Historic House to be Moved
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The Stockdale house, located five and one half miles southeast of town will soon be moved to the grounds of the new Provost Museum. The plans and “Eaton House” materials were ordered from a T. Eaton Co. 1917-18 catalogue and then built here in 1918 by James and Georgia Stockdale. The cost out of the catalogue: $833.81. The package was shipped from Winnipeg to Provost by railway and the foundation was made using rocks gathered locally. The house belongs to Colleen (Stockdale) and Jim Ferry and some years ago was re-shingled to help protect it against the elements. Colleen spent her first 10 years living at the house where her parents James Jr. and Edith also lived for many years. The Manitoba Maple tree in front is of special significance since it was named the Stockdale Maple in “Alberta Trees of Renown: An Honour Roll of Alberta Trees” published by the Alberta Forestry Association in 1984. ©Provost News Photo.
More in January 25 edition of The Provost News.
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M.P. Benoit Gets Over 74% of Vote
Harper Next PM in Minority Government
Federal candidate Leon Benoit has been re-elected as Member of Parliament for the Vegreville-Wainwright Constituency taking an estimated 74.2 percent of the vote in Monday night’s federal election.
He represents the Conservative Party of Canada that will form a minority government under Stephen Harper who will become this country’s 22nd Prime Minister.
At press time late Monday night (just after 11:20 p.m.) January 23 and with not all polls reporting, Benoit showed 37,934 votes while in second place was New Democratic Party’s Lenard Legault of the Ribstone-Chauvin area with 4,715 votes (9.2 percent).
Next was Brian Rozmahel of the Green Party with 3,821 votes (7.5 percent).
Liberal Stewart Duff gathered 3,870 votes (7.6 percent).
Fifth was Robert Kratchmer of the Western Block Party with 433 votes (0.8 percent).
Blaine Stephan for the Christian Heritage Party with 364 votes (0.7 percent) was in sixth place.
Unofficial and early numbers show that the Conservative Party of Canada had won or were leading at press time Monday evening with 124 seats (36.3 percent of the popular vote), while the Liberal Party of Canada had 103 (30.2 percent of the popular vote). The Bloc Québécois showed 51 seats (10.5 percent of the popular vote) while the NDP won 29 (17.5 percent of the popular vote) and one independent was leading in another riding.
There were 308 seats being contested across Canada and a party would need 155 of them to win a majority.
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Voter turnout in this constituency was 50,395 out of 78,326 registered voters (64.3 percent). The number of registered electors does not include those who registered on election day.
Benoit who was contacted by The Provost News in a Lloydminster hotel with supporters late Monday night said that “I am delighted locally here” with the results, saying he is honoured with his fifth election victory. Nationally he and other Conservative MPs had hoped for a majority “but we will respect the people” with that decision “and we will do a lot with that.”
The main thing, though Benoit said was that this party will form the next government.
After the final numbers are in and by judging by early results he estimates that his share of the vote will be about about 75 percent—close to what it was two years ago or “maybe even a little higher, which is delightful.”
Provost News: What do you think the first change a Harper government will make in its early days running the country?
Benoit: Stephen will push for a public accountability act which is extremely important to operate a government in a way the people will be proud of.
Provost News: On the night of the last election (June 2004) we asked you about Premier Ralph Klein’s role and you blamed him for “unfortunate comments that hurt us immensely. That was the difference.” Has Premier Klein been helpful to your cause this time?
Benoit: He was a non-factor and that’s the way it should probably be. We ran an excellent campaign. The people have chosen to give us a minority and we thank them for that.
In a congratulatory statement to Harper and his newly elected Conservative federal government, Klein stated in a faxed statement to media that “I hope that all elected members will put the divisiveness of the election campaign behind them, and get on with the business of serving the Canadian people. The federal. provincial and territorial governments must work together to face the many challenges facing our nation.”
Since first being elected in 1993, Benoit has held six chief critic positions in the Official Opposition caucus including Wheat Board, Public Works and Government Services, Defence, Immigration, Agriculture and Internal Trade. Recently he has also been the chair of the government operations and estimates committee.
Rest of story in January 25 edition of The Provost News.
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