A race is shaping up to become the next local Conservative candidate in the federal election, which is expected to be called shortly.
That person will replace Cassidy Villeneuve, who had already won the Nipissing-Timiskaming nomination last year but resigned last weekend, blaming the local Conservative executive for her decision, stating, "As a woman, the challenges working in politics are often magnified. The pushback I've received from certain members of the board has made it clear how difficult it can be to navigate these spaces."
That left a giant hole in the Conservative election plans.
Now, BayToday has learned it may be a three-way race to replace her.
There is a deadline of 5 p.m. today for anyone who plans to run to have their paperwork submitted to the party. No date for a nomination meeting has been set, but if needed, it will likely take place this upcoming week.
The likely front-runner at this point is East Ferris councillor Steve Trahan. Trahan ran as a Conservative in the 2021 federal election but lost to Anthony Rota.
It was a close race. Trahan came in second by a margin of about 3,000 votes. If the People’s Party (PPC) hadn’t split the conservative vote with such a strong showing – with 3,500 votes – Trahan may have been sent to Ottawa.
Trahan told BayToday this morning he is back in, aiming for a different result.
"At this time, it looked like our district here was gonna be vacant. I have great concerns. I love this district, and I'm gonna have to put my name forward and represent the Conservatives."
He says it's all about making Canada and this district number one.
"So it has to be somebody to represent this district and to make sure that we're not losing our jobs. Hopefully, it's myself."
Trahan said there was no time to waste, hoping he'd be acclaimed to the position.
"Whoever the candidate is chosen, we have to get out there and start talking to the people and letting them know that there is a conservative candidate here that's going to work for everybody in this district. It's really critical that we don't go into a candidate election. I think it's a little too far down the road for that. But if we have to, we have to ... it's part of the process, right?"
If Trahan is the nominee, it will set up an interesting race facing off against fellow East Ferris council member Liberal Pauline Rochefort, who sits as mayor of the municipality.
If so, Trahan promises a positive campaign.
"Pauline is a great person to go up against. She's a great, great person, and I hope it would be quite fun."
The second candidate is Garry Keller, who confirmed to BayToday he would be running as he scurried to get 25 signatures on his nomination papers. He owns property in the Powassan area and is a vice-president at StrategyCorp, a Toronto-based company that helps private sector and not-for-profit clients solve strategic policy and political issues across both federal and provincial levels of government.
"I think we were all surprised by the announcement on Sunday evening to see the candidate's (Villeneuve) resignation," he told BayToday this morning. "It's always a difficult situation when something like that happens."
He says it put the Nipissing-Timiskaming Conservative Riding Association in a tough position but it has to move on.
"We are in a period here where we have serious times, and serious times require serious leadership and I think my experience with 30 years working in and around government to get things done with the Conservatives would be an asset for the people of this riding. I see what Vic Fedeli is able to get done for people in this riding at Queen's Park, and I think I should be able to do the same thing in Ottawa."
Keller knows people are going to accuse him of being a parachute candidate.
"Sure, but my wife and I own a home in Powassan. My wife works at Ontario Northland, and you know, we spend a lot of time in this area. We have family. We have friends, and you know, we just love the area so much that when the opportunity came up, I said, 'you know what, there's an opportunity here to serve.' And I thought I would try to throw my hat in the ring."
He comes with impressive credentials.
The StrategyCorp website says he has served in several key leadership roles in Canadian politics, including as Chief of Staff to Canada’s Foreign Minister, chief Parliamentary advisor to a Prime Minister and Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Opposition.
"He also served as Chief of Staff to the Government House Leader and Chief Government Whip, as Director of Communications to the Minister of the Environment and Director of Parliamentary Affairs to the President of the Treasury Board. As well, Garry served as Acting Chief of Staff to a provincial political party," says his bio.
Keller’s experience includes regulatory and legal matters, national security matters, trade negotiations, and the promotion of Canadian interests and values on the world stage.
"Garry regularly provides commentary on domestic and international politics for CTV News Channel and TVO’s The Agenda. He is also a regular guest on Ottawa’s talk radio political panels. His commentary has also appeared in the National Post, the Globe and Mail, the New York Times and the Washington Post, and he has appeared on a variety of news networks across the world commenting on Canadian politics and elections including BBC, Al Jazeera, Monocle, France24, and Israel i24."
A third possible entry is Callander Councillor Jordy Carr, who sources say has been out asking people to sign her nomination papers. All candidates need 25 paid-up local Conservative Party members to sign their paperwork.
She ran for the Conservatives in 2019, replacing Mark King, who was disqualified over a credit card dispute with the Party. King initially beat Carr for the nomination but in the end, King, a veteran North Bay city councillor, had his nomination revoked through an appeal process.
Efforts to reach out to Carr for comment were unsuccessful.