Vandal re-elected once again

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This article was published 29/09/2021 (1713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Federal cabinet minister Dan Vandal has been re-elected as the MP for Saint Boniface-Saint Vital.

Elections Canada reported that Vandal — the 61-year-old Liberal Party candidate — had garnered 19,696 votes, or 43 per cent of the vote, once all 185 polls had reported.

Also on the ballot in Saint Boniface-Saint Vital were Conservative Party of Canada candidate Shola Agboola, who finished second with 13,091 votes, or 28.6 per cent, and NDP candidate Meghan Waters, who finished third with 10,001 votes, or 21.8 per cent. People’s Party of Canada candidate Jane MacDiarmid finished fourth with 1,976 votes, or 4.3 per cent, and Green Party of Canada candidate Laurent Poliquin finished fifth with 658 votes, or 1.4 per cent.

At an event at Pasquale’s restaurant on Marion Street for his family, friends, supporters and volunteers on election night, Vandal said he was looking forward to the next few years after the five-week election campaign.   

“It’s been a weird election, and we’re living in a difficult time,” Vandal said.

“I think this is recognition for the work I’m doing in the community, and the work our government is doing across the country for the people of Canada. Our first priority remains to get through COVID-19. I’m very proud to be part of our team and I look forward to the next few years.”

Vandal said he was proud of the contribution of his support team and team of volunteers, which he said has never been larger.

“When I win this, it’s because of the contributions of the volunteers that have been helping out. I commend them, and that’s why we’re here now.”

One such volunteer was 21-year-old Lauryn Handoga, who said she believes the future looks bright for a whole new generation of Liberal volunteers in the riding.

“It’s awesome to be one of the young people involved in this election. We’ve had a really positive experience going door-to-door, and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens tonight. I think it’s awesome for young people to have a voice,” she said.

Talking to The Lance on Sept. 21, the day after the election, Vandal said he was happy with the result.

“The people of Saint Boniface-Saint Vital have given me another mandate, and I’m very happy about that. As I’ve said, we need to make sure we win the fight against COVID, because until we do that, things won’t return to normal,” Vandal said.

“It’s also been a tough summer in terms of forest fires and drought, and we’re battling a climate crisis. There’s also $10-a-day daycare, which we hope will mean more women are able to return to the workforce. Reconciliation is a big thing, of course, and we continue to move forward with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, which is incredibly important. As well, making life more affordable for seniors remains a priority, as we continue to move forward with the old age supplement. There’s a lot to get through.”

Locally, Vandal said he’s looking forward to continuing to work with local councillors and MLAs in relation to investing in local infrastructure, including streets, sidewalks, and community centres.

When asked about the timing of the election, Vandal said it’s an important time for Canadians to have a voice.

“It’s time for Canadians to weigh in on all these issues. You can never go wrong when you ask Canadians which way they want to go, and now we have an answer and a new mandate, and that’s positive,” he said.

“Now, I’m very much looking forward to representing the good people of Saint Boniface-Saint Vital for another mandate. As always, it’s going to be my privilege.”

While the result isn’t the outcome Agboola was hoping for, he said running for the Conservatives was a valuable and rewarding experience.

“The people have spoken. I learned what did and didn’t work, and I’m trying to learn from all of that,” Agboola, who was running in an election for the time, said.

“We put in a lot of hard work, and I’m most proud of the support I received in the community. So many people reached out to me, especially members of immigrant communities, many of whom were voting for the first time, which gives me a great sense of pride.”

NDP candidate Waters, who was also running in an election for the first time, said she’s happy about things went, all things considered — not least because she was able to increase the vote share for the party in the riding compared to recent federal elections.

“I’m really, really pleased with how things went in certain areas, such as Old St. Vital, and it was the highest vote share for the NDP for some time,” Waters said, noting she was pleasantly surprised how much she enjoyed the campaigning part of the process.

“When I was thinking about running, I was talking to my husband about the face-to-face component of it, but going door-to-door probably turned out to be my favourite part of it. I really enjoyed talking to people, and listening to their thoughts and ideas, and sharing my values with the community.”   

This is the second time Vandal has sought re-election in the riding. The longtime former city councillor and lifelong St. Boniface resident was first elected to Parliament in 2015, and was re-elected in 2019. When the election was called in August, he was serving as Northern Affairs minister in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet.