There’s a debate tonight in Sioux lookout starting at 6:30pm. Candidates in this wynne inspired new riding full of ROF FN’s.

Wynne worked very hard to get this new riding approved in time for elections. Last year had a very low turnout.

“The concept of working together is one of the pillars of Doug Lawrance's platform. Lawrance, currently the mayor of Sioux Lookout and a small business owner, is the Liberal candidate in Kiiwetinoong.”

When I look at his background (posted at end) I see that:

He moved to Sioux Lookout in 1985 to work with Keewatin-Aski Ltd. Lawrance then managed a successful engineering business while undertaking planning, design, and construction phases projects throughout Northwestern Ontario. His client base included regional municipalities, First Nations, government agencies, and private clients.

It sure would be nice for Wynne to throw Doug a bone.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/kiiwetinoong-candidates-priorities-1.4682893

Candidates in 1 of Ontario's newest ridings outline their priorities ahead of debate

Kiiwetinoong candidates debate scheduled Wednesday evening at Sioux Lookout Legion

Jeff Walters · CBC News · Posted: May 30, 2018 8:00 AM ET | Last Updated: an hour ago

Candidates in the Kiiwetinoong riding in Ontario's far north will meet face-to-face in a debate Wednesday.(Government of Ontario)

Candidates in Kiiwetinoong, the largest riding in Ontario, will debate Wednesday night in Sioux Lookout, the electoral district's largest community.

Candidates from the three sitting parties were interviewed by CBC Thunder Bay to determine what their priorities are.

• Ontario riding profile: Kiiwetinoong
• Polls in Kiiwetinoong showed poor turnout in previous provincial elections

Sol Mamakwa, the NDP candidate, said his priority is health care. Mamakwa is a health advisor with Nishnawbe Aski Nation.

"I think to be able to provide that voice in Queen's Park is very critical," he said.

"Kiiwetinoong riding needs to voice together to move forward."

Sol Mamakwa is the NDP candidate in the Kiiwetinoong riding. He says access to health care is one of his priorities for the area. (Jeff Walters/CBC)

The concept of working together is one of the pillars of Doug Lawrance's platform. Lawrance, currently the mayor of Sioux Lookout and a small business owner, is the Liberal candidate in Kiiwetinoong.

Lawrance said his track record of working with Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities makes him an ideal candidate to represent all the people in the riding.

"Relationships don't develop because you decide to turn a switch on," Lawrance said. "They develop over time by building trust."

Lawrance said Ontario is on the right track, and should continue the path it is on.

"There's so much interdependence and inter-relationship between all the communities."

Doug Lawrance is the Liberal party candidate in Kiiwetinoong. (www.siouxlookout.ca)

PC Candidate Clifford Bull, the Chief of Lac Seul First Nation, touted his party's plan to put money back into the pockets of constituents, partially though decreasing the cost of energy in the north.

"We're also going to look after the people up north in terms of gas," he said. "I went up to some of the northern communities to get a sense of the pricing, and it's well over $2.50 a litre."

All of the candidates agreed the geography of the riding is a major challenge, with just over 30,000 constituents spread out over nearly 300,000 square kilometres.

"It's one third the area of the province of Ontario," said Lawrance.

Clifford Bull is the Ontario PC Party candidate in Kiiwetinoong. (Matt Prokopchuk / CBC)

What makes the riding unique, besides its size, is that all of the candidates from the three major parties know each other and have worked together on various projects.

"When I see them on the road, and on the campaign trail, I say hello and have greetings and have nothing against them," said Mamakwa. "It's a democratic process and we will work together towards betterment of the people of Kiiwetinoong riding."

We're probably going to have the friendliest campaign in all of Ontario- PC candidate Clifford Bull

"We're probably going to have the friendliest campaign in all of Ontario," Bull said. "I've seen Sol [Mamakwa] at airports, I've seen Doug [Lawrance] ... it's all about democracy."

Other candidates include the Northern Ontario Party's Kenneth Jones and Green Party candidate Christine Penner Polle.

The debate in Sioux Lookout is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. at the Legion.

https://ontarioliberal.ca/news/5ad0b61d9b36dd08ebf27236?l=EN

Mayor Doug Lawrance nominated as Ontario Liberal candidate for Kiiwetinoong

 April 13, 2018

SIOUX LOOKOUT—Doug Lawrance, the Mayor of Sioux Lookout, was nominated this evening as the Ontario Liberal Party candidate for the new riding of Kiiwetinoong.

“The representative we elect for Kiiwetinoong needs to have the experience and knowledge of the entire riding, and have a good understanding of how all levels of government—federal, provincial, First Nations and municipalities—work together. I bring that experience,” said Mayor Lawrance. “I am honoured to be running on Premier Kathleen Wynne’s team, to fight for the care and services Northern Ontario needs through policies that will enhance access to health- and long-term care, provide free prescription medication, extend the clean electricity grid to northern First Nations, development of the Ring of Fire and provide a $15-an-hour minimum wage.” 

Mayor Doug Lawrance was born in Scotland and came to Canada with his family in the late 1950s. In 1964, his family moved to Thunder Bay where Lawrance completed high school and then attended Lakehead University earning a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and sociology and an engineering degree. He moved to Sioux Lookout in 1985 to work with Keewatin-Aski Ltd. Lawrance then managed a successful engineering business while undertaking planning, design, and construction phases projects throughout Northwestern Ontario. His client base included regional municipalities, First Nations, government agencies, and private clients.