CBC - Manitoba Votes 2003

Signs give hints of battle in North
Charles Altiman, CBC Radio News | May 27

My impression is there's still a sleepy election campaign going on in the north.

All four NDP candidates in the northern areas of The Pas, Flin Flon, Rupertsland, and Thompson have been busy on the campaign trail. The NDP candidates waste no time getting right to the heart of their promises because people already know who they are, but people know less about who the Liberal and Conservative candidates are.

Here in the city of Thompson, heart of of the Thompson riding, the odd NDP sign can be seen in the windows of homes. Over in Nelson House, on the other hand, I hear the reserve is full of NDP signs.

On the PC side of things, I hear there's only one Tory sign up in Thompson and that's at the home of PC candidate Bill Archer. I haven't see any signs yet for Liberal candidate Myrle Traverse, who lives in Winnipeg. She was to be up here this week campaigning but now she may not make it until this weekend.

One of the best ways for people to find out more about the candidates and the parties is at a debate, but there's no indication such an event will happen. The Thompson Chamber of Commerce is the main group who would usually spearhead such an event, but a spokesperson says nothing has been planned.

If a Chamber-sponsored debate was to happen, it would be next Wednesday at their regular meeting – but the agenda for that meeting is filled already with a guest speaker.

The other group that might have considered sponsoring a debate is the Thompson Labour Committee, an organization of labour union officials and delegates. However, a spokesperson with the Labour Committee says nothing is planned. He didn't even know who Steve Ashton's opponents were!

The constituency of The Pas could be the riding to watch this year on election day. Word is there's a lot of signs up for the incumbent, Oscar Lathlin – but also for the Conservatives' Richard Goudy and the Liberals' Mark Sweeny. That seems to indicate that Oscar Lathlin may have a battle on his hands come election day.