Teeth: An Oral History of Winnipeg Underground Rock (1990-2001), his writing has appeared in journals and online platforms across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. A husband and father of two young children, Sheldon enjoys playing guitar and rec hockey when he can find the time. Email him at sheldon.birnie@freepress.mb.ca Call him at 204-697-7112
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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