FEDS - Election Final Days
FEDS - Election Final Days
FEDS - Election Final Days
INSIDE
Local candidates are riding a wave of optimism as the May 2 federal election draws near. Ill just keep knocking on doors Ill keep on knocking on doors right til the election, incumbent John Rafferty, the NDP candidate, said yesterday morning. Ill be knocking on doors and talking to people, listening to their concerns, he vowed. Its what hes been doing, not only during this campaign but over
the last two-and-a-half years as MP for Thunder Bay-Rainy River, which he says has included listening and talking to people, and getting his directions from constituents for what needs to be done in Parliament. In talking to people, Rafferty said whats at the top of his list of prioritiesaffordability, retirement security, and health careare what other people are concerned about, as well. Mr. Harper [said] just before the election that as far as the economy is concerned, its mission accom-
plished, Rafferty noted. Well, its not mission accomplished in Northern Ontario and I suspect in many other areas of Canada. So that spurs me on to continue the work that Im doing because its at almost every door step thats a big concern, he added. And while he doesnt know if statistics will bear him out, Rafferty said in talking to people, it seems that more are engaged in this election compared to past ones. I dont know if thats going to be
the end result if more people come out and vote. I hope they do, he remarked. [But] thats the overwhelming sense that I getthat people are interested, and people are going to be going out to vote. As well, he said that almost every young person he has talked to is planning to cast a ballot, particularly first-time voters. So theyre engaged and I think that thats a good sign, too. The momentum for us is growing, said Liberal candidate Ken Boshcoff.
The support seems to be increasing and everybody here is very, very upbeat, he noted. Boshcoff, who represented the riding following the 2004 and 2006 elections, is hoping to regain the seat he lost to Rafferty in 2008. And with a close race between himself and Rafferty this time around, it means that everything counts, Boshcoff stressed. So here we go. Theres no shutouts in any political process, but I have to say Please see Candidates, A5
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list has ever reached. Meanwhile across the province, some 23,000 people with a developmental disability are on wait lists for services, with 12,000 of those waiting for residential supports, Barr said. But while these numbers continue to climb, funding has stalled. For several years now, the province has asked agencies that support individuals with a developmental disability to do more with little new funding investment in the sector, Barr explained. In 2008/09, the province required that supports and services delivered by the sector be increased without providing any new funding. Then last year, Barr said more than $20 million in funding that the province had committed to Community Living agencies was redirected to pay for changes required under new provincial legislation. Please see Local, A6
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Cleaning up
Local Sparks Tatum Kielczewski-Ronmark and Joelle Bruyere, along with other local Girl Guides, did their part to help keep Fort Frances clean by picking up litter along the waterfront last Wednesday evening in the lead-up to Earth Day, which fell on Good Friday this year. Peggy Revell photo
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Local Liberal hopeful Ken Boshcoff gave his opening remarks during last Wednesday nights all-candidates debate held at the Civic Centre here while NDP incumbent John Rafferty and moderator Tannis Drysdale looked on. Also taking part were Conservative candidate Maureen Moe Comuzzi-Stehmann and Ed Shields of the Green Party. The debate, organized by Peggy Revell photo the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce, drew about 50 residents.
this is what she has been told when talking with the border agency. Preferential treatment for stars tells me that these kinds of precedents can only help make our case, replied Liberal candidate Ken Boschoff, saying there have been improvements but that more work has to be done to regain lost visitors. When he was MP for Thunder Bay-Rainy River from 2004-08, Boshcoff noted he and various stakeholders came together to identify issues where each could hammer out solutions, adding he would continue to do this sort of thing if elected. Awareness is the key, he stressed, so that any issues can be dealt with before a person reaches the borderand stop the bad publicity. Boshcoff also said the same rules that apply to airports should apply to land crossings. Our response must be to do whatever we can to reduce the impact and improve accessibility, he remarked. NDP incumbent John Rafferty also reiterated the impact border issues have had on local tourism industry, calling it a double whammy as tourism also have been dinged by the implementation of the HST. Rafferty noted that to get a clearer picture of what has been happening, he had filed a Freedom of Information request about all border crossings across Canada something which hasnt been given to him yet. As well, hes requested a meeting in Ottawa with the CBSA chief and Thunder Bay headneither of which has happened. Rafferty pledged that he will continue to work on the issue if re-elected as MP. Forestry Forestry still has a great future, Boshcoff said in response to a question on what the candidates would do to help the forest industry in the region. He pointed to the work he did as MP with the Natural Resources committee on a report on federal solutions for forestry that was unanimously adopted by the House of Commons, although was
Douglas Judson waved from aboard the Liberals 737 jet during the recent campaign efforts by the party. The former district resident has been travelling around with Liberal leader MiSubmitted photo chael Ignatieff while on his national tour.