Smith & UCP fundraiser dinner 90% sold in the “most active grassroots movement in Alberta”

Danielle Smith’s second fundraising event in Bonnyville in under a calendar year, shows this area to be the most active United Conservative Party constituency association, according to its president.

The leader of the UCP and elected Premier of Alberta, Danielle Smith, is coming to Bonnyville on Friday for a party fundraiser at $250 a ticket. It’s a steep price, that also comes with a tax receipt, but the event is 90 per cent sold, with another 700 attendees anticipated.

“I think that Bonnyville is the most active grassroots political movement in Alberta,” said Mitch Sylvestre, CA president. 

“Bonnyville is engaged, Bonnyville is active, Bonnyville participates. Bonnyville shows up in big numbers again.” 

Sylvestre quoted a figure of $95,000 was raised towards Smith’s campaign, $50,000 was used towards MLA Scott Cyr’s campaign, and a remaining $20,000 was used to help cover costs of the 187 Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul constituents who attended the party’s AGM.

They voted on “freedom” resolutions and tout they had the most individuals from any one riding at the annual general meeting.

The future of Highway 28 figures to be on the top of the docket in local concerns, with health care also taking priority.

Smith will meet with the CA on Friday afternoon, before the dinner and speaking event, on local issues. It will also draw attention from municipal politicians.

“This area was absolutely instrumental in firing Jason Kenney. We were 10 per cent of that vote. And finding a freedom-thinking premier, of supporting this lady, of helping put these people in power. We’re like minded. The premier I believe, is like minded. I believe she thinks like people in this area. I believe she’s one of us. And I believe as a consequence of that, she’s already committed to Highway 28 to a certain degree,” said Sylvestre. 

‘See the effort being put in’

As municipal politicians, you have to work with the provincial government, whichever party is in power. And although it’s a UCP fundraiser, City of Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland says it’s an opportunity to get in Smith’s ear.

“When you get your Premier coming into the area, you gotta be there as a mayor, for sure, to attend,” he said during the Morning After. 

“The big want or need is going to be Highway 28. And besides that, there’ll be other questions on health care and mental illness, and the drugs and the homelessness issue. I’m sure there’ll be lots of questions being fired out there. As mayor’s we get an opportunity once in a while to go and actually have a private meeting with the Premier and her staff and the ministers. But this is really about the community coming up and asking questions.”

Leveraging this fundraising support could be a ticket to more getting done for the area as well.

Bonnyville Deputy Mayor Neil Langridge says he hopes this area will continue to be recognized.

“I’m hoping that the government and the UCP and the Premier for that matter, see the effort being put in and remember that the Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul constituency is, from what they’ve done, one of the strongest that they have in support,” said Langridge. 

Tickets are still available. More information can be found here.

“We thank them all, every single one of them, they don’t understand how important that is,” said Sylvestre.