Landslide victory for Brook’s mayor Martin Shields

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

Just as Albertans ended a 44-year provincial Tory reign earlier this year, Canadians wavered in their support for the Conservative Party of Canada and painted the country’s ridings red on Oct. 19. Yet, the same did not hold true for the Bow River riding, where Conservative candidate Martin Shields was greeted with loud applause as he threw his hands in the air, accepting a decisive win that proved once again the constituency’s loyalty to their conservative roots.
Shields, who campaigned against six other candidates vying for the chance to represent the Bow River Riding in Parliament, received 38,631 of the votes on Monday, resulting in a landslide 77 per cent victory – leaving a large gap between himself and Liberal candidate William MacDonald Alexander who won 14 per cent and 6,840 votes.
“We found very strong support in this riding for the Conservative Party and it was a team win,” said Shields at the Medicine Hat College campus in Brooks where supporters gathered to celebrate the outcome.
“I’m elected to represent the constituency here and the constituents that are in this riding, no matter how they voted, I’m representing them and will do my best. Whatever the interest of the people are, to work with them is what I’ll do. No matter the results of the election Canada-wide.”
Monday’s results marked the end to a 16-month campaign trail for the 66-year-old, since he announced his intentions of running for Member of Parliament last June. Shields was awarded the candidacy in September 2014, beating out three other candidates – Rob Anders, Rolly Ashdown, and Gerard Lucyshyn.
The mayor of the City of Brooks walked into a room filled with balloons, the infamous moustache-shaped chocolate cake and fruit, and the cheers of supporters shortly after 8:30 p.m. following his visit in Strathmore earlier that day.
The third-generation southern Albertan grew up on a farm in Lethbridge and spent 30 years in the County of Newell. With 40 years knowledge of the Bow River riding area, Shields spent 11 years in municipal elected positions, served as president of the Constituent Party of Canada and sat on the Alberta Municipality Board.
His vast understanding of the constituency’s history and issues will assist in representing the constituency on a federal level. While aware of the gas-based oil resource, and agricultural-based industries, Shields is most passionate about issues facing water in the area – partly a result of his six years on the Bow River Basin Council – and held families and property rights at the forefront of his campaign.
Together with a good understanding of infrastructure costs in the municipalities, his political resume, which also includes participation in a number of policy conferences and involvement on policy committees provincially as well as federally, his daughter, Kari Tarasoff, who celebrated with Shields in Brooks, expects the transition into federal politics to come naturally.
Shields will make up part of the official opposition, who received 99 seats and 29 per cent of the vote countrywide, affording the Liberal Party of Canada a majority with 184 seats at 54 per cent of the vote, and preventing former Prime Minister Harper’s ambitions of seeking a fourth mandate.
The federal results indicated a remarkable political comeback for the Grits, who four years ago came in third place with only 34 seats at the 2011 election.
While many supporters felt confident about the local outcome, some were stunned by the federal results.
“I feel very happy here but the Liberal majority surprised me, and I wouldn’t have been surprised with a Liberal minority, but the voters have spoken and you go forward,” said Karen Bartsch, who has known Shields since 1985 and sat with him on the Bow River Basin Council.
“He’s so tied to this community and really believes in this community that I think that’s one of the reasons some of us got behind him, because we know he’ll be down there fighting for our issues. I’m not saying the rest of the people don’t, but he knows how to get in there and get his voice heard.”
Also visibly noticeable among the crowd was Newell County Reeve Molly Douglass, a volunteer and supporter throughout the campaign. Emphasizing Shields’ leadership skills, his devotion to public service, and clear focus, Douglass spoke highly of his ability to serve in Parliament.
The Bow River riding was re-established by the 2012 federal electoral boundaries redistribution – changes that resulted in six additional Alberta seats to the House of Commons. As former representative of the area Kevin Sorenson will continue his political presence on Parliament Hill following his win in the Battle River-Crowfoot Shields newfound role comes at a price.
“This is a great community and being the mayor of it has been a fantastic opportunity for me and it’s bittersweet stepping away from that,” he said. “How would I work if we weren’t in a majority? It’s what I’ve been used to in a sense on councils. You work with the people to get the things you need for your constituents, and it’s a tremendous honour to be elected and represent the people in this new riding.”
Shields acknowledged all other elected officials and commended the other six candidates on their participation in the race.