Toronto-Danforth campaign getting into gear
Your roving by-election correspondent-at-large was in Toronto this afternoon, and found the campaign offices of the two major contenders open, and buzzing with activity.
The Liberal headquarters has just been open for 24 hours, and is located in a storefront at the corner of Broadview and the Danforth. I was greeted by a dozen or so young volunteers at the front desk, and apparantly missed MP Carolyn Bennett's visit by a few minutes after I left.
Thanks to the party's own print-shop, they had signs all ready to go for a sign blitz this afternoon, and their literature was being dropped already. Notice that there is no by-election date either on their sign nor on the NDP's.
A few blocks north on Broadview, across from the Broadview Espresso and next door to the Noor's 24-hour Fine Foods, is the NDP campaign headquarters, which was officially opened last weekend.
The streets are a little slushy now, what with the snow that arrived the other day, making today's sign blitz in both camps a little messier than what one might prefer.
The NDP also had a canvassing blitz organized for earlier in the afternoon, and I saw MPP Cheri de Novo and city councillor Paula Fletcher in the office during my quick visit going out to canvass a little later. Here is the NDP's first canvass piece of literature, front and back:
Interestingly, the NDP campaign office has been declared the Switzerland of the leadership campaign, although a number of leadership candidates have been stopping by to help out on the campaign, and every camp is making sure to put in face time to help out: "all hands on deck" as I was told.
The by-election candidates have already agreed to participate in at least one major all-candidates-debate in the riding, though the time and place have yet to be confirmed.
Anyways, after that I pretty much got wet feet (from the slush, I mean), and so went off to find a warm and dry place to blog. To the best of my knowledge no other parties have a campaign office open yet, although Green Party candidate Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu was subway-stopping yesterday at the Broadway TTC station.
However, an eagle-eyed reader did pass along a link to this comment at the Torontoist from perennial candidate John Turmel, who after missing the last federal election campaign, will apparently stage a comeback on the Danforth. I recently met a political junkie who went out to vote in the Guelph by-election advance polls, even knowing the by-election would be cancelled in favour of the 2008 general election and that ballot would not be counted, just so he could say he cast a vote for John Turmel. We really are a weird group of people, us political junkies, eh!
Grant Gordon’s headquarters looks better, but location wise do you think either of them has the upper hand? Would it even an affect on the campaign.
Is the Craig Scott location the same as the Jack Layton location last time?
Does anyone know if Craig Scott is any relation to Reid Scott, the former NDP M.P. for Danforth 1962-1968?
Pundit: However, an eagle-eyed reader did pass along a link to this comment at the Torontoist from perennial candidate John Turmel, who after missing the last federal election campaign, will apparently stage a comeback on the Danforth.
Jct: I didn’t miss the last election. I skipped it trying to pull off an Aberhart Coup. Here’s my Dream Team Campaign http://johnturmel.com/dreamteam.htm
Pundit: I recently met a political junkie who went out to vote in the Guelph by-election advance polls, even knowing the by-election would be cancelled in favour of the 2008 general election and that ballot would not be counted, just so he could say he cast a vote for John Turmel. We really are a weird group of people, us political junkies, eh!
Jct: So it’s official that he voted for an interest-free credit line at the Bank of Canada when he could whilst most voters didn’t even know what they were turning down! I even have “Certificates of Intelligence” from the 1980s for people who voted for their interest-free bank account so if you get me his name, I’ll send him one.
David: I doubt it. Craig is from Nova Scotia, only moved to Toronto as an adult, and to the best of my knowledge (limited, so someone might correct me) has no extended family ties in Toronto.
The LPC may have a better location but from what I saw out canvassing yesterday there were about a dozen NDP signs for every LPC sign. And yes Adam it is Jack Layton’s old campaign office. I also saw signs for the “Fun Party of Canada” and surprisingly the candidate was NOT Turmel