Q & A with the Kenora riding federal candidates 

Tim Brody - Editor

Sioux Lookout and area residents will join Canadians across the country in heading to the polls on September 20 to vote in the 44th federal general election.

With Election Day drawing nearer, The Sioux Lookout Bulletin asked federal candidates in the Kenora riding the following questions: 1. Why have you decided to run for the position of Kenora MP and what does a vote for you mean? 2. What experience and qualities would you bring to the job that you feel would make you a good MP? 3. What should voters know about you? 4. What do you feel are the major issues on the minds of people in Sioux Lookout and this riding and how do you and your party plan to address them? 5. Is there anything else you would like to say to voters?

The following are the candidate’s responses in the order they were received.

 

 

David Bruno – Liberal Party of Canada

1. I grew up in Northwestern Ontario and my partner and I have chosen Kenora as our home. I care deeply about this community and am dedicated to improving the lives and the economy of everyone in the Kenora riding. We need a strong voice in Ottawa who will work to bring supports to this community so that we can thrive. A vote for me will mean that you have a voice at the table in Ottawa who will not stop until we are heard. 

2. I have worked for my country in the Canadian Embassy in Spain, as well as in the armed forces before turning to cyber security. I have also worked with the government in drafting a digital charter that will protect the security and privacy of all Canadians. I have experience working with government and will bring my strong will and knowledge to work for the people of this riding. 

3. I love this area and my spouse and I, like a lot of people in the riding, spend our spare time outdoors, visiting local provincial parks and friends and family in Ignace. It is my connection with the Northwestern Ontario environment that makes preservation, and responsible and revitalized growth in the region a priority for me. I also spend my free time giving back to the community.  I am an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ2S rights and the abolition of Conversion Therapy.  I have also advocated for the use of encrypted email to protect vulnerable populations like refugees here and abroad and have invested in a free encrypted email server for the public.

4. First and foremost, Indigenous services and support is paramount to this area and especially Sioux Lookout. We have seen our First Nations communities languish under the Conservative government. Only the Liberal government has worked with communities to provide them with safe drinking water, funding for education, and the respect they deserve. 

We are an aging population, with many people worrying about what their retirement will look like. The Liberal Party has announced increased funding for Personal Support Workers, as well as a permanent increase to GIS. These steps will go a long way to protecting our seniors. 

We also need investments in housing and housing affordability. The Liberal Party has announced that we will ensure renters become owners and save for a down payment faster, reduce the costs of mortgages and double the Home Buyers Tax Credit to help young families buy their first home. We are also going to build, preserve, or repair 1.4 million homes in four years to help increase the supply of homes available in Canada. These are important improvements to the housing market that will allow young families to move in to their forever home faster. 

We have seen the destruction that climate change brings in our own backyard with the wildfires over the last few years. That is why investments in climate change action are so important. Only the Liberal Party has an effective and thought out plan to combat climate change. In addition, we are investing in firefighters so we can battle the fires we’ve seen here in Northwestern Ontario faster and more effectively. 

5. Northwestern Ontario is our home and we are so lucky to live in such a beautiful place. If elected, I promise to work with you to bring the issues of this riding to Ottawa and be a strong voice at the table for all people in our community.  

 

Remi Rheault - Green Party of Canada

1. I’ve decided to run for many reasons, but the first is to be able to provide real change. A vote for a Green Party candidate gives voice to the people. The values of the Green Party are in line with protecting Mother Earth for the next seven generations: that’s why I dedicated to run. Voting for me as your Green Party candidate and placing me in a position to be your voice so that it can be heard, so the issues affecting our planet, our future and our children should be paramount to addressing the issues. As a Green Party member I am not bound to “toe the party line.” I would be honoured and humbled to be your voice in the house of commons. 

2. Compassion. Love of life. Preservation and legacy to be left behind of a better planet than we’ve inherited for all the generations to follow. I brim over with life experiences from being denied my culture to returning to and embracing it with a whole hearted fashion. I’ve worked in service industries, as well as office jobs. I’ve lived in the streets as well as in homes all shapes and qualities. My credentials are many and as varied. I always strive to do the right thing for the place in which I find myself. 

3. I was born and raised in Sudbury, ON, which as you may know, is similar to Kenora, Dryden and many other communities in this riding in many ways. These communities have deep historical roots on the Canadian landscape, are proud of their heritage and have played major roles in supplying local, national, and international markets with natural resources while creating many good paying jobs - and at the same time proudly contributing to local, provincial and national economies. So, I understand and appreciate the unique culture of these communities, and I can easily relate to and identify with the psyche of the people, including the struggles they have endured, the challenges they have overcome and the hurdles they face today. Because I have experienced many of the same things growing up in these towns and cities, including Quebec.

I started working at an early age to help support my family. At age 13, I helped manage my father’s shoe repair business while he was hospitalized. At 17, I joined the Canadian Armed Forces and served my country. A back injury ended my military career. I then went on to complete my certification in Residential and Commercial Property Management. Shortly thereafter, I began my first property management business which brought me great success serving others. My current business focuses on innovative Green technologies and sustainable development, particularly in the residential housing and construction sectors.

My passion is to make our world a better place by improving on outdated practices that are all too quickly now destroying our environment, our health, and the future of generations to come. We must act immediately with bold initiatives to effectively address the climate challenges that are now upon us. 

This is why I am running as a candidate for office as a member of the Green Party of Canada. Because the Green Party’s platform and six core values contain the necessary solutions to address the critical issues we face today, and are closely aligned with my own personal values and beliefs which have informed me all my life as a First People of Turtle Island person.

4. The major issues include, but aren’t limited to, the opioid crisis/addictions in general, homes, and jobs. I’ve lived in many different places and for as much as each location has its local issues, every place in Canada has the same federal problems. These are: the climate crisis, homeless / housing issues and addictions. The local issues in the Kenora Riding, and in Sioux Lookout are jobs, housing, care of the environment and many more. No matter where you are, these issues are all interconnected, and to address them you need to address the core: Care of Mother Earth / Creation. And teaching each other on how to take care of our planet, our environment and addressing the climate crisis in order to give hope as well as the ability to properly care for the environment for all spectrums of life from youth to seniors. The Green Party policies address all of these issues and can be found at www.greenparty.ca

5. Each individual person / voter has a voice. It should be respected and heard. In this type of political system, that voice is heard by going to the polls and by voting your conscience and what you want to leave behind for the next generation. It’s about your voice, your voice, and how loudly you want to speak. 

 

Craig Martin - People’s Party of Canada

1. I decided to run because of our governments persistent degradation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and their interference in our ability to earn a fair and honest living. I was looking for a party. After coming across the PPC party platform, which I wholly agree with and reading the bio’s of many of the candidates I chose to stand with these honorable Canadians and fight to retrieve what our government has taken. 

2. The best qualification I have is having no previous political experience. I come with a party of exceptional people standing up for the people. Ruling class politics in this country needs a serious adjustment from the ground up. I studied a relatively unknown profession and was able to build a practice in uncharted territory, serving my community for 19 years. I have a strong understanding of finance, debt responsibility, and understand the value of a hard earned dollar.

3. For the last 18 months I have studied the pandemic, and response to it as if it were a university course. I have studied the medical side, and the political side fact checking sources both scientific and political to make sure I am getting the best information available. There are mountains of misinformation out there including the most recent suggesting our party is racist. These people need to do there own fact checking. I will fight for all members of our community to repair the divide our current government has created.

4. Without having been in the community I will make it a priority to listen so I can understand the issues specific to Sioux Lookout and all outlying communities in my district. I would expect that as a remote community relying on tourism for a large portion of its economy, that borders remaining open would be a priority. For indigenous communities in the area personal property right would be the most beneficial policy in decades. 

5. The issue of vote splitting has often come up throughout this campaign. Our fear of splitting the vote has caused a weakness in opposition creating a lack of diversity in our government for a century. At this point in history we need a massive change in the type of people we elect and it starts with the reason we elect them. We need to choose the people who will restore the government to a government standing up for its citizens. The most important thing in relation to the governing party is its opposition.

I would like to add that we have 331 of 338 candidates across the country. Our party is not running in the election to lose.  The more seats we win the stronger the voice of conservative Canadians.

 

Eric Melillo - Conservative Party of Canada

1. I am running to secure an economic recovery for Northwestern Ontario. It has been an honour to serve as MP since 2019 and fight to support families, workers, and businesses. As Canada comes out of this economic and public health crisis, I will ensure our region is not left behind.

2. I have a strong track record of advocating for the needs of our region, whether it’s investments in infrastructure, supports for workers and businesses, or better access to social services.

As MP, I served as Conservative Shadow Minister for Northern Affairs & FedNor.  I have also been a member of the parliamentary Standing Committees on Natural Resources and Indigenous & Northern Affairs, which gave me the opportunity to work with all parties to find real solutions to issues like food insecurity, rural crime, the struggles of our forestry sector, and challenges faced by Indigenous communities.

3. I was elected as MP in 2019, and have consistently stood up for our tourism, forestry, and mining industries and pushed for support for local workers and businesses. I am fighting for real action to address homelessness, mental health, and food insecurity in the Kenora riding, as well as for reconciliation with Indigenous communities, support for seniors, and greater accessibility for persons with disabilities.

I grew up in Kenora and have a degree in economics from Lakehead University. I am currently engaged to my partner Danaka.

4. Speaking to people in Sioux Lookout and the Kenora riding, I know that economic recovery is top of mind for many. As more Canadians are vaccinated and we move out of this public health crisis, our focus needs to be on creating jobs and recovering our economy. That means incentivizing Canadians to re-open, start, and invest in small businesses; supporting our natural resource industries like forestry and mining; and providing support to hard-hit sectors like tourism and hospitality so they can continue employing Canadians. 

Many constituents have told me that they feel our region has been left behind. That’s why I will continue to push for investments in infrastructure in the Kenora riding, including reliable high-speed internet. I am proud to say that the Conservative Party is committed to bringing high-speed internet to all Canadians by 2025.

Of course, homelessness, mental illness, and addiction are issues that weigh heavily on our region. The Conservative Party will make historic investments in mental health and addictions treatment, including the largest investment in Indigenous mental health care in Canadian history. We will dramatically increase housing supply to drive down the price of homes, and address homelessness by re-implementing the Housing First strategy.

5. The Conservative Party of Canada is the only Party that will secure an economic recovery for Canada and for the Kenora riding. We cannot afford to be left behind as we have been under years of Liberal rule. It’s been an honour to serve as your MP, and I hope I can continue to be your voice in Ottawa. 

 

Janine Seymour - New Democratic Party

1. I’m born and bred in this area and have a great deal of love for our people, our communities and these rich lands and territories that we enjoy together. I’ve always believed in being proactive, and with my background and experience, I am the most qualified person to work with the people in the riding.

2. I can work with anybody! Apart from being a lawyer, I’m a relationships builder. I’ve been elected to the Boards of many organizations, and ensured that the work I do aligns with my core values as Anishinaabekwe. I have made a difference in many people’s lives and never tire of advocating on behalf of my community.

3. I’ve been working since the age of twelve, doing everything from delivering newspapers to owning my own law practice. I have three children, and was pregnant with my third when I started law school. I encourage you to visit my website or social media to learn more about me and my lifelong journey to date.

4. With a population of 5000, police receive about 10000 calls per annum. Most of these calls are related to social issues. Access to mental health care, appropriate addictions counselling and safe, affordable housing are the mandates of the NDP; these priorities are fundamental not only to the people of Sioux Lookout, but also surrounding communities.

5. Thank you for listening and reaching out to me. Affordable housing, improved health care, including barrier-free access to mental health care, accessible transportation, a sustainable environment, and establishing vital relationships that will promote local sustainability. 

And, one more thing. VOTE! Every vote counts.

 

People in the Kenora riding can find out where to vote, check if they are registered to vote, find out what pieces of ID they need to vote and see the list of candidates in the Kenora electoral district at https://bit.ly/3zzupLm.

Elections Canada (www.elections.ca) shared in an August 17 news release, that Canadians have several ways to vote:

• For the federal election now under way, Elections Canada encourages electors to plan early and choose the voting option that best suits them. They can vote:
• on election day on Monday, September 20, 2021
• at one of the advance polls on Friday, September 10, 2021; Saturday, September 11, 2021; Sunday, September 12, 2021; or Monday, September 13, 2021
• by mail: Electors must apply to vote by mail before Tuesday, September 14, 2021, 6:00 p.m., local time.
• Electors can apply online. If they prefer, they can complete a paper application form. Forms are available at any Elections Canada office. They can also be printed from elections.ca, or sent by mail, upon request, by calling 1-800-463-6868.
• Electors voting by mail should plan ahead. They must allow time for their voting kit to reach them and for their marked ballot to be returned to Elections Canada.
• Elections Canada must receive the marked ballots by the election day deadline; otherwise, they will not be counted.
• at any Elections Canada office across Canada before Tuesday, September 14, 2021, 6:00 p.m., local time
• To vote, electors must show proof of identity and address. The list of accepted ID is online.
• Voting and identification rules are different for incarcerated electors and Canadian electors who live abroad.
• Given the ongoing pandemic, Elections Canada, in consultation with public health authorities, has implemented a range of measures at polling places and Elections Canada offices to protect electors, election workers and political participants. These measures include providing protective equipment for poll workers and office workers and hand sanitizer and masks for electors.
• Electors who are self-isolating or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should apply to vote by mail or call their local Elections Canada office to find out more about their voting options.