2022 Provincial election profile: Vic Fedeli, PC Party of Ontario.
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Vic Fedeli admits he is not the best candidate to take door-to-door canvassing.
"I am the worst door knocker, because I do not get very far," admitted Fedeli.
"I stop and chat and chat. My team has to come back and get me. They may do 100 or 200 doors in a night. I might get 20. because I stop and I chat. It is just my style. To me, it creates the most productive conversations. It is not the way door-knocking should be, but it is for me."
The 65-year-old North Bay native has been the mayor of North Bay from December 2003 to November 2010 and is now running for his third term under the Conservative banner as the MPP for Nipissing this June.
See related: Fedeli to open campaign office Friday
He says a lot has changed since that first mayoral campaign back in 2003.
"I think it is quite a bit different now," reflects Fedeli.
"My first one was in 2003 and there was no social media so it was a lot of 'get to know you at the door.' I ran as an unknown when I ran as mayor. When I ran my first time as MPP they knew me in 2011, a better level of social media but still not that new to be quite honest. I think I got my Twitter account in 2009.
"It is very different with social media. There are a lot of people that are far more aware of the issues and far more aware of what you have done and I actually find that very helpful."
Fedeli is confident about his track record on both the municipal and the provincial stage.
He believes as the mayor of North Bay he helped restore solvency and hope for the Gateway City.
"Without any hesitation, I say those two things to you," said Fedeli.
"When I was mayor we increased our Moody's credit rating by five times, the highest credit rating you could have as a city and that meant we had more money to spend on city services instead of interest. The population increased while I was mayor. People were excited."
Ontario Northland
Of all the achievements Fedeli has helped put in motion for the region, he says his proudest achievement is being able to play a role in saving Ontario Northland from complete collapse.
"I hear about that at the doors. I wear an Ontario Northland hat when I go out canvassing as well," said Fedeli.
"Think where we were a decade ago when the previous government declared war on Ontario Northland and they said they wanted to divest it at all costs. If they couldn't find a buyer they were just going to close it down," Fedeli recalled referring to the Liberal government at the time.
"Part of that divestment meant sending 80 of these Go cars to the province of Quebec. You talk about rubbing it in your face and that is what the previous government did."
Fedeli was proud to be at the media event in early April when Ontario Northland announced its new refurbishing Go Transit deal.
"This is a real day to see vindication for the hard-working women and men of Ontario Northland who fought so hard," added Fedeli.
Fedeli, who held the cabinet position as Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, believes the Conservatives are the only ones who are going to get it done.
"I am running on my record, I am not running to oppose somebody else," he said.
"I am running on rebuilding the economy which we are doing right across Ontario and which is going to benefit Nipissing so greatly through this electric vehicle push."
Fedeli says he wrote 14 billion worth of deals to the auto companies in less than two years.
"My signature is on 14 billion dollars in deals in 18 months," he said.
"They all need critical minerals, which means they all need bits, drill bits, drill rods, equipment and it all comes from Nipissing. We are perfectly poised so I focus on things like that. "
