By James Smith
April 14, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
On Tuesday, Justin Trudeau toured the Burlington Senior Centre, shook more than a hundred hands, made a brief speech and made more than a few converts to the Liberal cause.
Accompanied by Burlington’s Liberal Candidate Karina Gould and Oakville’s John Oliver, who also both made some brief remarks, Mr. Trudeau spent more than an hour touring the Centre, took in a game of pool, and even had a turn at Gypsy Dancing.
Justin Trudeau chats up a senior at a Seniors’ Centre reception in Burlington
He also expressed his disappointed there wasn’t any Sangria to go along with the dancing! In attendance at the centre to welcome Mr. Trudeau in addition to Mr Oliver and Ms Gould was Oakville Town Councillor Pam Damoff and Burlington City Councillors Marianne Meed Ward, Blair Lancaster and Halton School board trustee Leah Reynolds.
Curiously Ms Lancaster, who has announced her intention to seek the Conservative nomination for Oakville-North Burlington in this autumn’s election, had a brief chat with Mr. Trudeau, and stayed to listen to Mr. Trudeau’s remarks.
In his remarks, Mr. Trudeau complemented those present on the Senior Centre, and the suggested Burlington’s centre is a model for many other communities and it should be replicated across the country. In thanking the many seniors present for their contribution to Canada, Mr. Trudeau at the same time accused the present government as dismantling what those present helped to build.
Trudeau suggested the present government was implementing a policy of division that was pitting groups and regions against one another. He also suggested that an outcome of the present government’s policies has been to produce the first generation in Canadian History that will not do as well as their parent’s generation. Based on the reaction to this statement, this fact seemed to alarm some in the audience.
The crowed seemed impressed with Trudeau and his approach, although some wanted more substance and policy. To that complaint of a lack of tangible policies, Trudeau was heard to say, “It’s too early for that” and “you’ll see lots of policy soon enough”. When asked for his thoughts on the event after speaking to Mr Trudeau, Senior Centre member, and “long time lakeshore road resident” Jim Frohlick said it was “refreshing to hear such positive things from a politician. I think some minds were changed today, I know that Mr Trudeau won over more than a few of my Conservative friends just now.”
When asked about the upcoming campaign and her chances, Ms Gould let it be known that she’s not taking anything for granted and has been knocking on doors for months now to connect with Burlingtonians.
The election isn’t officially underway and one leader’s visit doesn’t make a campaign however; judging on the mood of this crowd, for this leader it should be a very interesting election here in Burlington. If one can draw any parallels from the 2014 provincial election in Burlington, it also started unofficially with a Liberal Leader touring a senior facility with a candidate who made a big impression on those seniors who were at that event.
MP Mike Wallace may be hoping that what was seen today at the Burlington Seniors Centre was not similar to the trend started by MPP Eleanor McMahon.
James Smith is a well known political activist who has campaigned for more than one Liberal
I wonder if anyone told Justin that his father campaigned in Burlington in the late 1960’s or early 1970’s and made a speech at Central Arena, at an outdoor area at the back of the arena. It was Trudeaumania !!
Just a few steps from where Justin was at Burlington Seniors’ Centre.