It's day 18 on the federal campaign trail meaning we've officially hit the half-way point but, with 18 days still to go, one local candidate is significantly shaking up his strategy -- doing away with door-to-door meet-and-greets.
Pounding the pavement and going door-knocking is traditionally a must for candidates hoping to win a seat in the House of Commons but Kitchener-Conestoga Green Party candidate Owen Bradley says the pandemic has changed things.
"I'm particularly concerned, given the array of people we speak to at the door, we can't readily guarantee the safety of either our canvassers or any of the families we'd be visiting on our route," Bradley said.
Bradley points to the continued spread of the more infectious Delta variant as one reason for the decision but says it also comes down to local vaccination rates, which he says are lower than desired.
"Given the limited medical resources available in the remote communities, I'm particularly concerned about our campaign being in any way involved in a sudden outbreak in this region," he said.
Instead of the door-to-door, face-to-face conversations, Bradley says his campaign will continue to be leaving postcards in mail boxes informing potential voters of who he is and what he stands for.
He says he understands this decision may hurt him at the polls but adds, for now, he feels this is the right choice to keep both voters and volunteers safe.
