People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier said his party should win the Calgary-Heritage byelection because it is “fighting for you based on strong convictions and principles.” .“My commitment to you, and our commitment to you, is we won’t change,” said Bernier at a Saturday rally in a vacant lot at the corner of Elbow and Southland Drives in Calgary. .“We will always fight for what we believe until we win that battle.” .About 60 people showed up to the rally. Many of the attendees were wearing purple clothing to represent the PPC. .If people are PPC members, Bernier asked them to give it their time and promote its ideas because it will not be wasteful. He said it will not have a new election platform in 2025. .He called the PPC “your insurance policy that the Conservatives will be conservative because we will support [Pierre] Poilievre when he acts like a conservative.” When Poilievre will not, he said it will shame him. .Many of the attendees spent plenty of time supporting PPC candidate Kelly Lorencz (Calgary-Heritage, AB). With the byelection coming up on Monday, he said people need to do a sprint to the end to let others know about what it believes in. .While the other parties are appealing to people’s emotions, he said his party is going for their intelligence. He added it is telling the truth and using facts. . Maxime BernierMaxime Bernier said this byelection will prepare the PPC for the next election. .The PPC leader went on to say this byelection is practice for the next election. If Lorencz is unable to win the byelection, he said he knows he will be with the PPC in the next one. .Bernier said its members need to tell every Canadian it will not disappear. The Conservatives and mainstream media say after every election it will not be around in the next one. .The PPC received 5% in the 2021 election. He acknowledged Lorencz will continue to fight for what he believes regardless of the outcome. .Bernier concluded by saying this byelection is about more than the riding. Every Canadian is looking at it to see what will happen on Monday. .“You have the chance to make history by electing the first PPC candidate in the House of Commons,” he said. . Kelly LorenczKelly Lorencz said he sent 47,000 PPC campaign flyers, ensuring every home in Calgary-Heritage had one. .Lorencz said he mailed 47,000 pieces of PPC campaign literature, so every home in Calgary-Heritage received one. .“If we don’t win this byelection, this is still a win for the People’s Party of Canada because there’s nobody that can say in this riding that they haven’t at least seen People’s Party of Canada branding,” he said. .“Everybody knows who the PPC are now.” .While he might not win, he said the next step is to continue with this branding. He pledged to fight for Alberta, family, and his community. .The other candidates running for election are NDP candidate Gurmit Bhachu, Green Ravenmoon Crocker, independent Donovan Eckstrom, Christian Heritage Party candidate Larry Heather, Maverick candidate Dan Irving, Conservative Shuv Majumdar, and Liberal Elliot Weinstein. .Lorencz said on June 24 a door opened for him one day before Bernier placed second in the Portage-Lisgar byelection. .READ MORE: PPC 'western lieutenant' enters Calgary Heritage by-election.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau set the Calgary Heritage byelection date for Monday on June 18. He did not wait for the formal announcement, as he had been campaigning for more than two weeks in the riding..Lorencz is not new to the campaign trail. He placed fifth with 2% of the vote in Calgary-Nose Hill in 2019 after losing to Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner, and he placed third with 12% in Red Deer-Mountain View in 2021, trailing Conservative MP Earl Dreeshen.
