Fellow nominee Robert Sinding congratulates Sarah Campbell on her NDP provincial nomination win. Photo courtesy of Fort Frances Times

More than 100 members of the Kenora-Rainy River NDP gathered in Fort Frances on August 15 to nominate Sarah Campbell for the upcoming provincial election.

Two party members were vying for the nomination, Campbell, from Oxdrift and Robert Sinding from Kenora.

The Aug. 15 vote in Fort Frances, was the final in a series of five traveling ballot box meetings in Sioux Lookout, Dryden, Red Lake and Kenora. After all the votes were tallied, Oxdrift’s Sarah Campbell was named the party’s candidate for Kenora-Rainy River.

“I’m overwhelmed with the outpouring of support,” Campbell said following her win. “I’m humbled by the faith that the membership has shown me and I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead.”

Campbell will be making a publicly-owned, not for profit hydro electricity system for northwestern Ontario her first priority.

Campbell says she feels part of her success is attributed to her employment with Howard Hampton, and has shown her dedication, values and hard work to the NDP and its constituents.

“This election is about choices and I’m confident that an orange wave is going to sweep across Kenora-Rainy River once again and across the province,” she said. Campbell says she plans to hit the ground running and will be back knocking on voters’ doors immediately.

“I’m looking forward to the campaign, and most importantly, speaking to the voters in our riding about their concerns — concerns that I will take to Queen’s Park on their behalf,” she said.

The Fort Frances nomination gala was attended by Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath, Kenora-Rainy River Member of Provincial Parliament Howard Hampton and Thunder Bay-Rainy River Member of Parliament John Rafferty who each addressed those in attendance.

By Ally Dunham