Candidates vying to unseat long-term NDP incumbent in Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing riding

SAULT STE. MARIE -

A paccked list of candidates will be trying to unseat a long-time NDP incumbent in the Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing riding, as voters get set to head to the polls in one week.

Incumbent Carol Hughes is seeking her 4th term in the 2021 federal election, first winning her seat in 2008.

"One of the most pressing issues in the riding is actually the internet," Hughes said. "Access to broadband, this has proven to be quite a challenge throughout COVID."

The riding covers a large area of more than 93,000 squared kilometres, with the majority being rural territory.

Hughes said she's been fighting to improve broadband access for constituents for years.

"I've been personally working with COFI (Community Owned Fibre Infrastructure) it's called, in the township of Huron Shores, to kind of put together a community owned network, because the big three networks are just not delivering."

Liberal candidate Duke Peltier believes he has a strong chance to unseat Hughes, who first won the seat from the Liberals, who held it since 1968.

Peltier brings years of public service to the table, serving as the Chief of the Wikwemikong First Nation for nine years and 4 years as a band councillor prior to that.

"I believe my personal lived experience will help bring a unique perspective towards progressing Indigenous issues and will put one of our own in Ottawa to fight for them," Peltier said.

Peltier said much of the recent dialogue surrounding the uncovered bodies of indigenous children at former residential schools, helped him to make his decision to run.

Peltier also wants to ensure healthcare is adequately improved for the riding, which he said has been neglected.

I'm aware of the wait times and am aware of our own experiences here in trying to recruit and retain a doctor in trying to service my own community," he said. "In speaking with other communities, I've come to learn this is a pressing issue that we're all facing in northern Ontario."

Representing the conservatives will be John Sagman, an engineer with experience in both the mining and forestry sectors. Sagman said he's looking to curb the Canadian economy, which he believes to be trending in the wrong direction.

"Affordability is a key issue for constituents in this riding," Sagman said. "The single parents, the pensioners, that's what inflation hits, it's over 4 percent right now so we really want to increase competition, go after the price fixing, get that straightened out, stop the wasteful spending."

Sagman added he's also looking to further unlock the riding's potential, by tapping into its rich natural resources.

"Mining, Logging, it's not a crime," Sagman said. "This is what the NDP-Liberal coalition are doing, it's not a crime, the environmental initiatives we have going are amazing and we pound out billions of dollars in taxes and are not getting enough back."

High school teacher, Stephen Zimmermann will be representing the Green Party in the riding. Zimmermann has long been a supporter of the party and said he believes it to be the most future-focused of them all.

Zimmermann said he'll be focussing his efforts on huge infrastructure upgrades if elected.

"That definitely includes broadband internet, but it also includes highway safety," he said. "People in northern Ontario are seven times as likely to die in an auto accident, as people in southern Ontario, why haven't the highways been upgraded?"

Zimmermann said while the riding is an aging one, he believes plenty of constituents also care about doing their part for the environment.

It's why he believes he has a good shot at the seat.

"It's funny, I heard from our most recent televised debate from most of the candidates, that we will be driving fossil-fuel vehicles over the next 20 years," he said. "I don't know where they're going to be buying these vehicles, because all major automakers have come out and said they will stop making these vehicles within this span, so change is in the air."

Echo Bay businessman Harry Jaaskelainen will be trying to win the People's Part of Canada its first ever seat in this election, while former realtor and Elliot Lake city councillor, Clarence Baarda, rounds out the ticket as the Christian Heritage Party representative.