Spruce Woods byelection in final stretch, NDP target blue seat

A byelection in southwestern Manitoba heads into its final days. CTV’s Jeff Keele sets up the closing stretch.

The Manitoba NDP is trying to take a traditional PC seat away from the Tories, with only days left before a provincial byelection.

Spruce Woods is a rural Manitoba constituency that stretches into the north part of Brandon.

A byelection was triggered when PC MLA Grant Jackson jumped to federal politics.

The PC candidate, Colleen Robbins, is a nurse and longtime conservative volunteer.

Robbins says infrastructure, affordability, and health care are top of mind on the doorstep.

“This government had promised in their last election that they had the plan, that they were going to fix it, and everything’s gotten worse,” said Robbins.

The PCs won the seat in the last general election with more than 60 per cent of the vote. Brandon University political professor Kelly Saunders says Robbins likely has a bit of an edge.

“Most of the riding is in surrounding rural towns where the conservatives have traditionally done better than the NDP,” said Saunders.

But there has been a big push from Premier Wab Kinew and the NDP. Kinew and some of his ministers made several announcements in the area prior to the election blackout period. He’s also visited the area several times recently and his face is on a number of campaign signs.

“No surprise from a political strategic point of view,” said Saunders. “You know the leader, Wab Kinew, is one of the most popular premiers in the country.”

The NDP candidate, Ray Berthelette, a former realtor and executive assistant to Brandon East MLA Glen Simard. Berthelette also says health care and infrastructure are issues, as well as representation.

“In the seven years the conservatives were in, they talked, they had lists, but you know what, I’m knocking on doors—they didn’t talk to people,” said Berthelette.

While this is seen as a two-way race between the PCs and NDP, Stephen Reid, a high school teacher running for the Liberals, says as voters learn more about the candidates, he’s seeing a shift towards his campaign.

“I am a steadfast leader who is going to collaborate with both parties, and I think now more than ever Manitobans need that,” said Reid.

Election day is Tuesday, Aug. 26.