Battle River-Crowfoot candidates predict a tougher byelection for Pierre Poilievre than landslide April election win
Battle River-Crowfoot candidates say many voters are unhappy about having to go back to the polls less than four months after re-electing their Conservative Party of Canada MP.
Article content
Residents of the rural Alberta riding overwhelmingly voted for Damien Kurek in April's general election, when the now former MP received over 82 per cent of the vote.
Article content
Article content
But following Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre's defeat in his Ottawa-area riding in April, Kurek officially stepped aside in June to allow Poilievre to run in what's regarded as a safe Conservative riding. A byelection will take place Aug. 18 in Battle River-Crowfoot, a huge riding spanning close to 53,000 square kilometres that includes the communities of Camrose, Drumheller, Wainwright and Stettler.
Article content
Independent candidate Bonnie Critchley, who lives in the central Alberta town of Tofield, in the northwest corner of the riding, says a surprising number of Conservative voters feel Kurek 'sold us out.'
Article content
Article content
'If Mr. Poilievre beats me in the upcoming election, it won't be by much,' said Critchley, who argues the riding needs a local candidate who understands their concerns.
Article content
The needs of the Ottawa-area Carlton riding, where the Conservative leader held a seat for two decades, are much different than those of the rural Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot, said Critchley.
Article content
'Very few of my neighbours that I've talked to are particularly happy about the idea of Mr. Poilievre just assuming we're going to vote for him because we voted for Mr. Kurek,' said Critchley, adding Kurek is a farmer and understood the riding's needs.
Article content
Article content
Article content
Besides 'being tired and angry, and tired of being angry, from the 'American-style politics that keep leaking over the border,' Battle River-Crowfoot residents are mainly concerned with the increasing cost of living, said Critchley, a retired military veteran who served over 22 years.
Article content
Critchley said some of her platform points, such as the right to repair, address ways to reduce this.
Article content
'As (appliances) become more and more proprietary, it costs us more and more, and we have lost work hours because we have to sit there and try to work around broken equipment that we can't repair on our own, or can't repair on our own, because companies are refusing to provide parts.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
19 minutes ago
- CBC
Police investigating 'hate-motivated' assault on Muslim woman in Kanata
A Muslim woman was assaulted and threatened in a "hate-motivated incident" on an OC Transpo bus in Kanata Monday afternoon, in a situation which has drawn the attention of Prime Minister Mark Carney. The suspect is a thin white man with a beard who left the bus in Kanata, Ottawa Police Service said in a Monday evening release that shared few details about the incident. OPS are seeking witnesses. Aisha Sherazi, a leader in the local Muslim community, said people are afraid, angry, and have many questions. "He allegedly used Islamophobic slurs and threatened her life," she said. "As a female as well, this touches a nerve for all of us. And so I hope the police are able to find him. I hope the community cooperates fully with them." OPS wrote they are "working closely with the victim and leaders in the Muslim community." The Kanata Muslim Association posted a "safety alert" about the assault on Facebook. "Visible minorities, especially women wearing hijab, please stay alert on public transit in the Kanata area," the association wrote. "If you experience or witness harassment or assault, report it to police immediately." Mayor Mark Sutcliffe publicly condemned the assault Tuesday afternoon in a social media post. "We must all stand together against Islamophobia and hatred in all its forms," he wrote. "Everyone should feel safe while travelling on public transit or anywhere else in Ottawa." Later the same evening, Prime Minister Carney wrote online that the reported threats and slurs were "reprehensible," adding that "the perpetrator must be held accountable." Kanata MP Jenna Sudds wrote on Instagram that she had spoken with the victim's family to offer support. "Moments like these remind us of the power of unity and the urgent need to speak up, contact the police, and alert OC Transpo when witnessing an attack," she wrote. "Our collective voice is essential to protect those targeted and to stand firmly against hatred."
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Trump and Putin will meet at an Alaska military base long used to counter Russia
WASHINGTON (AP) — In an ironic twist, President Donald Trump is set to discuss the war in Ukraine with Russian leader Vladimir Putin at a military base in Alaska that was crucial to countering the Soviet Union during the height of Cold War and still plays a role today. The meeting is scheduled to take place Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson outside Anchorage, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning. The base created by merging Elmendorf Air Force Base and Army Fort Richardson in 2010 has played a key strategic role in monitoring and deterring the Soviet Union during much of the Cold War. Throughout its long history, the base hosted large numbers of aircraft and oversaw operations of a variety of early warning radar sites that were aimed at detecting Soviet military activity and any possible nuclear launches. It earned the motto 'Top Cover for North America' at this time, according to the base website. While much of the military hardware has since been deactivated, the base still hosts key aircraft squadrons, including the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jet. Planes from the base also still intercept Russian aircraft that regularly fly into U.S. airspace. The irony of Putin visiting an American military base that long has — and still does — aimed to counter Russian threats comes as Trump works to reach a ceasefire deal in a war that he promised during the 2024 campaign to end quickly. Officials from Ukraine and Europe fear that the one-on-one meeting they will not take part in could lead to an outcome that favors Russian goals. French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump was 'very clear' that the United States wants to achieve a ceasefire at the summit. Macron spoke after a virtual meeting between Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders. Trump has said any major agreement could involve land swaps and that Zelenskyy and Putin could meet next or he could meet with the two leaders.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
‘No appetite' for municipal tax dollars to support new Sens arena: Sutcliffe
A rendering of what a new Ottawa Senators arena on LeBreton Flats could look like. (Capital Sports Development Inc.) Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says he does not believe local taxpayers want city funds to go into a new NHL arena. The Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission jointly announced on Monday that they had signed an agreement for the sale and purchase of about 11 acres of land in LeBreton Flats, which the Senators plan to use to build a new hockey arena. Neither the Sens nor the NCC would comment further on the deal, but in previous discussions, Senators President Cyril Leeder said a new arena, if one is built, would take several years to complete. Mark Sutcliffe Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says he does not believe there's public appetite for city money to go toward a new arena for the Ottawa Senators. (CTV News Ottawa) In the meantime, Sutcliffe says the City of Ottawa has other priorities for its tax dollars. 'I don't think there's an appetite for public dollars to go into an NHL hockey arena. There are other priorities that we're working on right now to invest in public assets, including recreation facilities, including Lansdowne Park, including roads and sidewalks and bike lanes,' Sutcliffe told CTV News Ottawa on Tuesday. 'There are many, many other priorities that we're focused on right now and I don't think the public wants us to write a cheque to support the construction of an NHL arena.' The City is notably in the process of the Lansdowne 2.0 revitalization, a nearly half-billion-dollar project to rebuild stands at the city-owned TD Place Stadium and tear down and construct an entirely new arena for teams such as the Ottawa 67's and the Ottawa Charge. The City of Ottawa has estimated the price-tag for the new 5,500-seat event centre and a north-side stands at $419 million, but a report from the auditor general warned construction cost estimates could be understated by $73.4 million. The City of Calgary and the City of Edmonton have put municipal dollars toward NHL arenas in their respective markets. Sutcliffe says the news about the land purchase agreement is a 'big step forward' for the Sens and for the city, and he's excited to see more details once the team develops its plans more formally. 'Right now, I think the ball is very much in the Senators' court. They've secured a piece of land in the centre of Ottawa. They want to build an arena. So, I think the next step is up to them in terms of how quickly they want to move and what they want to do next,' he said. 'It's so early in the process. We've not been asked for anything. The Senators have not made any requests to us. We don't even know what the plan is going to look like… it's all very early.' While city tax dollars might not go into building the arena itself, the city will still be involved in the infrastructure surrounding the site, Sutcliffe said. 'With any development in the city, when there's something exciting happening, we're ready to be partners and ready to work with the proponents in order to make sure that it's moved forward as quickly as possible and the city's doing everything it can to support it,' he said. Canadian Tire Centre The Canadian Tire Centre will remain the home of the Ottawa Senators as the club takes the next step in building a new arena at LeBreton Flats. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa) If the Senators do build a new arena, moving the team out of the Canadian Tire Centre would have an economic impact on Kanata, Sutcliffe added. 'The Canadian Tire Centre has been a major economic driver for Kanata and for the entire west end of Ottawa for 30 years now. It's a major employer, it drives a lot of economic activity in the area for restaurants and other businesses, so we need a plan for that site to make sure that the economy in the west end of the city and in Kanata is sustained and preserved,' he said. With files from CTV News Ottawa's Josh Pringle
