GUYSBOROUGH — With a late start from political opponents, the incumbent Progressive Conservative candidate in Guysborough-Tracadie seemed to make good time on the campaign trail through Nova Scotia’s largest constituency – in land mass – last week, promising, appropriately enough, better roads if things go his way in next month’s provincial election.
“This is a big place,” Greg Morrow told The Journal from his cell phone on Nov. 7. “The biggest in the province... But I’ve just done my 10th poll, so I’m pretty much half-way done... We’ve got a lot of work to do in terms of roads here. From a constituency standpoint, that would be a big item for me.”
Both the Liberals and the NDP seemed to struggle find candidates for the riding that covers 4,332 square kilometres and 20 polls – including all of Guysborough County and eastern parts of Antigonish County – posting their formal nominations only hours before Elections Nova Scotia’s 2 p.m. deadline on Nov. 6.
In an interview with The Journal last week, Liberal candidate George Grant of Guysborough, who is in his 80s – the son of well-known local lawyer, the late Wilkie Grant — declared he had “no intention” of campaigning despite having agreed to let his name stand on the ballot. “I’m too old,” he said about not actively campaigning.
The Nova Scotia Liberal website describes Grant as “a blueberry farmer, Christmas tree exporter and small business contractor [who] understands the needs of his community [and] believes that the people of Guysborough-Tracadie deserve a smart and responsible strategy and is proud to put his name forward as a trustworthy choice on the ballot.”
Grant told The Journal “I’m regarded as a Liberal, so they [party organizers] asked me if I would allow my name to go on the ballot… I think they were having problems trying to find someone who was acceptable to them and who would let their name stand.”
Still, he added: “I have more or less limited mobility. I’m not going to go and tramp down driveways and run from dogs.”
For a few hours last week, Sherbrooke bistro owner Tammie Vatour let her name stand as the nominated candidate for the NDP but ultimately withdrew, citing unspecified reasons in an interview. The Journal reached out to a representative for her replacement on the ballot, Deborah Martinello, on Nov. 9, and was offered availability for an interview, but the representative did not follow up by press time.
Finally, independent candidate John Hurley of Tracadie, who had been registered since the election call last month, dropped out last week after, he said, Elections Nova Scotia disputed the validity of his nomination status. “My name’s not on the ballot, so now I don’t get to play,” he told The Journal. “I’m exploring my legal options.”
Meanwhile, Morrow – a former broadcaster who lives in Tracadie with his wife and two daughters – is seeking his second mandate as MLA.
“My first foray into this was three years ago, and it really was a whirlwind, from the nomination to being in the middle of the campaign,” he said. “Then, a month after that, [I was] in government, the MLA, in cabinet, and [I] just really hit the ground running. Should I be successful [this time], I’m looking forward to using what I’ve learned and continuing to do good things for people.”
Morrow listed establishing the Archibald Lake provincial wilderness area in the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s in 2023, last year’s announcement of a new long-term care home in Sherbrooke, opening a new French-language school in Larry’s River in 2023 and improving rural cell phone coverage earlier this year as highlights of his first term.
“The historic investment in cellular infrastructure through the Cellular for Nova Scotia program included nine new towers to address service gaps in Guysborough-Tracadie,” he said. “This speaks to the need in my area. We have entire communities that have been dead zones for as long as there’s been cell service. It really is a federal responsibility, through the federal government and the CRTC, but we are not waiting. We stepped up.”
Apart from better roads for the constituency, Morrow said his priorities in a second term would include healthcare and local community development.
Regarding healthcare staffing shortages in the area, he said, “We were honest with people that it would take time and it would take money, and it’s been three years. Sometimes, you’ll hear people say, ‘Well, nothing’s changed.’ But there’s been a lot happening. And when I talk to healthcare workers at the door, they say they can see it from the inside, and that we are trying and things are happening. I do believe in the next number of years those things will become more apparent to people.”
With respect to communities, Morrow said, “One of my favourite parts of the job is getting out to see constituents and connect where they are to community events and festivals. What I’ve learned from visiting these various areas is that it’s the volunteers who keep our communities thriving. We just have to continue to work with the volunteers and give them what they need.
“As I mentioned, it’s a large area – Mulgrave to Mary Joseph, Canso to Cameron Settlement and everywhere in between.”
