It was a big victory again for Vic Fedeli as the former two-term North Bay mayor secured a fifth term as Nipissing MPP on Thursday night.
While the PC candidate was flattered to see he captured 55 per cent of the vote for his biggest victory so far, it was hard for the 68-year-old to ignore the challenges currently and in the future due to the economic tariff concerns from President Donald Trump in the United States.
In fact, during his post-election media scrum, Fedeli almost immediately moved into Trump and tariff mode.
"I know it really was more of a sobering speech than I would like to give on my largest victory as an MPP with, you know, whatever it is 55 or so per cent," he said at the Davedi Club Thursday night after his victory speech.
"So it's a spectacular night but starting Friday morning, I'll be in the jeep heading to Toronto for a meeting with my provincial counterparts from coast to coast to coast. and Minister Anan from the federal government, we've got interprovincial trade that we're going to try to make big headway tomorrow. I've got really good hopes for that."
Fedeli admits it was not easy juggling campaign responsibilities with all the economic chaos taking place.
"We've been working on it all through the campaign," he said.
"I've been zipping down and back to Toronto with the integrity commission's permission, doing Zoom meetings as well with all the federal ministers or provincial ministers, trying to resolve interprovincial trade. So it was a sobering speech because we've got big issues coming up in Canada."
While Fedeli realized there was no real big threat in this riding, he did not want to take anything for granted.
"I knocked on doors, virtually every single night that I was home," he admitted.
"I was in Washington for a few days, so I was away from the doors then, and it pained me to be away. It was exciting at the doors this year. I felt a real difference. I can tell you why I always fight like we are 10 points behind. That's the only way to go into a campaign. I'm always worried."
Fedeli noted it was very strange running a campaign with no local Liberal candidate as Liam McGarry, who lives in the Kitchener area, did zero campaigning within the riding.
"This was a very different election because there was no Liberal candidate here," Fedeli stated bluntly.
"No signs out, no literature at the doors. So it's a big unknown when you've got a Liberal party that had a cabinet minister here and now they're reduced to virtually nothing. you just don't know what to expect.
"So we knocked on doors every single night. We put up signs every single night. It's my biggest win, so it's kind of exciting."
While he was excited about the win, he was disappointed by the voter turnout in Nipissing, which was below 50 per cent.
"I can't speak for the public as to why they wouldn't come out to an election, but I can tell you there wasn't a lot of election excitement when you have one candidate that is not in the city, never been in the city for this election. It really dampens the election. You know, you like a good spirited race and have a little bit of fun at it and a little bit of excitement," noted Fedeli.
While this fifth term will take him into his 70s, Fedeli would not say this is his last election campaign.
"I still want to soak this in, I am still a young guy, and I have four great years ahead of me," he said.