Trudy Bolduc sat out the last two federal elections, but felt this race was different and signed up volunteer for the Liberal campaign in Sudbury.
“I have spent a lot of time in the USA, not this year, not anymore, and I felt that we had to elect someone who could deal with Trump and with the various issues that are going to come along for a prime minister,” she said.
Bolduc said she grew up in a family of Liberal supporters and has continued to back the party throughout her life.
“I can remember meeting Lester B. Pearson at my parents’ home and I have basically met every Liberal prime minister since then and worked on several campaigns,” she said.
In 1985, she even ran as a provincial candidate in the Nickel Belt riding, but lost to the NDP’s Floyd Laughren.
For Sudbury Liberal candidate Vivianne Lapointe, Bolduc has been making phone calls to identify Liberal supporters in the riding and making sure they get out and vote on election day.
“I have been surprised by the number of people that have identified themselves as not previous Liberal voters but would be this time,” Bolduc said.
A longtime Conservative volunteer
Sonia Del Missier, a volunteer for Sudbury Conservative candidate Ian Symington, has had a similar focus to get out the vote on election day.
Del Missier said she has volunteered for the Conservatives, on and off, since the 1984 federal campaign that saw Brian Mulroney win by a landslide and form a majority government for the Progressive Conservatives.
“I believe in the cause. I believe in the candidate, I believe in the party that I’m volunteering for,” she said about this election.
“It’s an opportunity to get involved at the grassroots level where you’re interacting with just everyday people.”
Del Missier said she’s not certain if she will volunteer for the next election campaign, as that will really depend on the candidate.
She said young people should consider volunteering in election campaigns, though.
“It’s a great way to learn about the political system,” Del Missier said.
First-timer with the NDP
Laurentian University student Breanna Boissoneault is one such young volunteer, who is working on her first campaign for Sudbury New Democrat candidate Nadia Verrelli.
“I believe strongly in the values of the NDP and I think that it’s important, especially in a complex election such as this one, to kind of spread the message that there’s more than one or two parties we can vote for. There is another,” she said.
Boissoneault said she’s knocked on 50 to 100 doors each day she’s been out volunteering for the campaign and said people have generally been friendly.
“Even if the views are different, people are still very nice and willing to share,” she said.
Boissoneault said she hopes to stay involved with politics after the campaign.
“I’m moving on to my masters [degree] in September, so we’ll see what happens,” she said.
