Former Shamattawa First Nation chief Eric Redhead officially became the NDP candidate for an upcoming byelection in Thompson after being acclaimed at a nomination meeting in the northern city April 23.
The nominee, Thompson NDP constituency association members and party supporters gathered at the office of late Thompson MLA Danielle Adams, who was killed in a highway accident south of Ponton in December, to officially begin campaigning for the seat, though the date of the byelection has yet to be announced by the province government. It must take place before early June according to legislation regarding vacant seats in the legislature.
Among those nominating Redhead was Carla Antichow, who first met him when they worked together at Thompson General Hospital’s psychiatric acute care unit about 15 years ago.
‘I do feel Eric is the perfect candidate for the position of MLA as he has lived experiences that will enable him to understand the struggles that some people have just to live, to afford rent, to find child care, to juggle jobs and family,” she said in her nomination speech. “Eric is not afraid to dig in, make plans and get things done. He’s down-to-earth, very approachable and I know he will work hard for the people of this constituency.”
Manitoba NDP leader Wab Kinew, who made the trip to Thompson to be present for the nomination, said the large, diverse crowd in attendance at the meeting, which numbered several dozen, was an indication that Redhead could garner support from a broad spectrum of Thompson riding voters.
“This is a candidate who’s gong to bring people together,” said Kinew.
The candidate said health care is a top priority for Thompson and the region, referencing the hot water shortage at Thompson General Hospital as an unacceptable situation. “Enough is enough, right?” he said. “Enough of the cuts. We need to invest in our health care system to that are people are well taken care of.”
Redhead also said helping Thompson make its dreams of a new pool a reality would also be a priority of his were he elected as MLA.
Immediately after the nomination, Redhead had plans to hit the campaign trail in an effort to get a leg up on the Progressive Conservatives, who have a candidate who has not yet gone public about the fact that they’re running.
“We're heading over to Nelson House today, Split Lake tomorrow,” he said. “We’re meeting in the war room on Monday and we’re going to be out and about. It’s gonna be definitely a very busy campaign and I plan on putting every effort in to secure the seat.”
That attitude was what helped propel Adams to a convincing victory in the 2019 general election, said Blair Hudson of the constituency association, who worked alongside her in that campaign and has worked on many other federal and provincial NDP campaigns in Thompson over the years.
“There wasn’t a community she didn’t visit, and she knocked on doors all day long,” he recalled. “We’re not going to say she knocked on every door, but she knocked on a lot of doors."
