CBC Radio's Angela Walker will be dashing from district to district this month, visiting cafés, rec centres and anywhere else people gather to get Islanders' opinions on the 2007 election campaign.

Leaving the dash behind

Thursday, May 24, 2007

By Angela Walker

This is my last entry. The campaign is coming to a close and islanders will have their final say when it really counts, when they cast their votes. My experiences travelling across the Island and speaking to hundreds of islanders has been mixed. I've met some wonderful people and have gained some valuable insight into what has been happening during this campaign. I have also gained some understanding of what the political candidates go through. Not everyone is happy to see you. Some people slam doors in your face. Some days are too cold, some lanes too long, some dogs too big. The whole experience has been physically and emotionally exhausting, but rewarding as well.

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A promise of doctors and summer jobs

Thursday, May 24, 2007

By Angela Walker

The reality of what elections mean to some people really struck me today with an encounter I had at a local gas station. I was filling up the good old CBC vehicle when an older man approached me. He told me he didn't want to do an interview, but he wanted to let me know he was scared. I asked why. He said the recent poll putting the Liberals ahead could mean the end of his job. He said it was a patronage job and he expects it will be gone if the Liberals get in. He said he realized patronage worked both ways but it didn't change his personal situation. He worries how he'll feed his kids. That's pretty heavy stuff. Back to the business at hand. The District Dash heads back into the Charlottetown area today, concentrating on the districts of Charlottetown-Parkdale and Charlottetown-Lewis Point.

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It looks like a Summerside split

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

By Angela Walker

Today I'm heading back to the Summerside area. I first paid visits to Districts 21 and 22 at the start of the campaign. At that time, it seemed like voters were divided between the Liberals and Conservatives. It will be interesting to see if there are changes here and what influence, if any, the campaign promises and the recent election poll showing the Liberals ahead will have. As I drive through the countryside, I notice a lot more lawn signs - a strategy that seems more common during the tail end of the campaign.

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Slamming doors and cards close to chest

Friday, May 18, 2007

By Angela Walker

First of all, let me say that in most of my travels across the Island, people have been very warm and friendly. Islanders have proven to me over and over again that they are indeed some of the friendliest people in this country. But today I had a tough time. To tell you the truth, when I got home I had a good cry.

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Reporter bleeding in health minister's district

Thursday, May 17, 2007

By Angela Walker

I laughed earlier this week when the P.E.I. College of Family Physicians sent out media kits for reporters covering the election. The kits included Band-Aids, and Advil and other items that might be needed on the road. Today, I could have used one of those kits. I was going door to door in Health Minister Chester Gillans's riding. I was running, trying to catch up with a man who was getting into his car. But I tripped on an uneven sidewalk and went flying. Blood began rushing from my forehead, hands and knees. The kind gentleman who was getting into his car came to help me. He took me inside and asked his wife to help clean me up. I encounter a lot of people during the district dash, some more pleasant than others. I was moved by how kind this couple was. Not only did they help me, but they also agreed to talk to me. If they're reading this ... thanks again!

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A mood for change and a fight between neighbours

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

By Angela Walker

I'm heading out on the road today feeling a little road weary and a little anxious. A girl can only take so much rejection and some days convincing people to talk about the election can be a trial. Today, I'm heading out to the districts of Tyne Valley-Linkletter and Kinkora-Borden. In Tyne Valley-Linkletter there are only two candidates running: Tory Philip Brown and Liberal Paula Biggar. I decide to first go door-to-door in the countryside. Every house has a dog, some bigger than others. I'm knocked down by one dog, snarled at by another, nipped at by a small dog, and I come across a hound dog that seems to have fallen in love with my leg. (All in a day's work I suppose). But the owners were willing to talk. The big concern around the Tyne Valley area seems to be the future of the Stewart Memorial hospital. A number of people express concern that a new hospital in West Prince will eventually mean the closure of Stewart Memorial. The government has said that's not the case. But people still seem worried

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Lots of Choices

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

By Angela Walker

Another day on the road, and this time I'm hitting two districts that actually have a full slate of candidates - Kelly's Cross Cumberland and Cornwall Meadowbank. Since the NDP and the Green party are not running a candidate in every area of the Island, the voters in these two districts have so much more choice than Islanders in districts where only two parties are running. I often have some sort of idea of how a certain district might be leaning, just based on past election experience. But in Kelly's Cross Cumberland, I have no idea. Everyone who is running is new.

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Races in Charlottetown

Friday, May 11, 2007

By Angela Walker

Back on the road again. This time I'm not putting too many kilometres on the CBC vehicle because I'm concentrating on the Charlottetown districts. It's always hard to get a real sense of what's happening politically in the city, so I decide to go door to door in several key ridings.

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A question of schools

Thursday, May 10, 2007

By Angela Walker

This week, the Binns Tories made two education promises that could have a significant impact on voters in three districts. The premier surprised everyone by announcing a $15-million junior high school for Stratford and a new French-language school for the Rustico area. Today I hit the districts of Vernon River-Stratford, Stratford-Kinlock and Rustico-Emerald to hear what people think about the promises. I first head to the rural parts of Vernon River-Stratford. It's a beautiful day and I actually enjoy the walk down the long country lanes. I meet a man building an addition on his home. His children are grown and he really doesn't care about the junior high. He says $15 million is a lot of money ... money that could be spent elsewhere, like helping seniors with drug costs or recruiting more doctors. He says, "They're not supposed to be buying votes, but what would you call that? It's all just promises. After the election, it will all be forgotten."

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Heading West - A question of Hospitals

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

By Angela Walker

Today I'm heading to West Prince. Some say that if there's change in the air, you'll see it there first. As you know, the province has decided to move forward with a new single hospital for the area. The existing two hospitals in O'Leary and Alberton will close once it's built. More than 2,000 people from the area signed a petition against the move. I hope to gain some insight into whether that opposition will be voiced again on election day. As I drive up the highway, I play a memory game with the election signs. I ask myself, "If Eva Rogerson is running for the Tories, then who is running for the Liberals?" (Answer: Robert Henderson.) In addition to the election signs, I notice a lot of road kill. I think about the day after the election.

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This one is too close to call

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

By Angela Walker

I remember during our live broadcast on election night in 2003, the race in the district of Evangeline-Miscouche. Liberal Sony Gallant was challenging Progressive Conservative Wilfred Arsenault. Gallant gave Arsenault a run for his money. The two were back and forth all night and in the end, Arsenault won his seat again by only 104 votes. When I heard Gallant was running again this time, I thought this would once again be a race to the finish. The premier must think so, too. He's promising voters in the area that Arsenault will get a cabinet post if he's re-elected. Today I'm heading to Evangeline-Miscouche to see what voters think.

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District Dash-Trip 3-A question of leadership

Friday, May 4, 2007

By Angela Walker

Back on the road again. This time I'm heading to Cardigan, Georgetown and Montague. There aren't as many public gathering spots in Cardigan and Georgetown, so I knock on doors. It's a real taste of what politicians must go through. Questions race through my mind like, ' Is the dog that's barking at me planning to take a bite, or are those patio steps as unsafe as they look?'

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Down east with the district dash

Thursday, May 3, 2007

By Angela Walker

Joe Keefe of Morell says: "The way we're being treated by the Liberal party as far as Larry McGuire goes is the biggest issue for people around here. People feel their nomination vote means nothing. Larry is going to win." Several people don't think Larry will win but they think he will split the Liberal vote, giving PC Olive Crane a big victory. One woman said, "I hope Larry McGuire proves a point. Even some Conservatives think that way too." It will be interesting to see how the numbers pan out in this district on election night.

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First day on the road

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

By Angela Walker

I've always been a little afraid of blogs. It seems a lot of people get into trouble by saying things they shouldn't on these things. So when my boss asked me to write a blog about my road trips, I was more than a little concerned.

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