Canadians long disenfranchised by the "no-competition-out-there" federal Liberals found a new reason to believe right here in the City of Toronto. New hope for the foreseeable future was ignited with the election of Stockwell Day as Canadian Alliance, at a convention room in a Toronto airport hotel.
Even major media detractors had to write about Day's "stunning ascension from provincial politician to federal Opposition leader" almost overnight. Given the strides he has made here in Ontario, the same media detractors will have a difficult time portraying Stockwell Day as a mere Westerner.
Toronto Free Press had a small part to play in the election of Stockwell Day as new Canadian Alliance leader.Back in May, we were invited to an airport hotel room to hear Day address a group of local church leaders, who spearheaded the "Families For Day" group. At the tail end of the meeting, he graciously pulled the TFP editor aside for a private meeting down the hall. I was impressed with Day, liked what he had to say and how he said it. Not a bad endorsement from a journalist, who is less than impressed by most politicians. In two back page advertisements, TFP was proud to back his leadership campaign under an advertising slogan:"Stockwell Makes Our Day".
During ensuing weeks, friends called trying to lure us into both the Preston Manning and Tom Long campaigns. Some even ridiculed our beliefs by telling us that Day didn't stand a chance.
Meanwhile, the small but steady trickle into our downtown offices by average people from all walks of life was telling us otherwise. The "Stockwell Makes Our Day" ad included a tear-out membership form which readers were encouraged to send to TFP.
Enthusiasm for Day's Alliance leadership bid ran high enough to have some people bring their forms directly into the office.
Most interesting to us was that mostly young people filled out the forms.
According to the claims of their supporters, Long had the money and Manning the most experience. But Day won the day.
In the official countdown to the final vote, underdog Day took Preston Manning in virtually every region of the country.
The man they dubbed "Stock" has a platform based on "bringing our values of freedom and respect to the Canadian people."
Stock's persona is a blend of average guy and man of the people.
An elected Alberta politician since 1986 and a cabinet minister for the last seven years, Day held a variety of jobs of the down-to-earth variety. An auctioneer and a deckhand, a Pentecostal minister and a private school administrator, he sewed a few wild oats as a young man. On the day of our initial meeting, Day spoke openly about taking the advice of his father at the time when he was newly affianced to his wife Valorie.
French speaking and born in Barrie, Ontario, he is a former Alberta treasurer.
Capturing 63.4% of the 114,218 votes cast at Toronto's Regal Constellation Hotel, he led with 72,349 votes to Manning's 41,869.
As gracious in victory as his opponent was in defeat, Day is already looking for a place for Manning. Letting the Reform Party founder ride a horse off into the sunset was never part of the new leader's plans.
The federal election is on the horizon. This time the Liberals have genuine competition.
Stockwell Day said it best: "This is a new century, this is a new party. It's a new day for Canada."
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