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Sarah Mills says parents are probably breathing a sigh of relief as kids head back to school after the Easter break.
It’s a race against time for federal candidates as they try to turn every doorstep visit into a vote.
In the Saskatoon South riding, first-time NDP candidate Jacob Gadzella and his team of volunteers are canvassing an area of nearly 45,000 houses.
“We’re covering a lot of ground (and) we’re talking to a lot of people because advanced polling has now come and gone,” Gadzella said. “We’re also talking to a lot of people who have already voted, and we’re very happy to hear that.”
According to Elections Canada 206,754 people in Saskatchewan cast a ballot during advanced polls from April 18 to April 21. That is around 12 per cent higher than the 187,960 valid votes cast in the advanced polls in the 2021 election in the province.
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Gadzella said there’s been” a lot of energy” throughout the process and to see a higher voter turnout in the election’s early stages has been encouraging..
“I guess the big challenge is to go talk to as many (people) as possible. We’re in the final days (to) go and make sure they know who I am,” he said.
NDP candidate Jacob Gadzella and volunteers visit doorsteps in the Saskatoon South riding. (Mia Holowaychuk/650 CKOM)
While the Saskatoon South riding leans more right, Gadzella said he’s had a number of pleasant conversations on the doorsteps of voters.
“I think that is a positive sign that we are more interested in a team Canada approach, and whatever that’s going to look like at the end of the day is good,” he said.
Gadzella hopes that his background in communications and as a local community organizer will push him over the finish line to represent his riding.
“People need to know what’s coming down from the top, and we need a representative who’s gonna reach out to them and listen,” he said.
Anxieties around U.S. tariffs have been the number one concern Gadzella has heard from residents in the area.
“I’ve heard a lot of people who have said they don’t usually pay attention to politics, but this time they are,” he said.
Gadzellla added that housing is a part of his pitch, and believes that all levels of government can work together to improve affordability and protect renters.
“I think there’s an opportunity to make sure that affordability is guaranteed in at least some sector of housing,” he said.
The federal election is set to take place on April 28.
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