A new era in St. Boniface

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This article was published 23/07/2018 (2915 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The recent byelection in St. Boniface was significant for the riding in more ways than one.

That’s according to political figures and experts in light of the election of Dougald Lamont — the Manitoba Liberal Party candidate and party leader — in the July 17 byelection in the southeast Winnipeg riding. The vacancy in the riding was created by the resignation of longtime St. Boniface MLA and former premier Greg Selinger earlier this year.

According to unofficial election results from Elections Manitoba, Lamont had 2,625 votes. His nearest rival for the seat, NDP candidate Blandine Tona, had 1,770. Françoise Therrien Vrignon, the Green Party of Manitoba candidate, took third with 1,017, and Progressive Conservative candidate Mamadou Ka placed fourth with 834. Voter turnout was recorded at 48.38 per cent.

Saint Boniface-Saint Vital MP Dan Vandal, who was supporting Lamont in Winnipeg on byelection day, said he is looking forward to working with the new St. Boniface MLA on a variety of issues.

“I’ve known Dougald for a long time, and he’s a fine candidate,” Vandal told The Lance.  

“I think he’s the kind of representative I can work very well with. I worked well with Greg Selinger, and I think I’ll work well with Dougald. It always helps to have three governments on the same page.” 

 
Vandal said while infrastructure is an important issue in the riding, issues such as health care and education, as well as issues relating to the francophone community, is also front and centre.

The former longtime city councillor for St. Boniface said that being a good listener is one of Lamont’s strengths, which should serve him well in office.

“He’s experienced at how government works, and he’s a good listener. He listens to constituents and he listens to their concerns.”

Mary Agnes Welch, a senior researcher at Probe Research, said she was surprised by two things relating to the byelection.

“Firstly, the size of his win — lots of people thought he it would be much closer, but he won handily,” Welch said.

“Secondly, people were taking bets on how low the turnout would be, but many people underestimated this. In some ways, we shouldn’t have been surprised because of how high stakes this byelection was, and people tend to turn out when they think their votes really matters.”

Minutes after his byelection victory became evident at his election headquarters at the Norwood Hotel, Lamont said “it’s about new leadership and opposition in the legislature.”

“I said this a year ago, and I’ll say it again today — it doesn’t have to be this way. What is happening in politics right now is not the new normal. St. Boniface, you have shown that change is possible,” he said.