NDP Municipal Affairs critic Joe Ceci joined local NDP candidates Gwendoline Dirk (left) and Cathy Hogg for the opening of their combined campaign office Monday.
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Local NDP candidates Gwendoline Dirk, vying for Brooks-Medicine Hat, and Cathy Hogg, vying for Cypress-Medicine Hat, celebrated their joint campaign office opening Monday, following a full weekend of campaign activities.
The pair hosted NDP Municipal Affairs critic Joe Ceci for the official opening of their campaign office, located at 210-1310 Kingsway Ave. in Medicine Hat.
Ceci, Dirk and Hogg welcomed the crowd of roughly 25 volunteers and supporters, each providing an introduction thanking and rallying those in attendance.
The trio then moved to speak on specific NDP platform points, including the party’s intentions for increasing Family and Community Support Service funding and offer the shingles vaccine to low-income and continuing-care seniors for free, before sharing their thoughts on campaign efforts.
In discussion, Ceci summarized the party’s focus as being affordability and supporting the welfare of public institutions like health care and education.
He also highlighted the party’s intention to provide support to Albertans most in need, such as vulnerable individuals, those with low income, those with health challenges, etc.
Expanding on Ceci’s point, Dirk said the party’s values, as well as her’s and Hogg’s, centred on “giving people a leg up and giving people opportunities.”
While the election is more than a month away, Dirk and Hogg both expressed optimism at the reception they have received so far from constituents.
“I am encouraged,” said Hogg, a newcomer to Cypress-Medicine Hat’s candidate pool. “I’m receiving a lot of very positive feedback.
“It took me a while to make this decision. I’m very (aware) of where people have typically landed in this riding, but I’m surprised every day by some of the people who just can no longer support the UCP. I’m very encouraged by that, am very hopeful and actually my heart is warm at the fact that some people are willing to look beyond what they’ve traditionally (voted) as it just doesn’t align with their values anymore, what these current UCP offerings were.”
Dirk says she has received similar feedback when speaking with constituents throughout the riding.
Dirk, who ran against Danielle Smith in last year’s byelection, is continuing to meet with Medicine Hat and area residents leading up to the May election through door-knocking and involvement in community events. However, she is putting specific focus on connecting with residents of Brooks as well as rural areas, having received the fewest number of votes in these areas last election.
“It’s about talking to people and showing people that we are part of the communities, that we care about our communities, that we are citizens and we are neighbours and that we are not drop-in people using them to get elected.”
Hogg, who comes from a rural/agricultural background, also acknowledges the need to connect with voters from various communities, but expressed confidence in her and Dirk’s ability to do so.
Prior to the Monday office opening, individuals from as far as Lethbridge and Saskatoon travelled to Medicine Hat to show support.
On Saturday, volunteers assisted the pair in door-knocking and literature sharing efforts across their respective ridings, during what was titled the Orange Saturday Volunteer Blitz.
Then on Sunday the Lethbridge Raging Grannies, a traditionally non-partisan performance activist group, offered their endorsement of Dirk and Hogg, while denouncing Danielle Smith and current UCP legislation as a whole, via a sing-along performed outside Smith’s Medicine Hat office.
NDP Opposition leader Rachel Notley will be in Medicine Hat on April 25 to help the pair co-host a public event at Medicine Hat College. The event begins at 6:30 p.m.
