Reflections from an evening with a door-knocking candidate
I’m Evan, a CBC staff photojournalist. I recently spent an evening in University-Rosedale, Chrystia Freeland’s Toronto riding, while she knocked on doors. She’s hoping to win her seat back for a fourth time.
We started at the campaign office, where there was pizza and the vibe was chatty. Freeland arrived, all smiles, in a red blazer and jeans.
On the street they move fast. Freeland, known to stand on a box in order to reach the microphone at news conferences, walks with purpose. I had to jog to keep up.
When she would ask if she could count on someone’s vote, the answer from many was, “Yes, I’ve already voted.” One couple, who recognized Freeland as she cut through a park, said they expected her to win. She knocked on a tree so as not to jinx it.
At another door, I listened as Freeland had a lengthy conversation with a resident who revealed he had voted early and for the Conservatives. His family, he said, were likely to have voted for her. He admitted he thought she was going to win and, had she parted with former prime minister Justin Trudeau earlier, might have won him over as well.
Trudeau’s name came up a few times in the hour or so I spent tailing Freeland’s team. To what extent his legacy dictates the outcome of this election, for the Liberals and Freeland, remains to be seen.
