FORT FRANCES, Ont. -- Despite issues surrounding the leadership cadre of the Ontario PC's continue, the candidate for Kenora - Rainy River, is moving ahead with his campaign to attain office this summer.
Greg Rickford kicked off his campaign with a meet and greet event in Fort Frances, but despite the upbeat nature of the event, a dark cloud still lingered over the party.
As a certain high profile guest was missing from the launch, and for good reason.
Initially former leader Patrick Brown was to attend and help Rickford kick off his campaign, but a change was made after a week of general disarray and shock in the PC party, as the fallout from the allegations and subsequent resignations of Brown, and party president Rick Dykstra.
Despite that Rickford said he is confident and supportive of interim leader Vic Fedelli.
“We appreciate Vic, a Northern Ontario guy, square to rights, coming from North Bay an honourable man in his own right,” Rickford said.
“I feel like Vic is well positioned to help, you know, iron out some of the problems and challenges that we may have.”
The PC's will be selecting their new leader in March just two and a half months ahead of the June seventh election.
Rickford, who previously served as federal MP for Kenora, was nominated in November last year and wanted to wait until his team was ready and until the logistics of the boundary realignment from the Far North Electoral Boundaries Commission were sorted out before making it official.
He says he is ready to tackle the issues facing the region despite this year being the first time residents in the Fort Frances - Rainy River areas will see his name on the ballot.
“I have a reputation for having a strong voice being very dedicated to the constituents with my passport clinics and the like when I was a federal member,” Rickford said.
“I’m very hands-on and service orientated out of my constituency offices and delivering. We’ve been a strong voice, I’ve got a lot of experience in the political arena and we’ve delivered results.”
While the switch from federal to provincial politics brings a new set of demographics Rickford says for him there won't be much of a difference in tackling the issues for the region.
“I've always maintained that Fort Frances has a certain likeness to Kenora, to Vermilion Bay to Dryden to Ignace,” he said.
“We feel and look a lot the same we have a lot of the same opportunities and a lot of the same issues and I think it makes sense that it’s in the same district.”
Rickford says he still plans to bring that platform to the electorate this year, however, there are some subtle changes and nuances he would like to see made for it to better suit the Northwest.
(Northwest Newsweek)
