The federal election race is on in Dartmouth

With less than two weeks remaining before Canadians head to the polls, candidates in the federal ridings of Dartmouth-Cole Harbour and Sackville-Eastern Shore are working overtime to gauge voters' concerns.

At the same time, constituents are attempting to familiarize themselves with the candidates and the platforms they represent.

In Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, there will be five candidates on the Oct. 14 ballot.

Wanda Webber, 57, who has been a resident in the "old downtown" area of Dartmouth for more than 30 years, is carrying the Conservative Party of Canada's banner in the upcoming election.

A teacher with a long history of volunteerism in her community, Webber became officially involved with the Conservative Party approximately two-and-a-half years ago when she and her husband were approached to join the Conservative's electoral district committee for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour.

Webber said while on the campaign trail, she's learned the issues constituents are most concerned about fall into distinct camps based on their political ideology.

"People who are undecided are telling me leadership and the carbon tax are the issues that are the most important to them," she said. "(Voters) who support the Conservatives are concerned about crime, and some of them have also expressed a very positive response to some of the legislation directed at seniors including income splitting.

"The prime issue on the other side of the coin for voters who have pledged support for other parties is the arts. That's when I do engage them in a discussion about how well informed they are. They know about the Conservatives' $45-million in cuts to arts funding, but they don't know about the generous funding for the Canada Council for the Arts or the eight per cent increase over two years. I share what I know and encourage them to find out facts on issues that are important to them."

Paul Shreenan, a 51-year-old Woodlawn resident, is the Green Party of Canada's candidate.

He taught at St. Mary's University for 10 years in the Department of Sociology where he focused on environmental impacts, environmental sociology and international development. He is also one of the founding members of the Sierra Club of Atlantic Canada with Green Party leader Elizabeth May.

"I have been associated with the Green Party for a while and helped them organize in the last few elections," he said. "Ultimately I put my name forward because, I wanted there to be a candidate in this riding for sure, and I think the people of Dartmouth are ready to make some real changes."

Shreenan said the number one issue voters are bringing to his attention while he campaigns is gas prices.

"People know at this point that gas prices are not coming down anytime soon and they're going to continue rising," he said. "What we talk to them about is encouraging development including public transit, and better design of our communities to allow for alternatives to the car like bicycle riding and walking."

Brad Pye, 33, is the New Democratic Party's candidate in the riding.

Currently a resident of Jerusalem, Pye "normally" lives in Ottawa, but he was born and raised in Dartmouth, spending the first 26 years of his life in the city.

He caught the political bug when he was eight years old campaigning with his father, who is a long-time Dartmouth councillor. He joined the NDP party when he was 19, and served as vice-president of the province's NDP youth wing from 1996 to 1999. He currently works in the field of democratic development overseas with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, a Washington-based non-governmental organization.

Pye said he entered the race because he thinks the riding needs better representation in Ottawa.

"It doesn't seem like it from the outside, but this is probably the most important election we'll have in a generation," he said. "There are issues that are coming now that we haven't had to deal with before. We have an aging population that is going to need care, and we have a younger population that's going to face (serious) environmental challenges."

Pye said it's difficult to narrow down the issues he has learned are important to voters in the riding.

"Gas prices are ever present in people's minds," he said. "But what happens is you go to one door and people are concerned about gas prices. You go to the next door and its healthcare. In truth what it ends up being is that people want leadership. People are tired of talking. People are tired of empty seats in Parliament where the MP in the area is towing the party line. They want someone who'll work for them and they just want leadership on a whole host of issues that have been neglected for the past 15 years."

Also on the ballot for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour is Liberal Party incumbent Michael John Savage, who could not be reached for comment, and Christian Heritage Party of Canada candidate George Campbell.

Sackville-Eastern Shore

Incumbent Peter Stoffer, 52, who was first elected to the House of Commons in 1997, is the New Democratic Party's candidate in the Oct. 14 election.

The Windsor Junction resident, who joined the NDP in 1969, said he decided to run for re-election because he still feels there's work to be done.

"I thoroughly enjoy what I do," he said. "I love representing the people who live in Sackville-Eastern Shore. It's a blessing to be able to take their serious issues and be able to help them."

Stoffer said voters have been pretty consistent when communicating their concerns to him on the campaign trail.

"Of the 10 doors that open, seven are people worried about the economy," he said. "They're worried about how they're going to get through the winter and how they're going to pay their bills. And that leads to worries about healthcare, because when you talk about the economy, it involves healthcare, education and the environment."

David Montgomery, 34, is the Conservative Party of Canada's candidate. The Windsor Junction resident, who works for a trucking company in Halifax doing U.S. sales, has worked as a volunteer in several provincial and federal elections and referendums.

"I thought it was time to run," he said. "I think Halifax needs a change. And I am a big (supporter) of the work that the prime minister and the Conservative Party are doing to help working class families."

Montgomery said the concerns he's being told about on the campaign trail can be summarized as "pocketbook" issues.

"I've met with a lot of seniors' groups who are concerned with heating their homes and the cost of heating oil this year," he said. "There's a concern about fixed income staying the same while the costs for food and energy are getting more expensive. The issues are definitely linked to the economy."

Liberal Party candidate and Cow Bay resident Carolyn Scott, 65, has a long history of volunteerism with her political party. She's been riding president on several occasions, vice-president of the Liberal Party of Nova Scotia, and has sat on the party's national policy committee.

She said she entered the race because she doesn't like the direction the country is moving.

"I'm very perturbed about cuts to social programs, literacy, the Court Challenges Program, women's groups, the lack of childcare and the lack of healthcare for seniors," she said. "I think you need a very strong vision for the environment for our children and grandchildren and beyond, and that's missing from the status quo."

Scott said there are several issues voters have brought to her attention, including catastrophic drug coverage, affordable housing for seniors, the economy and the environment.

"Included in that would be how the economy impacts the lives of the most vulnerable in our society," she said. "The separate issues under that umbrella are infrastructure needs like transportation and recreation. Most parts of the riding are not well served by public transit routes, and some are not served at all.

"Childcare is also a huge (issue) in all parts of the riding because of the lack of spaces. It seems to me we'd be well served to have a national childcare strategy, which is what Liberals have suggested with the Dryden plan for Early Childhood Education and Learning."

The other name on the ballot for the Sackville-Eastern Shore riding is Green Party of Canada candidate Noreen Hartlen who could not be reached for comment.

weeklydartmouth@hfxnews.ca