NDP Leader Andrea Horwath makes stop in Bloomfield to support Alison Kelly

Hastings Lennox and Addington NDP candidate Eric DePoe joined NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and Bay of Quinte riding candidate Alison Kelly at a campaign stop Tuesday at Bermuda PEC in Bloomfield. – Sue Capon photos

By Sue Capon
With just two days to the June 2 provincial election, New Democratic Party (NDP) Leader Andrea Horwath stopped in Bloomfield to meet with supporters of Bay of Quinte candidate Alison Kelly, and to chat with community members.

It was her second visit to the Bay of Quinte region within a week as she was at Zwick’s Park in Belleville, May 25 and she is the only party leader to come to Prince Edward County. Bloomfield’s stop was the mid-point of a day’s campaigning in Ottawa, Kingston, Whitby and Scarborough.

While polls are indicating an easy win for incumbent Conservative riding MPP Todd Smith, Horwath said a repeat of the 1990 surprise majority win by the NDP, and local candidate Paul Johnson is always possible.

“Our job is to show people in ridings like this that the way you achieve that goal of not having Doug Ford as the premier is a vote for Alison Kelly. That’s the message we’re telling people, and it’s true. We can come together this time, behind candidates like Alison… and all great MPPs representing local ridings and start fixing the things that matter.”

Introducing Horwath to the crowd at the Bloomfield restaurant and patio Bermuda PEC, Kelly spoke to current government ways “that kept our people, members of our community, down. And we’re going to change that.”

She shared a story from an NDP team member who had been knocking on doors in the community.

“This woman listened about the NDP; she grabbed the card and put it to her chest and said ‘that’s the NDP? I’m the NDP!’ She just felt so connected with you, Andrea, and she felt you were listening and were really wanting to help her live her best life.”

Horwath thanked the supporters for their work knocking on doors, making phone calls and donations.

“We love the work we do as candidates but we cannot succeed without all of your great work. So with a couple of days left, I’m here to say thank you, but it ain’t over yet!,” she said to laughter, and applause. “We have to let the people of Bay of Quinte know they have the opportunity to send an MPP to Queen’s Park that’s going to be there for them; that’s going to be fighting for them, and not only fighting for them, but to fix the things that matter most for us – that matter most to everyone.

“As Alison said, it’s been a long time since we’ve had a government that takes care of the things that help people to build good lives in our province.”

Horwath spoke to the rising cost of living, declining healthcare and need for more nurses, lower real estate prices, higher minimum wage and other NDP platforms on mental health support, dental and prescription drug plans.

“I’m so proud to have a fantastic candidate in Alison and I was really wanting to be here to support the last push to election day… the focus being that six out of 10 Ontarians don’t want to see Doug Ford re-elected as premier of this province and so we’re asking folks to come together behind the NDP, behind candidates like Alison… and we’ll be able to start to fix the things that matter most”

Bermuda PEC owners Ashley Inglis and Lance Calvert posed for a photo with Bay of Quinte candidate Alison Kelly, left, and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath.

Bermuda PEC owner Ashley Inglis (with partner Lance Calvert) was delighted to host the event and noted she has supported the NDP since she was first able to vote at age 18.

“I think that it’s really important to align myself with leaders that align themselves with my values… how they support young people, health care and other things. I think that’s very important. I’m seeing other parties over-promise and under-deliver.”

Inglis was also happy to support her young staff members at the whistle-stop to get involved.

“Not enough young people are doing that. I find that if young people start getting involved, then it’s going to create a ripple effect,” said Inglis, explaining that Hana, who works there had asked if she were allowed to ask questions. “Yes, of course you can. This is why I wanted to have this here, because I want you to be able to ask questions. I want everybody to be able to ask questions.”

Hana Haytaoglu, and Bay of Quinte candidate Alison Kelly, listen as Andrea Horwath answers her questions.

Hana Haytaoglu, 19, did ask Horwath about affordable housing and minimum wage increases and said she liked the answers she heard.

“Those are the things I think I worry about the most coming up, once I graduate university,” said Haytaoglu. “I’m going to be on my own when it comes to housing and want to be able to know I’m going to be able to afford to live on my own and not be 25 living in my parent’s house still. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I would like to have some independence when I graduate.”

She notes she has yet to look at the other campaigners’ platforms, but “I think it was really good to be able to be here, listen to her and to be able to talk to her and see that she’s coming out to our community to talk to regular people like us, which does make me want to vote for her more.”

Following the gathering, instead of boarding the campaign bus, Horwath stopped to chat with two people enjoying Slickers ice cream that expressed interest in speaking with her. She also took a moment to chat with workers outside Diva Adornments, wishing them well while they worked in the heat of the day, then made her way to Bloomfield Public House to purchase some coffee for the next leg of the day’s journey.