Although Premier Brian Pallister may be a little coy about when he will drop the writ, he is certainly not shy about getting ready for the next Manitoba election.
Pallister was in Boissevain on January 16 at the Bordertown Restaurant to kick off the start of the new Turtle Mountain Constituency Progressive Conservative Riding Association. As the Electoral Boundaries Commission created new constituency boundaries for the 2020 election, the old Turtle Mountain constituency was reborn, with Boissevain back in with Killarney. There was a large crowd of local Tories on hand, who also chose Arthur-Virden MLA Doyle Piwniuk as their candidate.
Although the election is formally slated for October 2020, the party is starting to get candidates in place for the running now. Pallister said it is good to get going.
“It is never too early in the case where the boundaries are changing and there are new communities to represent,” Pallister explained, “Doyle has done a tremendous job for the people since he came in during a by-election several years ago, but he needs to get to know the people and the people need to get to know him. And of course, with the boundaries changing he’s going to be representing some new communities, so this gives him a chance to get out there, to be known, and to know the issues around the riding. He knows many of them, obviously, but each area is different, and each area has its priorities, so this is a good opportunity to get our candidate ready.”
The process did not come without some controversy. There were complaints from the mayor of Killarney-Turtle Mountain, Rick Pauls, who wanted to run for the candidate slot, that he was not given a chance due to timing and membership concerns, and the desire to have Piwniuk in the role. The premier rejected these concerns.
“I would say the mayor is wrong and he’s been wrong in the past on issues like this and he’s wrong again. I would say organized political parties get their people in place early and that’s what we’re doing. As far as the process itself, the process is well understood and the party has established a process that’s fair, the rules the members of the party agreed to in our constitution are being followed. That’s what you want a party to do, to follow the rules, and we’re doing that.”
For those involved in planning or coaching activities, keeping youth and adults active is a very important endeavor.
It can be difficult to stay off the couch and get moving at the best of times in this busy world. It is harder when the temperatures are freezing and the snow is piled high. But there are activities for all ages to keep one’s joints moving in Boissevain and area, and people need to think of it as a priority.
Although perhaps a quieter year by some standards, there were quite a few changes in Boissevain in the past year, some at the very top.
For the first time since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the community was led by someone other than Ed Anderson in 2018, with veteran councillor David Stead taking on the reigns. However, it was an election year, with many possibilities abounding. The community would see a new era take shape in the fall.
The Boissevain Resettlement Committee is looking to “keep it in the family” for the next while.
The group, which has already brought two Eritrean families to Boissevain, is continuing its work with refugees. Instead of bringing someone completely new, they are trying to bring people together.
“We’re keeping on,” said committee member Heather Goertzen, “but we’ve changed our focus a little. We brought over two full families, and they are now both officially independent. Our commitment to them is done.”
