High profile Liberal candidate Chrystia Freeland took time off her campaign in Toronto today to visit Owen Sound, in an attempt to rally support for the local Liberal candidate in the swing riding.
The Conservatives have held the riding since 2004, but now that incumbent Larry Miller is retiring, the Liberals are hoping to make in-roads.
“The campaign chooses to send ministers to the places we think we can win,” said Freeland today.
Michael Den Tandt is the Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound Liberal candidate. He was thrilled to have the heavy-hitting visitor in his area.
“She is one of the greatest foreign ministers, I think of the modern era, and she also cares a lot about people,” he said on Friday.
Freeland is the second heavy-weight Liberal to visit Owen Sound recently. Justin Trudeau paid the city a visit in September.
Retired Colonel Alex Ruff is running for the Conservatives. He spent the day knocking on doors in with a team of volunteers in Meaford.
“I want to be that strong voice to stand up for rural Canada,” Ruff said.
In the last election, the conservatives won Bruce Grey Owen Sound, with 47 percent of the vote.
Green Party candidate Danielle Valiquette was also campaigning in the riding today.
“We are hearing about the promise of proportional representation not being kept. This is another election that is a first-past-the-post election, so I’m hearing a lot about that at the doors.”
The riding stretches from Tobermory to Dundalk and includes population centres in Meaford and Owen Sound. The NDP, PPC, Libertarians and the Green Party all have candidates who could split the vote in different directions.
