There aren't many things that readers from across the spectrum can agree on: the importance of a vibrant democracy, and a fascination with numbers might be only two. And in our complicated national polity, not everyone can even agree on celebrating Canada Day. But as someone who's had the privilege of seeing whales on both coasts, of driving across the country twice (using two different routes), spending time in the most agricultural parts of the prairies, the most urbane parts of Montréal, enjoying Folklarama, and a walk down Spring Garden Road, I do like to celebrate Canada Day in my own way, and it does mean something special to me. Even if I can't be in Lake Louise to watch Myron Thompson's successor lead the parade this year!

So, no blogging tomorrow. And Happy Canada Day to all readers of the Pundits' Guide wherever you are.

It also means we better do a good catch-up today. Starting with last night's nomination news:

• Alfred-Pellan, QC - According to the Liberal Scarf blog, Denis Coderre's Facebook status is reporting that Angelo G. Iacono was the winner of last night's contested nomination. Iacono will now face three-term Bloc Québécois M.P. Robert Carrier, who was already renominated earlier this month on June 4. Liberals have high hopes that their current horse-race polling numbers in Québec could spell a gain for them in this seat, which they last held in 2000. The Bloc's margin of victory has remained under 10% in two of the last three campaigns, and the Liberals narrowly captured its predecessor seat, Laval East, for a term in 2000. However, previous Liberal candidate Wilson Saintelmy pulled back on campaign spending in 2008 (down to 60% of the spending limit from 90-91% in the two previous elections), while Carrier hiked his spending from 50% to 70%, perhaps trying to match the newly well-funded Conservative campaign of Alexandre Salameh (83% of the limit, up from 20% in 2006). Saintelmy's drop in spending might be attributed to the very small amount of local fundraising done by Liberals in that riding before and during the election ($4,000, down from over $80K in previous outings), and indeed the Liberal riding association was showing a negative balance sheet (~-$47K) at the end of calendar 2008. The other parties' 2008 riding association statements are not yet posted on the Elections Canada website.
  
• Sault Ste. Marie, ON - Area Liberals are hoping the Provenzano name can return them to contention in this northern Ontario riding, as Christian Provenzano, their 2006 candidate and the son of former Soo Liberal M.P. Carmen Provenzano, was acclaimed for his party's nomination yesterday. Historically, the riding had been a Liberal-NDP contest under Carmen Provenzano, however the Conservative vote has been growing here since 2004, making the riding into a three-way race or nearly so in 2004 and 2006, and with the Conservatives finally overtaking the Liberals' then-new candidate Paul Bichler in 2008. However, the elder Provenzano apparently lost his seat in 2004 more at the expense of a rising NDP vote than through Conservative gains, which did not appear to cut into the Liberal vote share until 2008 when they put Conservative candidate Cameron Ross within 2.7% of defeating three-term NDP M.P. Tony Martin. Ross was also able to challenge Martin in campaign spending (97% of the limit to Martin's 99%) thanks in part to a $68K transfer from Conservative party headquarters, while Bichler fell to half of previous Liberal spending levels (down to 43% from 86%). Meantime, as we've written here before, Martin may be facing some new and more aggressive Conservative competition from Mayor John Rowswell this time around, which along with Provenzano's return will make the race for the Soo a very interesting one to watch going forward, to be sure.
  
• Elmwood – Transcona, MB - First-time NDP M.P. Jim Maloway was acclaimed his party's candidate once again last night in this eastern Winnipeg riding. Maloway is his party's first incumbent M.P. to be renominated, and has just hit #5 on another interesting list if you follow Winnipeg Free Press correspondent Mia Rabson's blog, "Capital Chronicles". [Note: I wish an RSS feed were available for Free Press blogs, hint, hint.] As yet, Maloway has no nominated competition in a seat that the NDP managed to hold even through the 1993 election under predecessor Bill Blaikie.

In other nomination news:

• Ottawa Centre, ON - Adding to the long list of rumoured potential Liberal candidates for this NDP-held riding, James Bowie has heard from several sources now that soon-to-be-retiring Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine is considering a bid for the Liberal nomination here: apparently to mixed reactions, judging by the comments on Bowie's blogpost. The riding is currently represented by two-term NDP M.P. Paul Dewar.
  
• Leeds – Grenville, ON - We wrote earlier that 2008 Liberal candidate Marjorie Loveys hoped to run again in this eastern Ontario riding, but it now appears she may have some competition for the job, according to the Brockville Recorder & Times. A former journalist and Prescott city councillor, Heather Rothgeb, announced her candidacy this week, and other candidates have until the middle of July to declare for a meeting expected some time in August. The riding is currently held by three-term Conservative M.P. Gord Brown. h/t the Liberal Scarf
  
• St. Boniface, MB - Winnipeg Radio station CJOB is reporting that former Liberal M.P. Ray Simard has been renominated in his former seat. No details as to the date, or whether he was contested, are currently available. Simard lost the riding to first-time Conservative M.P. Shelly Glover in the last election. I ran down the riding history here earlier this month. Credit for finding this reference again goes to the Liberal Scarf.
  
• Dauphin – Swan River – Marquette, MB - Another reader has written to advise that two-time Green Party candidate Kate Storey was in fact renominated by acclamation for a third try in this riding back in April. This makes Storey the first candidate to be nominated in retiring M.P. Inky Mark's seat. She was also elected the chair of the party's national council in April, 2009.
  
• Vancouver Centre, BC - The reader also passed along that Green Party Deputy Leader Adriane Carr was herself acclaimed once again in April, in this riding boasting the 3rd closest four-way race and her party's 4th best showing of the last campaign. Carr will likely be rejoined by 2008 NDP candidate Michael Byers, who announced on E+1 that he planned to run again. The riding is currently held by long-time Liberal incumbent Hedy Fry.

Speaking of seats with strong Green Party showings last time, party leader Elizabeth May has conceded that the issue of where she runs is now being subjected to a strategic review, telling Steve Maher of the Halifax Chronicle-Herald that polling data and other considerations may result in her moving on from Central Nova, NS. Seats currently under consideration reportedly include:

• Cumberland – Colchester – Musquodoboit Valley, NS - the seat vacated by Independent M.P. Bill Casey, next door to Central Nova
  
• a London riding - presumably London North Centre, ON where she ran in a 2006 by-election
  
• Bruce – Grey – Owen Sound, ON - the party's 2nd best showing of the last campaign, after Central Nova
  
• Guelph, ON - the party's 3rd best showing of 2008
  
• Saanich – Gulf Islands, BC - the party's best riding in 2004

On tap for tonight is the Liberal nomination meeting in Mount Royal, QC, where incumbent Liberal M.P. Irwin Cotler is expected to be acclaimed.

For those who are counting these things, Ray Simard is the 8th former Liberal M.P. to be renominated. And just two candidates have been nominated to date in the prospective by-election ridings: Scott Armstrong in Cumberland – Colchester – Musquodoboit Valley, NS for the Conservatives, and Fin Donnelly in New Westminster – Coquitlam, BC for the NDP.

Celebrate Canada Day by sending any news of nominations and candidates to the Pundits' Guide and share them with your fellow Canadians. Then follow us on Twitter for all the latest.

Labels: 41st General Election Nominations, Greens, Liberals, NDP