Latest news with #JamesAylward
CBC
29-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Liberal candidate Kent MacDonald projected to win P.E.I.'s Cardigan riding
The eastern riding is the only one on P.E.I. without an incumbent running CBC News has projected that rookie candidate Kent MacDonald is the winner in the eastern P.E.I. riding of Cardigan, an hour after results first started to roll in. With the majority the riding's 97 polls reporting, the Liberal candidate holds a lead of nearly 3,000 votes over Conservative candidate James Aylward. NDP candidate Lynne Thiele, Maria Rodriguez of the Green Party and Independent Wayne Phelan were vying for third place, ahead of People's Party of Canada candidate Adam Harding. MacDonald's supporters erupted in cheers and rushed to hug him as they watched the news that he was projected to win the riding. P.E.I.'s easternmost riding of Cardigan is a predominantly rural area, and there's a lot of it. It's the largest in area of the four ridings, and has the most eligible voters, according to Elections Canada. It's the only one of P.E.I.'s four ridings that does not have an incumbent candidate. Liberal Lawrence MacAulay, the longest-serving MP in the Island's history, confirmed in March that he wouldn't run again.
CBC
02-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
No damage to new ferry for N.S.-P.E.I. run after pipes froze during voyage, company says
Issue recently raised by federal Conservative candidate James Aylward The new vessel for the ferry service between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia experienced minor issues during its transatlantic voyage but suffered no damage, says the company that operates the service. MV Northumberland, which was acquired by Transport Canada for around $40 million, is currently docked in Pictou, N.S. Formerly named MV Fanafjord, the ship began its journey from Norway last December and arrived here in January. The ferry service across the Northumberland Strait has been inconsistent since the MV Holiday Island had to be scrapped following a fire aboard the ship in 2022. Last season, MV Confederation, the other vessel on the run, collided with the wharf and was out of service for weeks so damage could be repaired. MV Saaremaa, which Transport Canada leased from Quebec after Holiday Island was scrapped, is not designed for the often windy conditions on the strait, leading to frequent cancellations. Northumberland is expected to be a more reliable vessel for the service. But during a recent roundtable discussion on CBC's Island Morning with candidates running in P.E.I.'s federal Cardigan riding, Conservative candidate James Aylward raised concerns about the new vessel. "She's now over on the Nova Scotia side tied up with burst pipes because it wasn't winterized properly," Aylward said. He elaborated later that day on social media: "This ferry was left unwinterized when it arrived from Norway, resulting in many of the pipes freezing and bursting. We are now hearing that her new diesel engines were damaged from this total lack of maintenance and mismanagement." Ferry 'ready to go' Mark Wilson, president and CEO of Northumberland Ferries Ltd., said there were issues with pipes during the vessel's trip from Bermuda to Pictou, the final leg of its voyage. The vessel is designed to Norwegian specifications and the ship's freshwater pipes were insulated, Wilson said. "We experienced some very extreme winter conditions, resulting in some frozen freshwater pipes on the car deck," he told CBC News. "I wouldn't really classify it necessarily as a repair. We just found a solution to the issue and made it right." Wilson said it was a "relatively quick fix." "That didn't cause any damage anywhere throughout the ship," he said. "In terms of the diesel engines on the vessel, everything is in good working order, sailed well across the Atlantic, and the engines are brand new and ready to go [into] service this upcoming season." Wilson added that the company does not report minor maintenance issues to Transport Canada. Crew training and sea trials The ferry service is scheduled to resume for the season in May. Northumberland Ferries traditionally uses one ferry, MV Confederation, in the shoulder seasons and two during peak months. Wilson said preparations for MV Northumberland's inaugural season are well underway, with crew training ongoing. The ferry will be out for dock fits next week, he said, then will undergo extensive sea trials from both ports for the remainder of April.
CBC
24-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Here are the candidates running in Cardigan
This riding represents almost all of Kings County, stretching from Tracadie Bay and Scotchfort to East Point, from Souris down to Murray Harbour. Point Prim, Stratford and everywhere in between. Liberal MP Lawrence MacAulay has held this riding for 36 years, making him the longest-serving MP in the Island's history. MacAulay has announced that he's retiring and will not seek re-election in the upcoming election. Four candidates have been confirmed in this riding, and they're listed alphabetically by first name. Adam Harding, People's Party of Canada Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Adam Harding spent nine years in the Canadian Armed Forces before deciding to settle in Alliston, P.E.I., with his family in 2020. He now works as the lead hand for the Georgetown and Cardigan maintenance shops with the Town of Three Rivers' Public Works. During his time in the military, he served as a supply technician on HMCS Toronto and later as a plumbing and heating technician at CFB Bagotville and CFB Halifax. James Aylward, Conservative Party James Aylward served as the MLA for Stratford-Keppoch from 2011 to 2023. He was the leader of the provincial Progressive Conservatives from 2017 to 2018 and served as P.E.I.'s health minister during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Aylward later became minister of transportation in 2021 before being removed from cabinet in 2022. He did not seek re-election in 2023. Kent MacDonald, Liberal Party Kent MacDonald is a seventh-generation dairy farmer from Little Pond. He's a new candidate for the federal Liberals in the riding for the first time in nearly four decades. MacDonald is a past director, vice-chair and chair of Dairy Farmers of P.E.I., and was a director and vice-chair of the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture. He is the current president of Pondsedge Farms, his family's dairy and beef operation. Lynne Thiele, New Democratic Party Thiele, who lives in Stratford, is a former educator. She is active in social issues and runs a volunteer reading program, according to a release from the party. Thiele ran unsuccessfully with the NDP for a provincial seat twice previously, and also represented the party in Cardigan for the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
