Flin Flon Progressive Conservative candidate Teresa Wride knows all about the challenges of campaigning in a northern riding. She’s worked with Elections Manitoba for the past three elections helping people to vote.
She’s still working to help people to vote, but now she’s hoping those people will be marking an “x” beside her name.
Wride has been travelling around the riding, introducing herself as a candidate and fundraising for the provincial election Sept. 10. Wride has set up her office in Flin Flon, which features photographs from around the riding and a giant map of the riding.
“There’s the challenges of getting to the communities,” she said, gesturing to the map on her wall. “You have to fly, take a train and, there’s a couple communities you have to take a ferry, and of course driving. So that’s pretty cool. Planes, trains, automobiles and ferries.”
The boundaries of the Flin Flon riding have changed for this year’s election. The riding now encompasses communities like Norway House and Cross Lake.
Wride said she has appreciated the opportunity to travel across the riding.
“It’s a challenge. It’s not a barrier,” she said of the size of the riding.
“Going on these roads that people use - that’s part of their life. That’s our way of commuting. To be able to experience that, I think is very is a good thing.”
In her early travels across the riding to introduce herself as a candidate, Wride said she’s had many productive conversations with residents and community leaders.
“I spoke with a couple of elders in Norway House and they encouraged me to get to know people and speak from the heart,” she said.
“They mentor me. I seek out elders in our communities. They are knowledge keepers. They’re the ones who have a lot of experience and can provide direction.”
One conversation Wride mentioned was to encourage people to vote. Under 40 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot in the last provincial election.
Wride said voting is one way to make politicians pay attention to the challenges Manitoba’s north faces.
“Especially for our youth to be voting,” she said. “Increasing the numbers will be really good, especially for our northern area to show the show government that we matter. We want a say.”
Wride said she’s been able to draw in volunteers but is fighting against forces that go beyond politics, dismissing the federal election slated for October as a factor.
“Summer actually,” she explained as her biggest challenge.
“People are away for the summer, out at the lake or with family… We all we all have our own circles of contacts. We have our human resources.”
On the campaign trail, introducing herself to the riding, Wride said she has been getting a positive response, drawing in people who say they’ve never voted before.
“This is my first time [running], but it’s not my first time in helping people and helping groups in providing supports, services, ideas, and to implement those ideas as well, for the betterment of the community,” she said. “So I’m right in there.”
