Trudy Turner - PC Party Manitoba

A Very Close Race!

2007-05-19T23:23:00.000-05:00

Things are really heating up in Riel! The race is really close and we are working very hard to get out our vote and persuade our undecided voters that it really is time for a change! We are ready to make Manitoba the "have" province it should be!

Friday we began the day with a fabulous announcement at the Forks! Called "The Point" it involves converting a section of Point Douglas into a cool urban centre focussed on young adults. Check out our website at www.pcmanitoba.com for more information!

Between the afternoon door-knock and the evening session we had a burma shave from 4 until 5:30 on St. Anne's and Bishop Grandin. What fun! My daughter Katie and her friend and my neice Sharon all joined us - and really enjoyed themselves. They've never done this before so they were a little apprehensive but they sure caught on fast and all of them said they had a great time! Of course our number one volunteer Nancy was there - the girl is unbelievable - door knocking, flyering, burma shaving - she does it all! It really is great to get the thumb's up, the waves, the honking, the smiles - and because of the heavy traffic we even got to answer a few questions! It sure does recharge the batteries!

The door-knocking went great today, with lots of support. We are really seeing the undecided voters making their decisions and we are very happy that they seem to be favouring us! Tonite we had two full teams totally nine people out. I was really overcome when I returned to the office to see it packed full of people - there were about thirty all working hard phoning, preparing mail drops, doing data entry, recuperating from their flyering and door-knocking. We even had a Sri Lankan couple bring us some delicious food (I heard it was delicious anyway - there was none left when I got in :).

After a very full day, Michelle, Rosy and I headed off to Jose (Boy) Thomas's party. Boy is our candidate for Wellington. We unfortunately didn't get there until 10 but we were greeted warmly by everyone and had a couple of hours of dancing and some delcious food! It was a really good time - as it always is when we attend an event at Pompagna!

Saturday:

Today was the first day of our weekend drop. By the time I got to the office with my friend Joan, Mick already had nine people out delivering flyers. What a great team - we covered almost half the constituency and that's great - tomorrow and Monday will be much easier now! We spent the bulk of the day phoning people and answering questions and e-mails.

My mom came down to drive our big truck and took Helen out for some flyering. (The pic at left is l to r: Joan, Helen and my mom, Joan). People were coming and going all day, dropping off donations, picking up polls for delivery, entering data, installing signs! My son John worked really hard today installing signs and when he came back in he informed me he received his marks and has a 3.94 average and is on the Dean's Honour Roll. Ask me if I'm a proud mama!

This afternoon Hugh McFadyen joined us for more door knocking. That was great! We took him to undecided's in an area that has given us challenges in the past and the results were fantastic. People were able to chat one on one with Hugh and ask him directly for clarification of some of their concerns and we found the vast majority committed to vote for us! I just wish we had enough time left in the campaign to talk to every one!

This campaign period is a really special time that I will always cherish. It is astounding how many people come out to help. We have our core team that we count on every day, and then we have the many, many people who come out once or twice who make such a big difference to the cause! It's amazing how two hours here and four hours there translates into a successful campaign!

To all of you who have come out to help - thank you from the bottom of my heart! And to those of you who haven't made it out yet - come try it - you'll see! There's just no way to have more fun! Honest! :)

Only Five More Sleeps!

2007-05-18T00:01:00.000-05:00

There is no way to have more fun than to run in a campaign! (No way to have more stress either - but that's beside the point).

Wednesday:

Another busy campaign day! We started super early (7:30 a.m.) with a burma shave on St. Mary's and Bishop Grandin. It was great fun and we got lots of positive response. Then we headed back to the office for some planning and preparation time. And then out on the street for more door-knocking.

It was a short day today as far as the door-knocking goes because we were going to the fundraiser that my friends Floyd and Karen Weibe put together for their son - TJ. Called TJ's gift, all the funds raised go to providing anti-drug education and the event was a HUGE success. Big cudo's to Floyd and Karen and all their family for the enourmous amount of effort they put into this. It takes very courageous parents to deal with their son's death in such a positive manner. The first pic is from l to r - Grant Cooper, Steven Andjelic, me and Hugh McFadyen. The second is me with "the girls"! We had a great table, lots of fun and lots of emotion.

THURSDAY:

Today began fairly early at the office for more paperwork and attempting to return all the phone calls and answer all the e-mails. It's pretty intense right now but we'll get there.

This afternoon we went out door-knocking - just for something completely different. And then came back for a quick bite before heading off to the big debate!

South St. Vital Senior's organized the debate - asking for one candidate from each party from either St. Vital, Riel or Seine River. So tonite it was Harry Wolbert for the Liberals in St. Vital, Christine Melnick for the NDP in Riel and moi! There were four prepared questions and then they took questions from the floor. It was a great crowd - a really good turnout and huge congratulations go to the St. Vital Senior's for planning such a great event. (We're the tiny faces in the middle to the left of Dave Young.)

I think it went quite well considering the nastiness of the barbs between the NDP and the Liberals. Based on tonite's debate, I think I'm going to recommend to Gary Doer that he changes his slogan to Back - not Forward - it certainly fits better with their focus! All he and his people do is talk about what happened BACK a decade ago. C'mon folks - you've had eight years - take responsibility for your inactivity!

All Tuckered Out!

2007-05-16T00:26:00.000-05:00

Another great day today - but the blog will be brief! I have to be up and at the campaign office at 7:15 a.m. for an early morning burma shave! Anyone who'd like to join us - meet at Unit 14 - 200 Meadowood at 7:15 - 7:30 and we'll have some fun waving at the early morning traffic!

At noon we did an interview with CBC radio - Lesley McLaren - who asked some great questions. It would be fun to hear it but I doubt that I will - I don't get to hear much radio or watch much tv these days!

I was thrilled to have my mother joined us for door-knocking this afternoon. What a trooper - with Helen and Nancy (both ace volunteers) we covered a lot of ground! We knocked on about 250 doors in a seniors block and an apartment building and got GREAT reception. (I think Mom and Helen were part of the charm frankly!)

We popped back to the office for a quick bite and then back out tonite with two crews of fresh volunteers and covered a couple more polls. Everything is working really well - by the weekend I will be done first visits with EVERYONE in the riding and will be going back to the undecideds to see if I can persuade them my way!

Then it was back to the office for an E-Day planning session. A great group of loyal volunteers - they seem to have everything well under control - which leaves me free to focus on meeting the constituents and convincing them that after almost a decade, it's time for a change!

Everyone has been so wonderful - all the volunteers - but Mick - my campaign manager - unbelievable! No matter how stressful things get, he's the voice of calm. I'm a very lucky gal!

Well - I'm off to get a couple hours sleep before I'm out on the street tomorrow waving and smiling! Ahhh . . . . the life of a politician - glamorous it's not!

The Excitement in Building!

2007-05-15T01:04:00.000-05:00

With only eight days left to this campaign, the excitement is building - as is the tension!

We are adding volunteers to the fold every day - it is so great that so many are coming out to help! Post election we are going to have one heck of a volunteer appreciation night! If you'd like to be included in the party, come spend a few hours with us! You can door-knock, deliver flyers, make phone calls or work on election day! Every hour you can give is greatly appreciated!

We had a pretty tense morning this morning, arranging for all the last minute details, print schedules, mail drops, etc. But "our man on the campaign trail" - Mick - managed to put it all together and leave me free to go out door-knocking - which I did for about eight hours today! It was wonderful - really good responses even in areas that voted NDP last time. It is really fascinating to me how many people recognize me at the door now and what a warm reception I am given so very often.

We had two teams out today which was great. My daughter joined us this afternoon also and that was a lot of fun. With the unbelievable schedule we are keeping it is really tough finding time to spend with the family so I am very lucky the kids are old enough to volunteer and we can spend time that way! (This pic is of me with my daughter and our star volunteer Nancy).

Following the door-knocking we returned to the office for a de-brief and then I met my sis Lynn and her partner Dan for a quick coffee because they are returning to Fort McMurray tomorrow. I will miss her.

Then I got home to answer my e-mails. Lately there have been a lot of them - which is good because it means people are engaged in the process. Some are asking really tough questions, some just want clarification, and a lot are just basically cheering me on and offering support! It sure does make you feel good to get those at the end of a very long day - thanks everyone!

And now I'm done my blog so its off to bed for another big day tomorrow!

Friday/Saturday/Sunday - The Pace is Picking Up!

2007-05-13T21:47:00.000-05:00

Wow - it is becoming more and more difficult to fit in the time to do the blog! Sorry folks - but with only 9 days to go - it is absolutely wild right now!

FRIDAY:

Today was a very long day beginning with a radio interview on CJOB with Richard Cloutier. It was fun but we didn't really delve into the politics end of things. Perhaps next time - we'll be on again on the Monday of the long weekend - at about 10:00 a.m. - hopefully you can tune in and let me know how I did!

Following the interview it was hot-footing it down to City Hall where we made a great announcement about sharing .5% of the PST with the urban centres in the province. This will provide them with an ever-growing stream of funding so that they don't have to go begging for every nickel.

Then it was a quick jaunt over to the campaign office to get organized for two full shifts of door-knocking with barely a 20 minute dinner break. We are really getting good at this door-knocking gig - covering more ground more efficiently every time. Back at the office we had a good meeting and debrief - doing some strategy planning for the upcoming week! I got home about 11:30 just in time to finish my speech for my sister's wedding (I'm doing the toast to the bride)! I can't believe my little sis is getting married tomorrow! That engagement just flew by.

SATURDAY:

Today was a short day due to the wedding. We were very lucky to have Rod Bruinooge accompanying us so we began at 10:00 a.m. by stopping by the Bishop Grandin Greenway Clean-up to say hello to the folks over there. They had really good support with lots of volunteers which is great! Then we went out to meet some more neighbours!

The wedding was in the early afternoon and it was beautiful! My sis is now a proud Mrs. and her hubby is one very lucky man! The reception was a lot of fun - lots of dancing and great re-connecting with family and friends (you'd think after all these hours of door-knocking that I'd be wanting to sit on my one night off wouldn't you?) It's amazing how the election takes over your life - if family and friends don't come to volunteer you simply don't see them! But - only 10 days to the big day! (The first pic is of the groom with the four Turner girls - my sisters! The second is with my two children and their friends)

SUNDAY:

Today is Mother's Day! Mick and I met at the office for a short meeting/planning session and then we had our open house from noon until 2:00. It was great with a lot more people coming out than we expected - we even had some new visitors decide to volunteer for us!

After the open house was over I went out door-knocking. I wasn't sure about door-knocking on Mother's Day but I'm really glad I did. Everyone was home - it was amazing! I had a great time - we had picked up a big bunch of flowers and I went out with several volunteers and when the door opened we presented a flower and wished them a Happy Mother's Day! It was a wonderful way for me to spend Mother's Day afternoon - it was a lot of fun to brighten people's day with a posy!

Then I met my kids and most of the rest of my family for a Mother's Day Dinner. It was really nice.

Only 9 more sleeps!

Wednesday & Thursday!

2007-05-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry folks - but as the campaign is heating up I'm finding even less time to do the blog so today's is a double whammy!

Wednesday:
The day started off at Nelson Mac with a Forum/Debate with a full class of students. It was great fun and the students had excellent questions. Greg Selenger was there for the NDP along with the candidates for the Liberals, the Green Party and the Communist Party - so it was a full house. I think it went well - and the students seemed really interested.

Then I was able to fit in a few quick errands before heading over to McDonald's (St. Mary's at St. Vital Centre) for McHappy Day! This was a really great event with all the proceeds going to a wonderful organization called the Movement Centre (www.movementcentre.ca). One of my favourite campaign volunteers, Margaret is very involved with this group and has told me much about the good work they do. So it was a fun way to spend an hour with my Seine River friend and stellar candidate Steven Andjelic (www.stevenandjelic.com) while raising some much needed funds for this great organization. (This first pic below is the McD's restaurant manager with Steve Andjelic and I and the second is Margaret & I)

After the McDonald's event I hightailed it back to the campaign office to meet a great group of volunteers to go door-knocking! We had a quick 1/2 hour break for dinner and then back out with another group of fresh volunteers for more . . . .you guessed it . . . DOOR-KNOCKING!

While I was out my son John contributed some time with Paul to instal signs - the sign crews are really working overtime! Thanks everyone!

Once again, after our evening door-knocking we returned to a full house of volunteers in the office, had a quick meeting and after a short repite at Earl's - I headed home to answer e-mails. Unfortunately I had so many e-mails that I simply couldn't stay up late enough to do the blog. Oh well - you've got the news now!

Thursday:
Today I got to go shopping for an Indian suit to wear to the temple tonite! That was a lot of fun and I found one I really liked - they clothes are so beautiful and so comfortable I think we should all wear them all the time!

Door-knocking again all afternoon - short dinner break - and then all evening!

Again, back to the office - but this time I ended earlier because my friend Paul was taking me to the temple to say goodbye to Babaji. I made a quick change at the office and all the female volunteers said they loved the suit and agreed we should all switch to that manner of dress every day! It was a beautiful service at the temple followed by some delicious food and great conversation with a wonderful group of people. I felt very welcomed and honoured to be included in such a wonderful event.

I am very grateful for the incredible people I have in my life - I am a very lucky woman! And I hope you will ALL come to my weekly open house this Sunday from noon until 2:00 at the campaign office at Unit 14 - 200 Meadowood Drive (beside Big Guys!). See you Sunday!

Terrific Tuesday!

2007-05-08T23:24:00.000-05:00

I'm a happy camper - I figured out what's wrong with my computer and it's now fixed - no longer takes three minutes to upload a pic - yay! So I've uploaded a couple of pics of our "big signs". Both the billboard and the 4' X 8'. Yikes!

Today we covered a lot of ground - four and half hours this afternoon and another three and a half tonite! Things continue to go very well at the door - we're getting lots of sign requests and have a big backlog so tomorrow we have booked three sign teams on to install them! Very exciting and great to see the momentum building.

As e-day gets closer we are getting more and more people coming forward to volunteer also. It is really a lot of fun to come back after a long day of door-knocking to a bustling office full of cheerful volunteers! Nothing better! We've also had great support from Central Campaign - big cudo's to the party for all their great work and resources! Also big thanks for the advice guys!

Tonite my sister Susan arrived to go door-knocking with me - - - all the way from Chicago! We had a great time. It really feels good to have your family there for you. This pic shows Susan with Michael and I. Also tonite - two friends stopped by to help out the cause and make a welcome donation - thanks you two! ;)

Tomorrow I begin my day with a debate at Nelson Mac followed by "McHappy Day" at our local McDonalds on St. Mary's in front of St. Vital Centre. It's for a great cause so stop by and say hi between noon and 1:00 tomorrow! Then it's on to more door-knocking in the fabulous sunshine! Gonna wear out these shoes for sure!

A Maaaarvellous Monday!

2007-05-08T01:32:00.000-05:00

What a day! First off - let me apologize for the full e-mail. It is a new service provider and I did not understand how it worked. It's all under control now so feel free to e-me whenever!

We started off today by meeting at "Headquarters" at 9:00 a.m. where we boarded buses to the MTS Centre for the "Bring Back the Jets!" announcement. Two busloads of us went down - the youth in one and the candidates and friends in the other. It was a lot of fun and it was great to have Thomas Steen in attendance! (Myrna Driedger and I snuggled up for a picture with him.) If you look real close at the press conference pic you will see my daughter in the top row far right - with the red curls!

After the press conference my friend Paul took me to Gurdwara Nanaksar (the Sikh temple on St. David and Barrington). Shoes must be removed and your head must be covered in the temple. I was very honoured to be allowed a meeting with a priest who is here from India. The Sikh's lovingly refer to him as "Babaji". It was a wonderful experience that I will remember always. This picture is with two of the priests from Gurdwara Nanaksar and my friend Paul.

Then it was off to the office to go door-knocking with more of the team! We did another four hours of door-knocking - and then returned to meet Hugh McFadyen and his team. We had a fabulous burma shave event in front of the Dakota Hotel between 5 - 6:00 p.m. and got a very warm reception from people driving by - very encouraging. Hugh is really keeping quite the pace - and always smiling, calm and happy. Like me, he seems to thoroughly enjoy the whole campaign process and it shows! These pics are us doing the burma shave with more of our wonderful team! (Much thanks to Phil and Melissa for taking the pics!)

Then it was back to the office where we picked up our materials for more door-knocking - I am determined to hit every door in the poll! Finally, at about 9:30, we stopped for a bite to eat at Big Guy's - delicious and well-deserved!

So keep those comments coming folks - it's a real pick-me-up! And stay tuned for more news tomorrow - - good night!

What a Weekend!

2007-05-07T00:24:00.000-05:00

Sorry for missing yesterday's post - I'm having some computer problems.

SATURDAY

We had a fabulous time on Saturday! A virtual army of volunteers came out with me and yes - in the rain - we completed three polls! Lots of support & lots of fun - very little door-slamming from the competition- made for a really great day! This pic shows just some of our group!

Then it was on to the Moose Game with the Leader. Hugh, Steve Andjelic (Seine River), Phil Gass (PC Staffer) and I had a great time at the game. We met lots of fans - both of the Moose and of our Party - and had the Moose won - it would have been a perfect game! Oh well - we got a great picture with my friend Dancin' Gabe.

SUNDAY

Today started with a quick office clean-up before our Open House (12 - 2:00 pm EVERY Sunday). We had a really good turnout for the event with family, friends, constituents, and volunteers all joining us for some munchies and conversation! Then it was off for more door-knocking with some more of our great team! It is working really well having the vehicle following along with us. Not only does it help transport the water, extra brochures and resource material, but it also lets the residents know what's going on in their neighbourhood! We've had lots of positive comments about the "Trudymobile"!

It was an exciting day today in the signage department too! Our billboard is up! Yikes - if you have never experienced this - nothing can prepare you for the shock of seeing your face on a billboard! It's on the corner of St. Mary's and Maralbo (near Dakota) and coincidentally it just happens to be on the building my friends jewellry store - Universal Gems - is located in. I wish I could see her face when she arrives at work!

Mick (my campaign manager) and Cary (my bro) also signed our big truck and then went out and installed a couple of huge 4' X 8' signs with my picture. It's like having little billboards.

Then we received a whole slew of sign requests from our phone banks - so that was also very exciting. It's all good - just need to keep our nose to the grindstone and make sure our voters come out to vote! And don't forget - no matter where you live - that means you!

More pics tomorrow when my computer is working better (I hope!)

Even the Rain Can't Dampen Our Spirits!

2007-05-04T23:12:00.000-05:00

We had a fabulous day today - despite the rain!

We began our day at the Behavioural Health Foundation in St. Norbert for a wonderful announcement by our leader Hugh McFadyen dealing with additional funding for our FASD affected youth and for those young people who commit crimes as a result of their addictions. Read all about it at http://www.pcmanitoba.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=211&Itemid=196

Then it was over to Modern Earth to record a short video for the website - it will be posted soon! Then back to the office to meet the door knockers! In the afternoon - since it was pouring out - we did two huge aparment complexes (three & a half hours). And then we were back out this evening for another three hours doing a lovely residential neighbourhood in the rain. It was really nice - walking in the light drizzle - plus a lot of people were home since it wasn't hot and sunny! We got LOTS of support and a bunch of sign orders so it was very heartwarming (even if the weather was a little chilly!)

INVITATION!!! Please join us this Sunday, May 6th from noon until 2:00 p.m. at the campaign office for our Official Opening! We will have lots of fun with some munchies, coffee and conversation with your candidate, local residents, friends and family, and perhaps even some special guests! (We'll be going out door-knocking immediately following and any who want to are welcome to come!) Our office is located at Unit 14- 200 Meadowood Drive. (It's just off the corner of Meadowood and Dakota - directly behind the south side of the St. Vital Centre Safeway - we share a wall with Big Guy's).

Another Perfect Day in Riel!

2007-05-03T23:47:00.000-05:00

The sun was shining bright, the breeze was blowing cool, and the doors that were opened were friendly! What more can you ask for?

The sign is up now - as you can see - so it's really easy to find the office! Feel free to drop by any time!

We had a lot of fun today - starting with door-knocking with a reporter from the Lance! Mick and I decided to take her into unknown territory to give her an honest feel for the residents and we were very pleasantly surprised by the reception we received! There were not a lot of people at home because of the time of day, but on the street we took her to, it was about seven to one in our favour - with several sign requests as well!

Then we got back to the office, caught up our phone calls, did some research, and before we knew it, the next band of volunteers had arrived and we were back out for more door-knocking. The momentum is really building now, and the polls we covered today were exceptionally receptive. Very encouraging! It was also a lot of fun to run into so many former school chums, friends, and friends of friends.

When we got back to the office at 9:00 it was still bustling with volunteers. It always amazes me that so many are so willing to put in so much time. I feel very fortunate to have such a great team - and the icing on the cake today was having our dear friend Jerry back in action! Jerry is busy booking volunteers for our phone bank (and for the many other jobs we have) so if anyone has any time to give. . . .feel free to call the office at 989-8180! We are a fun group so we promise you'll have a great time and you know you'll be very much appreciated!

This pic is us unwinding at the end of a long day! And another of the sign - at night! See - you won't get lost no matter what time you show up to the office!

Even the Wildlife is Friendly!

2007-05-03T00:11:00.000-05:00

This was an incredibly busy and very exciting day! The office was absolutely humming today with barely enough chairs to go around! Robert our Office Manager, and Mick our Campaign Manager were in their glory! There were people doing fundraising, people doing computer work, people preparing our mail drops, people working the phone bank, our "two Ronnies" installing lawn signs, and many people coming with me to door knock!

On top of that, Shane and Brenda from SRS Signs (another shameless plug) came to install the sign on our office and it looks GREAT! I'll take a pic to show you all tomorrow! No one will miss the office now!

We had really great reception in our door-to-door'ing today. I was out this afternoon for four hours and again this evening for three and a half hours. (Can you believe this weather?) It was great fun and I ran into a whole bunch of friends, former school chums, former BIZ members and many others who already knew me! So - needless to say we all feel pretty pumped right now. Lots of orders for signs - YAY - and even more importantly - lots of promised votes! The pictures show just some of the volunteers who came out today! Thanks so much to everyone! (Note to self - take some pictures of the office staff who are working so hard!)

Tonite we had a baby squirrel follow us all the way down the street. (The "wildlife" I referred to in the title! :) I have never seen anything like it. This little guy was so tame he was perching on our shoes and even tried to get through the door of one home we knocked on! I was actually able to pick him up to move him to a place where I thought he'd be safe! Very cute!

Best call of the day: Today's is a tough one! It would be easy to pick one of the many who greeted us so warmly and agreed to put up signs. But I think I'll go in a different direction today. We came across a house with an NDP sign and knocked on the lady's door. She was very nice and explained that she had already made her choice but wanted to tell us she knew that the race was going to be a VERY close one! When Brian asked her if she'd like to show the neighbourhood how close by putting our sign up also (we had to try!), she politely declined with a smile but told us she knew her neighbour would be receptive - - -and they were! A surprisingly pleasant encounter!

Here is a picture of Hugh McFadyen and I door-knocking on Woodlawn Monday!

Ups and Downs on the Campaign Coaster!

2007-05-02T01:06:00.000-05:00

The day started great today with another exciting announcement about what we will do for our crime fighters when we are elected. (Again, you can find all the details on the www.pcmanitoba.com website.) The scrum following was lively with lots of great questions and so we all learned a lot! This is a well thought out platform piece with many components to it - you'll here more in the next few days. Suffice it to say we are receiving rave reviews at the door!

We then went to see Modern Earth - our incredible web-site creators (shameless plug here!) to get trained on their system for sending out electronic newsletters. So everyone - sign up now! You won't want to miss the first issue of "Reil-ity Check!" (Catchy title isn't it? Our constituency president Brian Preston dreamed that up and I love it!)

Then it was back to the campaign office to get organized for the daily door-knocking - the best part of the campaign. We continue to get good reception at the doors and are happy with the great questions we are getting asked! People really seem engaged in the whole campaign - they're following the news and getting the information they need.

Best call of the day: We knocked on one lovely lady's door and she took my brochure, came out on the step and said "I've always voted NDP - because. . . well . . . .I'm an NDP'er. But this time I don't know - I have a couple of questions for you!" She asked a couple of great questions and we chatted briefly and she ended the conversation with "Well, I just may have to change my vote this time!" It was very gratifying!

The only "down" we had today was a hiccup with the phone bank - but I think we've got that well on the way to repair.

Here's a pic of me with my fancy decalled car at the end of a very long day. My friend Gloria and I had done a full night of door-knocking and we ended with a drive through St. Vital Park simply becuase it was a beautiful nite and Gloria hadn't been there for a while. Gloria took the pic -thanks Gloria!

Thrills and Spills!

2007-05-01T00:22:00.000-05:00

Even the rain couldn't dampen our spirits this morning when we heard the great new ideas at the press conference! We had a terrific announcement about overhauling our justice system. It's a good news piece about getting tough on crime and for those who are interested I invite you to check it out at www.pcmanitoba.com.

Following the announcement we picked up our new brochures and then headed over to the campaign office. That place is really bustling these days. Our sign guys were in - the "two Ronnies", our office manager, our techie guy, our fundraising volunteer - it's a wonderful feeling to have so many people give you their time to help out. I feel very lucky!

This afternoon I had four volunteers out door-knocking with me for most of the afternoon. And then at 3:30 Hugh McFadyen joined us! It was really great timing - it rained most of the day but when Hugh came out - the sun broke through and we had a fabulous rest of the afternoon. It was wonderful to have him with us at the doors in Riel - it means a lot to people.

We returned to the office at 5:00 - grabbed a quick bite and then headed off again for more door-knocking! Tonite when Nancy and I left one door we were running to the next when I hit some uneven pavement and had a spectacular fall. Oh the perils of the campaign trail! I'll probably be stiff and sore tomorrow but the door-knocking will loosen me up - no doubt.

Best call of the day: I knocked on one fellow's door who was a veteran. He explained that he didn't get involved in politics much normally as he was at home with three kids. However, after talking to him for a while, he agreed to vote for me, place a sign on his lawn (which he's never done), and said he'd probably stop by the office to volunteer a few hours. Thanks Randy - you're the best!

No time for pictures today - sorry!

A Super Sunday!

2007-04-30T01:53:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning to a bright sunny sky and the day just got better from there!

I began my Sunday with a visit to the Hindu Temple for a beautiful service with a very warm group of people. I was made to feel extremely welcome and was invited to stay for a delicious luncheon. Several of my friends were there who took care to introduce me to a whole bunch of new friends. A perfect way to start a Sunday!

From there it was over to the Super Cities Walk for MS at St. Vital Park. It could not have been better weather. I remember when I worked at the MS Society it seemed that every year there was either rain or snow - so this year was a wonderful exception! My friend Norm Velnes is the President of the MS Society and I can tell you he was one happy camper! The walk was a great success! The volunteers did an outstanding job of making everyone feel welcome and ensuring that all details were taken care of - from the registration, through to the food, the entertainment and even the massages! There was a lot of entertainment at the event also - all co-ordinated by the wonderful MC skills of Boyd Kozac (giving me a big hug in the pic). Goldie - the Goldeye's mascot, the Dakota Cheerleading Squad, the Village Green Morris Men, and so many more musicians and entertainers were there. It was really a terrific event, and as you can see from the pictures, a great time was had by all!

Another Great Day!

2007-04-29T00:50:00.000-05:00

Can you believe this weather! It doesn't get better than this!

Things are really coming together now. Our volunteers are coming forward and working really hard! Our office is set up. We've been receiving lots of invitations and are having a great time at all sorts of fun events!

Today we had lots of variety. We went to the Norberry/Glenlee Giant Garage Sale and had a great time meeting and chatting to people and shopping for goodies. I bought some delicious baking for our hungry volunteers and I know they appreciated it!

I was pouring tea for the St. Vital Historical Society this afternoon. What a delightful group of people! President John Dempster, Vice-President Audry Wilford and Treasurer Lorna Miner were very gracious. They invited virtually all candidates from all ridings in proximity of the St. Vital United Church and most of us came! I took over from Gord Steeves and poured tea with Ray Simard. Also at the tea was Grant Cooper, Old St. Vital PC Candidate. The photo at left shows me with the twin cadets that volunteered all afternoon to serve. They were terrific!

The day ended beautifully with the 83rd Annual Winnipeg Police Association Charity Ball at the Canad Inns Polo Park. It was a wonderful event with delicious food, terrific MC's, wonderful speakers, fabulous entertainment by the Winnipeg Police Pipe Band and great dancing with the lively music of Free Ride. The two photos below show me with Inspector Boyd Campbell, Minister Vic Toews and Acting Deputy Mayor Gord Steeves followed by Ed Humphries, Vice President and Lorne Schenkel, President of the Winnipeg Police Association. A great time was had by all - and I even gained a couple of volunteers - thanks Brad and Cal!

It's Been a GREAT Couple of Days!

2007-04-28T01:34:00.000-05:00

On Thursday evening we had our Bud, Spud and Steak Fundraiser at the Dakota Hotel! A great time was had by all and we earned some more volunteers and some funds for the campaign! Much thanks to all who came out and to those who helped organize it!

Today I attended a great announcement by our leader, Hugh McFadyen concerning the creation of a state of the art birthing centre and a midwifery program. (Check it out at www.pcmanitoba.com) It was a wonderful announcement and had the added bonus of allowing me to spend a few minutes with my adorable great-nephew Christopher and of course his beautiful mom, my neice Sandi!

Of course the primary part of the campaign is the door-knocking and we are doing that every minute that we can! It's the best part of the campaign as far as I'm concerned. We have heard so many positive comments it is very gratifying. People are really sounding like they are ready for a change - and we are looking forward to providing that to them!

The campaign office is coming together beautifully! For all of you who may wish to drop by and volunteer some time - the office is located at Unti 14 - 200 Meadowood Drive - right beside Big Guys Restaurant. Phones are now in so give us a call at 989-8180. We welcome all volunteers - if you can spend a little time or a lot of time - we've got the work for you! Why not come spend some quality time with your candidate knocking on doors and enjoying the fabulous weather?

WOW! What a night!

2007-04-25T00:12:00.000-05:00

Tonite was the PC Manitoba Spring Dinner and Campaign Launch! What a terrific evening! Well over 800 people packed the Victoria Inn, cheering and chanting for our incredible team led by Hugh McFadyen! It was a great night full of inspired speeches, previews of a couple of the new television ads, and lots of networking opportunities. The highlight for me was when my friend Kenny Daodu (candidate for Minto) introduced our leader. Kenny delivered a passionate speech and led the packed house in an African cheer for the leader, the team and all the supporters. It was a beautiful thing to see! So the night was a great success, raising some much needed funds and inspiring the entire team!

Earlier today I was on CJOB along with Erin Selby (NDP) and Selina Beiber (Liberal). Richard Cloutier is doing a series of three pieces with us - calling us the "Dragon Slayers" The first was today - mostly focussed on getting to know us. The second will be in about 10 days and the third just before the election. I was delighted to hear that Richard thinks I'm going to win my seat and become the MLA for Riel! He opted not to offer to buy me dinner if I win (as he did for Selina and Erin) and instead offered merely a coffee. Don't worry Richard - when I win I will buy YOU dinner!

Tomorrow the "Trudy-mobile" will be ready - all decalled up with picture and logo. Watch for it running around throughout Riel - and when you spot it - give me a honk and a wave! And remember, we cannot win the election without a lot of volunteer hours and financial donations! If you have some time to spare - please drop me a line at trudy@trudyturner.ca with your availability - we'll make sure you are kept busy doing whatever you like to do - phoning, door knocking, office work - we have it all!

Thanks for dropping by. I am really looking forward to the next 27 days - culminating in a fabulous victory party! Hang on folks - here we go!!