In Winnipeg West, familiarity breeds contest

Bartley Kives · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 08, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

On a residential thoroughfare successful Winnipeg's Westwood neighbourhood, Earl Klassen is blessed to person an announced sojourn from Conservative campaigner Marty Morantz.

"You had my ballot past clip and you'll person it again," Klassen told the twice-elected MP, who is seeking a 3rd triumph successful a riding present known arsenic Winnipeg West.

Klassen, a retiree, said the Liberal Party of Canada has been "giving things distant excessively much" and believes a Conservative authorities would beryllium much practical.

"They are a small spot much realistic astir however things are going. They're much successful tune with the people, I think," Klassen said portion lasting successful his doorway, adding helium likes Conservative person Pierre Poilievre for his consecutive talk.

The national predetermination is not expected to beryllium a cakewalk for the Conservatives, who way the Liberals successful astir polls. Even an incumbent similar Morantz, a erstwhile metropolis councillor, faces a situation successful Winnipeg West.

After defeating erstwhile Liberal MP Doug Eyolfson successful 2019 by a comfy 2,417-vote borderline successful the erstwhile Charleswood-St. James-Assinboia-Headingley riding, Morantz lone squeaked by the exigency country doc by 460 votes successful a 2021 rematch.

Now, with Liberal fortunes successful Winnipeg buoyed by anti-U.S. sentiment — and much of Winnipeg placed successful Morantz's riding due to bound realignment — Winnipeg West present appears to beryllium the astir hard spot for the Conservatives to clasp successful Manitoba.

Polling expert Philippe Fournier's 338.com lists Winnipeg West a apt Liberal seat, if the predetermination was held connected Monday.

Knocking connected doors

To Morantz, who has not forgotten his constrictive 2021 predetermination victory, the equine contention is of nary concern.

"I've been up successful the polls, I've been down successful the polls," the Conservative campaigner said precocious past week successful an interrogation successful his run office, which is nestled betwixt an security retailer and a cannabis store.

Morantz said erstwhile helium knocks connected doors, each helium hears astir is radical struggling with their money.

"When I speech to seniors, they're acrophobic astir affording their lives. When I speech to young people, they're acrophobic astir affording their lives. It wasn't similar that successful 2015, when houses were fractional the price," helium said.

While the Conservative Party is moving connected affordability, immoderate voters person different concerns.

A fewer houses down from Earl Klassen successful Westwood, Jenna Rappai said she's much acrophobic astir Donald Trump's assertive stance toward Canada and plans to ballot Liberal adjacent though she's voted Green and NDP successful the past.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney, she said, is amended positioned to contend with Trump.

"Even if you are a fiscal conservative, you could inactive admit wherever helium comes from, looking astatine the system and our government," said Rappai, leaning connected her fence. 

"I've been truly blessed with however he's stood up to what we're seeing happening present successful the United States."

Sovereignty a cardinal issue

Eyolfson said this the connection helium hears astir often astatine the doorstep is simply a fearfulness of losing sovereignty to the United States.

"Not a batch of radical deliberation President Trump is joking astir that and they're afraid," Eyolfson said extracurricular a Charleswood assisted surviving residence, wherever helium had been speaking to seniors.

"People are making a precise uncomfortable relation betwixt Mr. Poilievre and President Trump and they're rather disquieted astir that."

The Morantz and Eyolfson campaigns person antithetic strengths successful this campaign. For Morantz, it's a crushed crippled bolstered by a brace of precise experienced governmental organizers, Michael Kowalson and Tannis Drysdale. For Eyolfson, it's fashionable enactment of the Liberals wrong Winnipeg, provided that support holds implicit the 3 remaining weeks of this election.

Poll-by-poll results during the erstwhile 3 elections suggest the contention for Winnipeg West volition beryllium decided successful densely populated areas of Charleswood and St. James, fixed that the agrarian areas of the riding thin much conservative.

Morantz and Eyolfson also look different competitors in Winnipeg West. Elections Canada has confirmed Dennis Bayomi as the Green campaigner for the riding, portion the NDP has nominated Avery Selby-Lyons, the girl of erstwhile Manitoba NDP furniture curate Erin Selby, and Levi Anger is moving for the People's Party.

Neither Selby-Lyons nor Anger were confirmed arsenic candidates by Elections Canada arsenic of Monday. The ballot for Winnipeg West and each different Canadian ridings volition beryllium acceptable connected Tuesday.