Crowe aiming to represent NDP in provincial election

Lake Helen’s Cindy Crowe wants to represent the people of the Thunder Bay-Superior North riding as their next member of provincial parliament.
“I am very new to the political race, but I have a lot of very experienced people guiding me within the NDP and our First Nations leadership,” Crowe said. “I have people giving me suggestions and some direction. What we have been concentrating on in the last three or four weeks is trying to encourage people to become NDP members of the (Thunder Bay-Superior North) riding.”
One of two people running to represent the NDP as the Thunder Bay-Superior North candidate in the Oct. 6 provincial election, Crowe said some people find it intimidating to sign up for membership because the application form states they are now committing to vote for the NDP.
“You really need to be working with people and illustrating to them your commitment and dedication to what you are doing,” Crowe said.
Members of the NDP riding association, who signed up at least a month in advance of the nomination meeting, will choose the riding candidate.”
The NDP nomination meeting was originally scheduled for early April, but it has been changed to June 5 due to the May 2 federal election.
“Our NDP membership is busy out there putting up signs, making phone calls, collecting donations,” Crowe said. “They are really busy.”
Although the 51-year-old owner of Cindy Crowe Consulting has run previously as a 2010 candidate for Thunder Bay municipal council, she said running for office is new to her.
“Even two years ago, if you would have said this is where I would have been right now, I would have just laughed you out of the room,” Crowe said. “I honestly didn’t see myself taking these steps that I am, but I’ve been receiving the teachings and receiving the guidance I need and it seems to be a good direction for me.”
“And now that I’m here, now that I’m in this, now that I’m kind of engulfed with it, I really see that I have been in training for this for my entire life.”
After first focusing on signing up members, Crowe is now aiming to concentrate on speaking to the existing membership.
“We want to hold some information sessions and we’ve got about 10 of them lined up,” Crowe said in early April. “We’d like to have a speaker come in and talk to people about, let’s say, poverty or women’s issues, or union concerns.”
Crowe said the information sessions provide party members with an opportunity to air their concerns, provide input and learn more about her.
In addition to meeting with NDP members in the local area, including First Nation leaders, Crowe has travelled to Sudbury, Toronto and Ottawa to learn more about the goals and objectives of NDP members across the province.
“I am on the highest learning curve I have ever been on,” Crowe said. “It’s really exciting; it’s really interesting. I like to say I’m on the longest job interview I have ever been on.”
Crowe said the NDP has an affirmative action program, which encourages Aboriginal people, women, physically-challenged people and others to run.
“They are a very inclusive party, so that certainly encouraged me,” Crowe said.
For those interested in running provincially, Crowe said the first step is to contact the local riding association.
“I chose to run in the Thunder Bay-Superior North riding because Lake Helen is in that riding,” Crowe said. “I would encourage anyone who is not content with the current system to get involved.”