Kitchener Conestoga remains red

Tim Louis to serve a third term

Tim Louis was narrowly elected to his third term as MP in Kitchener-Conestoga. Contributed photo

By Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Tim Louis has been elected to a third term as member of parliament in Kitchener-Conestoga, but as expected, it was a battle.

The riding was decided by 522 votes this time around as Conservative Doug Treleaven came a close second with 29,484 votes. NDP hopeful Maya Bozorgzad was a distant third with 1,821, followed by the People’s Party of Canada’s Kevin Dupuis with 786. The official decision was not made until Tuesday afternoon as there was a delay at one of the polls.

The riding has been one of the closest in the country the last three elections. Louis won by razor-thin margins the last two elections after losing to Conservative Harold Albrecht in 2015 by bout 250 votes.

“I am deeply grateful for the trust that the people of Kitchener-Conestoga have placed in me to be their voice in Ottawa,” said Louis. “Being re-elected as your member of parliament is an honour that humbles me. The tight margins of this race underscore my responsibility to work to represent everyone in our riding, regardless of how they voted.”

He also gave kudos to those who ran against him, along with his team.

“I extend my heartfelt thanks to all candidates who put their names on the ballot. Participation is vital to our democracy. I also want to express my profound appreciation to all the volunteers who worked tirelessly for our campaign. Your dedication and hard work made this victory possible.”

Louis explained the election has brought forward new representatives in the Region of Waterloo and added he is ready to collaborate with his colleagues for the benefit of area residents.

“Together, we can address the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. In Canada, elections happen peacefully, and the people have decided the government and representation they want to see. This is a testament to our strong democratic values.”

The former professional musician added it is crucial to remain unified to protect our sovereignty and address the pressing issues that were central to this election.

“Together, we can build a stronger, more resilient Canada. Thank you once again to the people of Kitchener-Conestoga for your trust and support. I look forward to continuing to serve you with dedication and integrity.”

Treleaven said, despite the loss, his campaign team did an impressive job getting the word out.

“We set several records by putting in some serious effort. We had more lawn signs than we’ve ever had in the riding, and we knocked on more doors than ever before. We also had the highest number of supporters voting at advance polls.”

He added the party’s popularity exploded, something he takes solace in despite being the runner-up.

“I’m happy the party went from 38 per cent in the last election to 47 per cent this time. We received an extra 10,000 votes, so there is clearly a significant increase in the number of people coming to the Conservative common-sense message. I knew it was going to be a very difficult slog when the Green Party strategically chose not to run a candidate in the riding.”

He said part of the Kitchener-Centre riding that was moved into Kitchener-Conestoga also made winning a challenge.

“It made it a little more difficult to win in terms of the urban-rural balance. We overcame that, we overcame the Green Party not running a candidate and we overcame the fact the NDP kind of imploded, so that obviously changed the vote share.”

Treleaven said his job now is to hold Louis accountable from outside of parliament and added despite more seats for his party, a certain status quo remains.

“In the grand scheme of things, not a lot has changed. The NDP plus the Liberals are still running the show. I am happy to see us with over 140 seats, that’s a good increase and a very viable government alternative for the next go around.”

Treleaven’s background is in technology and he has grave concerns about the tech sector in the area due to the Liberal victory.

“None of the policies of the federal Liberal government are going to promote economic development in Waterloo Region. Mr. Carney very clearly said that if you know how the world works, that’s why you would move your money outside of Canada. In his case, it is Bermuda. You can bet your bottom dollar that every local tech leader heard that. I guarantee you the phone calls to the accountants and lawyers are already happening.”

As for the odds of him running in the next election, which some experts believe could occur within two years, Treleaven didn’t hesitate.

“Let’s just say we’re keeping the lawn signs.”