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Hot race in Thunder Bay-Superior North

All four Thunder Bay-Superior North candidates are well-known and deeply established. While the federal campaign tends to rest on the shoulders of the party leaders, more local voters will make their Oct.
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Thunder Bay-Superior North has a population of 80,702 people. Green Party MP Bruce Hyer has represented the riding since 2008. (Supplied Photo)

All four Thunder Bay-Superior North candidates are well-known and deeply established. While the federal campaign tends to rest on the shoulders of the party leaders, more local voters will make their Oct. 19 choice based on candidates' personalities.

Running his campaign on a platform of independence, it's a fight that incumbent Green MP Bruce Hyer is confident he can win.  

Elected as an NDP MP in Thunder Bay-Superior North in 2008, Hyer split with the party over what he said was a case of centralized party control. He sat as an independent for a year and a half before joining the Greens in December 2013.

Hyer said under the Green Party, he has found the freedom to bring Northwestern Ontario's issues to Parliament if he's elected to return.

"Who do you want your MP to work for," Hyer asked. "Do you want your MP to work for you or do you want your MP to work for party hacks and party leaders in Ottawa and merely be customer sales reps for their party in Thunder Bay-Superior North?"

Hyer tipped his hat to his high-profile opponents but said his campaign will not only align with the unique political culture of Northwestern Ontario but the political priorities as well. 

"The most important issues across Canada are a Canada that is cleaner, greener, safer, more prosperous and more sustainable that we can leave with good conscience to our children and our grandchildren," he said.

Nipigon Mayor and Conservative candidate, Richard Harvey lost to Hyer by 7,500 votes in the 2011 election but pulled in 30 per cent of the popular vote to place second. On his second time around, Harvey said voters will decide the 2015 contest by leadership and the economy.

 "It's a choice between proven, real-world experience and approaches that have failed before and are failing in other countries," he said.

"With the global economy remaining uncertain -- unstable -- and yet Canada's continues to perform very well in comparison to G7 countries." 

Shelter House executive director Patty Hajdu is the riding's Liberal candidate. She's running because she's seen Northwestern Ontario studied but no "real action" taken beyond the talk. She'll be focusing her campaign on innovation in manufacturing, affordable housing in Thunder Bay and what she calls better jobs, closer to home. 

"The Ring of Fire is a perfect example. We've had tons and tons of talk about the potential of the Ring of Fire but we've been stalled out by the lack of action at the federal level for our communities to move forward in an environmental and sustainable way to tap into that resource extraction opportunity," she said.

"Leaders are talking about how it might be another 20 or 25 years -- another generation or two away -- from having great opportunities for young people closer to home to raise their families with a decent living."

Three-term Thunder Bay City Councillor Andrew Foulds will be taking a leave of absence from representing Current River to carry the NDP banner into the federal race.

Foulds has been effectively campaigning since he received the party's nomination in March. He said jobs and the economy are top-of-mind for local voters but he has also heard health care, climate change and security for seniors as pressing issues.

His campaign will draw strength from the legacy of the late Jack Layton and the letter the former NDP Leader penned from his deathbed, espousing love, hope and optimism. 

"People can have the Canada they want and the Canada they deserve so that they can vote for something," he said.

"I'm just so pleased I get to run on that because it's something people can aspire to. That's really what the next 76 days is going to be about for me, is making the case that they can have the community, the city, the riding that they want."  

  

 

  





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