Kanata Politics.We lost Glen Abbey due to the Ford government protecting the local Conservative members.
In Ottawa, the Conservatives have nothing to protect. Infill housing is badly needed.
McCrimmon came out against the redevelopment, as did NDP candidate Melissa Coenraad, while Webster would only say that the matter is before the courts and he couldn’t comment. This issue alone is more than enough to cost Webster more than 658 votes in the Beaverbrook and Marchwood neighbourhoods that border the golf course.
No amount of interns, from any party, would have turned that problematic issue around.
Finally, there is the issue of Ford himself and his perceived indifference to Ottawa. The idea that Ford only cares about Toronto and not Ottawa plays well in the nation’s capital and was a factor in the PC’s losing the riding of Ottawa West-Nepean in last years’ general election just like it was in Thursday’s byelection.
No factor, though, weighed as heavy as the golf course redevelopment, not Ford, not the Liberal networks and definitely not interns from the federal party.
Sometimes, local issues matter a lot.