The unusually hot and humid Friday evening before the Civic long weekend did not stop hundreds of Elliot Lakers from coming out to the curling club to hear Conservative Party of Canada leader, and Canada’s leader of the official opposition, Pierre Poilievre.
The event was held in the large space where in winter, curling stones are hurled on the ice sheets.
But there were no stones hurled at anyone present on Friday evening. Instead, a cheerful crowd filled the seating area well before the scheduled starting time. More chairs were brought out. They filled too.
It was standing room only as the attendees greeted friends and neighbours. Pop and rock tunes played on the sound system. Handheld signs did double-duty, as some folks fanned themselves while they waited for the rally to begin.
Following the rally’s introductions, Poilievre appeared from an anteroom doorway to the jubilant gathering.
Taking the stage, the upbeat mood continued as, gesturing to a basket of apples and t-shirts, he asked the audience, “How do you like red apples?”
“We do give out prizes for exceptional audience members. If I throw any facts, and you remember them, and I ask a question, you get it right, you might get an apple, you might get a t-shirt.”
His light-hearted introduction was well received.
Poilievre spoke without notes, unbroken for more than a half hour, highlighting the themes he has stressed for months: taxes, crime, and “ridiculous, over-the-top governmental, environmental rules [that] shut down one industry after another.”
“But the good news is, life was not like this before Trudeau and the NDP, and it won't be like this after they're gone. You'd think that the NDP would be up in arms over how bad things are, right? But what have they done for you? They've forgotten about you,” he told the audience.
And while his points were sharp, they were delivered with humour. The mood remained celebratory even as he addressed hot-button issues.
“By the way, these guys want to ban everything, right? Ban roads. Ban your gas and diesel-powered car. Ban your hunting rifle. Ban your plastic straw - but legalize cocaine.”
“You're allowed to snort cocaine, but just not through a plastic straw. 'Please use cocaine in an environmentally friendly way.' Oh, my God.”
Poilievre remained after the rally, greeting attendees individually, many who also asked for a photo with him.
It was a long line of still-upbeat Elliot Lakers. Only about half of the lineup is visible in the photo with this story.