Cathy Dobson/The Independent

Local voters can expect a hotly contested race in the newly-created federal Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong riding, say major party campaign officials.

In the few days since Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney called an election Sunday, local campaigns have swung into action, campaign offices have opened and the door knocking has commenced.

All this, even though the local Liberal campaign is still waiting to announce its candidate.

“We have a candidate and we’re just waiting on the party to finish the certification process before we can announce who it is,” said Liberal campaign spokesperson Caroline DiCocco. 

The Liberals have struggled locally in recent elections, coming third in 2015, 2019 and 2021 behind the NDP and winning Conservative candidate Marilyn Gladu.

Consecutive losses left the local Liberal association “dormant for some years,” said DiCocco.  Membership numbers fell to under 200.  

But when Carney agreed to run as Liberal leader to replace former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, membership with the Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong Federal Liberal Association surged to over 1,000.

“There’s a different mood about how important it is to be involved in the political fray right now because there’s so much at stake,” said DiCocco, who was Sarnia-Lambton’s MPP from 1999 to 2007. 

“I haven’t felt this level of public engagement in political matters for a long time.”

She dropped out of the local political scene for years but said she decided to get involved again because of the threat to Canada’s economic stability from US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and concerns related to national sovereignty. 

“We live in dangerous times,” DiCocco said.  “I think there’s a fear out there. People are talking about it everywhere you go.

“I’m hoping that engagement will be positive for the federal Liberals here.”

The Liberal campaign expects to announce the local candidate sometime this week.

Conservative incumbent Marilyn Gladu is heading into Canada’s 45th general election with three successive wins under her belt.

Gladu has been Sarnia-Lambton’s representative in Ottawa since 2015 and won decisively with 46.2 per cent of the vote in 2021. 

The redrawing of boundaries by Elections Canada has brought at least 20,000 more eligible voters into the riding, says Gladu’s campaign manager Anne Denman.  

A large swath of Lambton that includes Watford, Brooke-Alvinston, Florence and Walpole Island (Bkejwanong) is now part of the local riding so Gladu was out introducing herself as the “candidate MP” before the writ was dropped, Denman said.

“We have in fact already covered parts of the riding door-to-door and we know people are terrified of what’s going to happen with tariffs.  People are abuzz,” Denman said.

“I really hope that brings them out to vote.”

Sixty-seven percent of eligible voters in the old Sarnia-Lambton riding cast their ballot in 2021.

The local Conservative campaign has quickly mobilized with about 75 volunteers already out distributing signs and helping in the campaign office, Denman said.

Unlike MPP Bob Bailey, Gladu intends to participate in as many all-candidates meetings as her schedule will allow, said Denman.  “I think Marilyn regards all-candidates meetings as important.  With only 36 days, it’s a quick race but she’d love to do all-candidates meetings if they fit her schedule.” As yet, no all-candidates meetings have been announced although the local Chamber of Commerce says it intends to hold one. 

Gladu also has a robust riding association supporting her with about 1,300 members currently.   “And we expect it to grow during the campaign,” Denman added.

Over at the NDP’s headquarters, Daniel Grant is managing first-time federal candidate Lo-Anne Chan’s campaign.

Fresh off a provincial election, the NDP volunteer base is “surprisingly strong,” said Grant.  About two dozen are already out canvassing and erecting signs on behalf of Chan.  It’s been 14 months since she was selected as the local candidate and Grant says she is prepared. 

“The biggest challenge we have is around vote splitting on the left and strategic voting,” said Grant.  Nationally, the NDP’s popularity is very low but Grant said he remains optimistic. NDP candidates have placed second in the last two elections, albeit about 25 percentage points behind Gladu.

“Lo-Anne is campaigning on the streets, making sure there’s face-to-face contact all over the riding and making sure the new folks are brought in.

“We don’t want anyone to be complacent,” Grant said.  

“A big part of our job is helping people understand how it all works and that their vote matters.”

Two days after the election call, only one other local candidate is declared.  He is Brian Everaert of the People’s Party of Canada. Everaert, a founding member of the Peoples’ Party of Canada led by Maxime Bernier, will represent the party for a third election. Everaert, an iron worker, has also run for the Ontario Trillium Party provincially and for mayor of St. Clair Township in 2018.

The deadline for candidates to come forward is April 7 at 2 pm.

CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS IN SARNIA-LAMBTON-BKEJWANONG

Conservative headquarters:  850 Confederation St. Sarnia.  Call 1-226-336-7425.

Liberal headquarters: 460 Christina St. North, Sarnia. (Across from St. Joseph’s Hospice) 

NDP headquarters: 110 East St. South, Sarnia. (Giresi’s Pizza plaza)