Former Blue Bomber, Liberal candidate Willard Reaves hoping to score votes in Fort Whyte by-election

Grey Cup champion running in Fort Whyte CTV's Jeff Keele reports on Willard Reaves run in the Fort Whyte by-election, and on why this campaign is personal to him.

Walking and knocking on doors, former Blue Bomber running back Willard Reaves is hoping to score votes.

“I’ve been out there, I’ve been knocking on doors,” said Reaves, the Manitoba Liberal Party candidate in the Fort Whyte by-election set for March 22.

From Flagstaff, Arizona, Reaves played in the NFL and CFL. He stayed in Winnipeg when his playing career was over, residing in Linden Woods for 37 years.

For two decades, he was a sheriff at the Winnipeg law courts where he said he offered guidance to young people from his community who found themselves in trouble.

“Sometimes in their cells or when we’re walking down to court or something like that to talk to them, you know ask them if there is anything I can do,” said Reaves.

The 1984 Grey Cup champion said he has always voted Progressive Conservative, even casting a ballot for Brian Pallister who held Fort Whyte until his resignation last year.

But Reaves said he decided to run for politics under the Liberal banner, as he felt the former Premier was a no-show in the constituency.

“He was never around, he grabbed a seat and he took off,” said Reaves.

He is critical of the Tory government’s track record on health care, in particular overtime mandates for health care workers. For him it is personal.

“We’re talking 16 hours a day, then come home, my wife lays down to go to sleep, guess what starts, the phone starts ringing,” said Reaves.

Pollster Mary Agnes Welch from Probe Research said Reaves has a shot.

“The Liberals certainly are pulling out all the stops raising all kinds of heck,” said Welch.

However she said the favourite is PC candidate Obby Kahn, also a former Blue Bomber, who is running in one of the city’s true Tory strongholds.

“I think it’s still probably a little bit of a long shot,” said Welch. “Possible, but an uphill battle for the Liberals.”

Reaves’ former football team threw a flag on his party, asking the Liberals to stop using a W that resembles the Bomber logo on party merchandise.

“You know it’s one of those nitpicking things,” said Reaves, who is undeterred.

He said he has knocked on as many doors as anyone and has an answer when asked how he can defeat the other candidates.

“I think what you should be asking is how are they going to beat me,” said Reaves.

The NDP candidate in Fort Whyte is former WSO executive Trudy Schroeder. Nicolas Geddert is representing the Greens and Patrick Allard is running as an independent.