Derek Holtom likens it to the buildup before the Super Bowl.
The former sports reporter turned editor sees a tight race unfolding in Manitoba’s Swan River riding as the Sept. 21 election day approaches.
The main contenders, he said, are NDP incumbent Rosann Wowchuk and Tory candidate Maxine Plesiuk.
“My feeling on the street is that the (whole region) is pretty much divided into two camps,” said Holtom, editor of the Star & Times, a weekly newspaper in the town of Swan River.
In the previous provincial election, Wowchuk defeated her Tory rival by 36 votes. She expects to win by a wider margin this time.
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“Many more people are telling us they want a change of government. It’s going to be a close race, but it’s definitely not going to be as close as the last time.”
The Manitoba Party, with candidate Wayne Klekta, is also chasing votes in the Swan River riding.
The absence of a Liberal candidate puts an added spin on the vote.
In the 1995 election, the Liberal candidate claimed 559 votes. Those votes are now up for grabs.
Plesiuk thinks voters there will favor the Tories after several years of representation by an NDP MLA.
“I think one of the things that is going to weigh heavily in this election is the fact that we have not had a representative on the side of government in nine years.
“I think that after nine years of sort of being on the outside looking in, a lot of people are going to take a close look at that.”
The NDP and Tory leaders have each made visits to the Swan River riding since the election was called.
Swan River’s health care has become a key issue. Mould posed a problem at the existing Swan River hospital, which will soon be closed. A temporary hospital is under construction.
Tory premier Gary Filmon has promised a new, permanent hospital for the community. The New Democrats are questioning whether that promise will be met if the Tories again govern Manitoba.
Wowchuk said the absence of dialysis service in the region is something she will address if re-elected. She considers it unacceptable that people from the area have to travel outside the region for that treatment.
Plesiuk called the dialysis issue “a bit of a red herring.” She said the local hospital board researched the need for dialysis equipment and found that it was more economical to pay the transportation costs so that patients could receive treatment elsewhere.
The NDP and Tory candidates are both well known in the region, where farming, logging and fishing are important industries.
Wowchuk farms near Cowan and is the NDP’s agriculture critic.
Plesiuk, reeve for the rural municipality of Ethelbert, has been an outspoken advocate for short-line rail service. She and her husband own a purebred cattle farm and manage a service station and convenience store.
The Swan River riding is one of seven rural seats where it’s hard to tell whether a Tory or NDP candidate will prevail, said Brandon University political science professor Meir Serfaty.
While the local candidates are important, he said the provincial campaign and the performance of the party leaders will have much to do with the outcome.
