Former Prime Minister Jean Chretien and retiring Justice Minister Peter Mackay were in the riding of Central Nova Saturday to help their party’s odds in the closely contested race.
“You have to work until the last minute in a campaign like that,” said Chretien. “It's (not) over until it's over, as the great philosopher Yogi Berra said.”
Chretien was rallying the troops for Liberal candidate Sean Fraser, while MacKay was at the New Glasgow farmers market to support Conservative candidate Fred Delorey.
“I'm happy to help make introductions to people he hasn't met yet,” said MacKay. “And yes, there's certainly a feeling of continuity that we would like to see happen here in Central Nova.”
MacKay and his father Elmer represented the riding for decades. His decision not to run has opened the field for a tight race – and Fraser says he likes his chances.
“People have been talking about the election for quite some time,” said Fraser. “There's a lot of excitement right to the finish line. We are taking nothing for granted, but we do like where we sit.”
The NDP’s Ross Landry was one of the more well-known candidates when the campaign began, after serving as justice minister in the Darrell Dexter provincial government.
His last days of campaigning aren’t quite the same as his competitors.
“I'm very confident that people know me in this area,” said Landry. “To go and meet people and to see me that I can stand on my own – I really don't need old line politicians to be my backing.”
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May was in the region early in the campaign, but she’s now concentrating her efforts in British Columbia.
The Greens are the only national party thathas never won an election in Central Nova, federally nor provincially.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Dan MacIntosh.
