NDP’s Campbell wins riding

News — 11 October 2011

By Chris Marchand

Following in the steps of her mentor Howard Hampton, the New Democrats’ Sarah Campbell cruised to an easy victory in the race for the Kenora Rainy-River Riding, election night Oct. 6.

Hampton’s former aide, Campbell clinched her seat in Queen’s Park capturing 49.2 per cent of the vote (10,752).

Progressive Conservative candidate Rod McKay, a sawmill manager and Kenora City Councillor, was the runner up, with 38 per cent of the vote (8,314).

Campbell says over the past month she’s learned a lot about what the people of her riding are looking for in a leader. She credits her former boss, Hampton, for setting the bar high.

“Someone who is hard-working, sincere; also someone who reaches out and really engages people,” said Campbell. “I think a lot of people were really feeling disconnected. When you feel disconnected you feel apathetic as well.”

Campbell says the people of riding are concerned with the province’s role in the cost of living.

“Affordability and jobs — I think those were the two biggest things,” said Campbell. “People are feeling squeezed and they are really feeling the disappearance of our middle class. They’ve seen our jobs just disappear for the region and they want something to be done about that. People like living here and they should be able to comfortably as they’ve always done.”

Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty’s unpopularity in northwestern Ontario was reflected in Liberal candidate Anthony Leek’s third place finish. Leek received just under 2,173 votes for less than 10 per cent of the vote. While retaining his job as Premier, McGuinty’s Liberals fell just one seat shy (53) of maintaining their majority.

Voter turnout in the region dipped below 50 per cent with some 21,843 votes cast among over 45,000 eligible voters.

Queen’s Park will see 37 seats occupied by PC members and 17 seats among the NDP.

The Green Party’s Jojo Holiday received 385 votes for 1.7 per cent and Northern Ontario Heritage Party’s Charmaine Romaniuk, a late-comer to the 2011 campaign, earned 219 votes (1 per cent).

Well acquainted with the enormity of the riding and the diversity of its residents, Campbell says she has no illusions about the level of committment required to do her new job.

“This riding is huge and you have to work hard every single day,” she said. “You have to be nomadic to a certain extent. “You have to have a genuine respect for the people in the riding. If you have that respect and you really like the job, and I love what I do already, then it falls into place. You want to see people in your communities have good lives.”

Campbell says a less than ten per cent showing for the Liberal Party in the riding indicates to her a reaction against the rising cost of living.

“I think they’re saying they need a break, they’re tired of being squeezed,” said Campbell. “Whether it’s the health tax, the eco-tax, the HST on essentials — that combined with massive job losses — people are saying they want change. I think we provided the positive change that people were attracted to.”

In the meantime, Campbell says she’s looking forward to a change in her election wardrobe.

“Now I can back off on all the orange shirts,” she said. “Although I think the Bargain Store in Fort Frances is going to miss my business, I just bought about five more today.”

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About Author

chrismarchand

Chris Marchand is a native of Dryden, Ontario. He served his first newspaper internship at The Dryden Observer in 1998 while attending journalism studies at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops B.C. He's worked desks as both reporter and editor at the Fernie Free Press as well as filled the role of sports editor at the Cranbrook Daily Townsman. Marchand was named editor of the Dryden Observer in Aug. 2009.