N.S. election: Tory leader keeps candidate despite 2018 post threatening cyclists
A Progressive Conservative candidate's threatening online rant from 2018 against Nova Scotia cyclists that surfaced this week is "disturbing," says the co-president of the provincial cycling association.
Tory candidate Jennifer Ehrenfeld-Poole had written on Facebook in June 2018 that she expected cyclists to move to the side of the road or she would drive her truck within "a hair" of them, adding that she wished she "could get away with running you completely over."
Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston says Ehrenfeld-Poole, candidate in the Annapolis riding, located in the province's Annapolis Valley region, had told him about the post when she was being vetted by the party.
Houston says she had told him she had sent an apology to Bicycle Nova Scotia, the non-profit group that supports cycling in the province.
Bicycle Nova Scotia co-president Susanna Fuller says that despite the written apology, the 2018 post highlights how all political parties in the province should take actions to promote cycling safety.
Houston says Ehrenfeld-Poole had been frustrated by a group of cyclists on the road and had "vented" on social media, adding that his candidate is remorseful for her actions. He says he decided to allow her to run for office in the riding that former Liberal premier Stephen McNeil had held since 2003 because she had disclosed the incident prior to her candidacy.
"The comments made by the candidate in 2018 are still incredibly disturbing," Fuller said in an interview today.
"I would say I hope this issue coming up during the election makes all parties galvanize around cycling and cycling safety and shows we still have a long way to go to make our roads and trails safe for cyclists."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.