Sara opens up today
New Democratic Party candidate Sara McCleary will open the doors today to her campaign headquarters on Queen St. E. in the Sault’s downtown.
The official opening is slated for 5 p.m. today at the NDP campaign office, which is located at 24 Queen, just before Gore, across the street from the iconic Ernie’s Coffee Shop. The event is open to supporters, volunteers and the media.
Thomas Forget, who is McCleary’s campaign manager, penned what the local NDP party says the young married mother stands for.
“As a community-driven leader, Sara gives hope to the hungry and homeless through her work at St. Vincent Place. As a journalist, Sara gets to the heart of issues that matter. She knows the ins and outs of managing a small business.
“As your MP, Sara will take action on climate change, will be a strong advocate for workers rights and job creation, as well as fighting to protect public and private pensions,” Forget and the McCleary campaign relayed via press release.
McCleary is in celebrated company as she carries the NDP banner for Sault Ste. Marie ahead of the October 21 federal election.
Though the NDP has a history of trailing the Liberals and Conservatives both federally and provincially, it has amply represented the Sault in both the House of Commons and Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Dr. Karl Morin-Strom of the NDP was elected as the Sault’s member of provincial parliament in 1985 and served until 1990, when he opted to not seek re-election.
Tony Martin then succeeded Morin-Strom as the NDP member for the Sault in the Ontario legislature and held a seat from 1990 until 2003.
Martin then went the federal route and was elected as the Sault’s member of parliament, retaining a seat in the House of Commons from 2004 until 2011, capping an immense 20-year career as an NDP representative.
And in between, Steve Butland of the NDP was the Sault’s federal member of parliament from 1988 to 1993. Butland later became mayor of the Sault.
Now, McCleary will try to gain NDP representation for the Sault in the House of Commons when the 43rd Canadian general election is held on October 21.
She will be up against four other candidates.
McCleary, Geordon (Geo) Mclean of the Green Party, Conservative Party candidate Sonny Spina and Amy Zuccato of the People’s Party of Canada will all try to unseat current Sault MP Terry Sheehan of the governing Liberal Party.