Huron Expositor, 2016-01-20, Page 7Former Huron -Bruce federal Liberal
candidate Allan Thompson to establish and
lead federal Liberal task force on rural outreach
Former Huron -Bruce fed-
eral Liberal candidate Allan
Thompson has been asked by
the federal Liberal party to set
up and chair a task force to be
called "Project Rural" to begin
a major program of research
and outreach in rural ridings.
The full details of the task
force's composition and man-
date are still being finalized,
but work will begin almost
immediately. The task force
will be established under the
Liberal Party of Canada
(Ontario) and will begin its
work in rural ridings across
the province.
At the outset, the goal of
"Project Rural" is to design a
program of outreach in fed-
eral ridings across Ontario
that are predominantly rural.
A first step will be to consult
with former Liberal candi-
dates, their campaign teams
and electoral district associa-
tions from ridings with a sig-
nificant rural presence.
But equally important, the
task force will engage directly
with communities in ridings
that are predominantly rural
or have a significant rural
presence. Project Rural will
also conduct research into key
rural issues and will tap into
existing work on rural issues
and concerns.
Project Rural recognizes the
need for the federal Liberal
party to engage directly on key
issues that resonate with rural
voters, to establish best prac-
tices for campaigning in a
rural context and to begin the
process now of devising a
rural campaign strategy and
platform planks for 2019.
"We must be regarded as a
party and government that
has something to say to rural
voters. And having something
to say starts with listening,"
said Thompson. "I think the
federal Liberal party can work
harder to connect with people
who live in rural
communities."
As the Liberal candidate in
Huron -Bruce in last year's
election, Thompson ran on a
theme of providing a strong
rural voice. He and his sup-
porters moved the Liberal
party from a distant third in
2011 to a very competitive
second -place finish in the
October 19 election. And
Thompson's experience mir-
rored that of many other can-
didates in ridings with a sig-
nificant rural component.
Alongside MP Kim Rudd
(Northumberland -Peterbor-
ough South), Thompson was
asked to lead a panel on "the
rural campaign" at the
LPC(0) Executive Board
meeting held in Ottawa in
early December. To prepare
for that session, he was in
touch with candidates in a
number of predominantly
rural ridings and conducted
an informal survey about les-
sons learned from the 2015
campaign. A central finding of
that survey was that there is a
need to start now re -connect-
ing with rural candidates and
their communities and to
build a major program of out-
reach in rural ridings.
Thompson was born and
raised on a farm in Bruce
Wednesday, January 20, 2016 • Huron Expositor 7
Gontnnutea pnoto
From the left, former Huron -Bruce federal Liberal candidate Allan
Thompson and PM Justin Trudeau. Thompson has been chosen
to lead Project Rural, an initiative that recognizes the need for
the federal Liberal party to engage directly on key issues that
resonate with rural voters.
county and is now a journal-
ism professor at Carleton Uni-
versity. Based on his experi-
ence as a candidate, he took
the initiative to propose to the
Liberal party that it set up the
Project Rural task force. Lib-
eral Party of Canada (Ontario)
President Tyler Banham has
formally tasked Thompson
with establishing and chairing
the initiative.
Kipfer earns three shutouts as Novice girls runners-up in Pink on Rink tourney
Coming off a 2-1-2 stretch
the Mitchell Tru Country &
Garden Novice girls were
ready to make their appear-
ance at the Pink on the Rink
tournament - a fundraiser for
breast cancer research - held
in South Huron this past
weekend.
The Meteors made their
presence known in the first
game, defeating Kincardine
10-0. Ashley McLeod
recorded a hat trick to pace
the offense while Grace Kipfer
recorded her first shutout of
the tournament. Jade Huygen
added two goals while Dan-
ielle Harmer, Kara Rolph,
Alissa Insley, Haileigh Tem-
pleman and Rachel Haefling
also scored, with Kara Rolph
drawing two assists. Grace
Kipfer ended this game with
her first shutout of the
tournament.
Later against South Huron,
there were a lot of end-to-end
rushes for both sides but Kip-
fer had to keep her wits about
her stopping multiple shots to
keep her team in the game,
eventually backstopping her
second straight shutout in a
2-0 win. Huygen and Harmer
scored, aided by solid defense
all around.
Matched once again against
Kincardine in the semi-finals,
Kipfer recorded her third
straight shutout in another
close game, this time another
2-0 win. The girls battled hard
and kept the play deep the
Kincardine's end for the
majority of the game. With
some excellent defensive
positioning from Heather
Ogilvie, Rylee Kipfer, Peyton
Vanderkuylen and Jessie
Horan, Kincardine had no
chance to gain any momen-
tum. Huygen opened the
scoring late in the second and
Tegan Mace, with some excel-
lent positioning, tucked home
the insurance goal in the
third.
The final took place Sunday
afternoon against Ilderton but
the girls were pumped and
ready to battle. Ilderton
scored first and held the lead
into the third period but
with about a minute and a
half left in the third period
Harmer started the rush from
her own end, taking the puck
and making a perfect pass to
Rolph who made no mistake
to tie the game. Five minutes
of sudden death overtime was
to follow and again the play
was back and forth, Kipfer
making some excellent saves
to carry her team to the
shootout round. The shootout
was intense, with both goalies
showing off their talent, it took
11 rounds of shooters to
decide this nailbiter of a game,
with Mitchell falling just short
by a thrilling 2-1 decision.
For the JP Uniac Insurance
Atom girls 2, meanwhile,
action started Friday morning
on the wrong foot as their host
South Huron team blanked the
locals, 8-0. The girls came out
to play for their second game
later Friday afternoon against
East Lambton but fell by a 2-0
score, with netminder Kora
Smith playing a steady game.
On Saturday afternoon,
well rested and ready to play,
Josephine Jarmuth's goal
stood as the winner in a 1-0
win which put, believe it or
not, was enough to advance.
Smith registered the shutout
in goal.
The Atom girls were going
to the semi-finals against
South Huron once again and
this time the game was
another hard-fought contest
with goals from Josie Walker
and Jarmuth but it wasn't
enough in a 3-2loss.
The Snyders Graphics Pee
Wee girls posted an exciting
2-2 record in their division of
the Pink on the Rink tourna-
ment, dropping a thrilling 3-2
game to South Bruce in over-
time in the semi-finals.
The team opened with a 4-2
win over Lucan as Emma
French led the offense with
three goals and an assist while
Brooklyn Gethke added the
other marker. Taya Cornish
had three assists and was a
pillar of strength from the
blueline. Later in the day
against East Lambton, goals
by Erica Pletsch and Gethke
wasn't enough in a 3-2 loss in
another close contest.
The squad rebounded
with a 3-1 win over North
Middlesex as Cornish scored
two third period goals, the
winner early and the
clincher late. Emily Haefling
had opened the scoring for
the Meteors.
In the semi finals against
South Bruce, Pletsch and
French were goal scorers as
the clubs traded goals after
regulation time, forcing sud-
den -death overtime. In the
extra session, the Blades were
able to beat Mitchell net -
minder Makalya Beuerman
just 21 -seconds in. Cornish
had two assists.
Andy Bader Mitchell Advocate
Grace Kipfer (left) of the Mitchell Novice girls hockey team
celebrates with cousin Rylee Kipfer during action last fall after a
victory. Kipfer was sharp as she recorded three straight shutouts
in the recent Exeter tournament.
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