Riding remains true to Conservative roots
On one side of 3rd Avenue, Cheryl Meheden’s office was buzzing Monday afternoon with last- minute efforts to get out the NDP vote in Lethbridge.
Kitty corner on the same street, the volunteers at the Liberal campaign office were starting to see positive results for their party come in from the East Coast.
Both candidates hoped they would make inroads in Lethbridge, but neither were able to make a breakthrough in the historically Conservative riding in Monday’s federal election.
Rachael Harder, a 28- year old rookie who won the riding as a Conservative, said there was much talk about the riding going orange this time around.
“Well, ladies and gentlemen, I believe what we have just witnessed is a declaration made by the constituents of Lethbridge that we are proud to be Conservative and we have no intent of changing that,” she told cheering supporters at a local golf club. “So thank you Lethbridge for putting your hope and your trust and your confidence in the Conservative Party of Canada and in me as your local representative.
“Blue is a much nicer colour. It just looks nice in this city.”
Harder has said previously she’s the ideal candidate to represent the riding that covers both the city and the county of Lethbridge, which includes smaller communities such as Picture Butte and Coaldale.
Despite the Liberal success in Ottawa, candidate Mike Pyne said earlier in the day that he didn’t expect they could sway the traditionally Conservative riding.
“Getting to Ottawa as a Liberal from Lethbridge isn’t the easiest thing in the world,” said the former Taber school board trustee and president of the Taber and District Chamber of Commerce before the polls closed. “Win, lose or draw locally, I’m just incredibly happy we’re going to have a Liberal government.”
On the other side of the street, the NDP was more optimistic about its chances to win the southern Alberta seat after a big win for the party in the provincial election. But it was an uphill battle. “It’s been hard fought because this has been a Conservative riding for so long,” said Meheden earlier Monday, “but after they changed the boundaries and the fact that there are so many different voters now ... we think the NDP could take this riding.”
Meheden said university and college students are looking for a reason to stay in the city, seniors want stronger health care and housing, and First Nations people haven’t felt served by the Conservative government. “People are really shopping their vote and they want to have what’s right for them, and rightfully so,” said Meheden.
As the past- president of Economic Development Lethbridge who teaches students in the school of business at Lethbridge College, she said she’s campaigned for two years — knocking on thousands of doors during the campaign.
Still, she predicted it would be a close end result because of the Liberal surge across the country.