The Greens had trouble gaining traction in a wintry election in Simcoe North.
Once again, incumbent Conservative MPP Jill Dunlop easily won re-election, garnering more than 52 per cent of the votes. Christopher Carr, Green Party candidate for Simcoe North, finished a distant fourth after earning 3,177 votes, or 6.56% of the ballots cast.
Carr said he would have liked to have heard more from voters during his campaign run, but acknowledged the first-past-the-post voting model worked for this provincial election.
“I feel like we were hampered by the weather quite a bit,” Carr said from his campaign gathering at Flynn’s Public House in Penetanguishene where he lives.
In the background, a reveller shouted into the phone, “That’s an understatement,” which garnered laughter from the crew.
The Simcoe North riding was under severe weather alerts throughout the past month as intense snowfall inhibited travel for many residents.
“There were events we couldn’t go to,” Carr continued, “the roads were closed; there were many days I didn’t feel like it was safe to go out. I would’ve liked to have gone door-knocking more and I only did a little bit of that.
“You know, when you’re knocking on four or five doors and your fingers feel like they’re freezing off, it’s not great.”
Carr was one of three nominees who appeared during an all-candidates meeting hosted by the Southern Georgian Bay Chamber of Commerce a week prior; half of the six candidates did not attend, including incumbent Dunlop.
“I would’ve liked to have had Jill Dunlop on the all-candidates meeting,” said Carr. “That would’ve been nice. But I know almost their whole party except for two candidates skipped all those meetings.”
As Simcoe North had been a long-time Progressive Conservative stronghold, Carr reaffirmed his party’s intent for proper voter representation.
“I think if most of the voters wanted to vote PC, then that’s OK – that’s first-past-the-post,” said Carr. “That’s what we should do. But I would like to hear more voices.”
Carr wished to thank those in his campaign, his family for support, and the many volunteers who donated their time in helping run operations.