There were smiles, handshakes and photos as Ontario PC Party leadership candidate Caroline Mulroney held a meet and greet in Guelph on Friday afternoon.
Mulroney chatted with dozens of supporters that packed into the Fionn McCools bar at the corner of Edinburgh and Stone roads.
Many supporters told her it’s time for a change in Guelph and in the province.
“They’re tired of the old ways,” Mulroney said in an interview with CJOY News. “They’re tired of policymaking that’s tied in with political calculations.”
In a brief speech, Mulroney, the daughter of former prime minister Brian Mulroney, said even though she has a famous last name, not many people know her.
“That’s why events like today are so important for me to introduce myself,” she said. “My father has been out of office for 25 years and I’ve been working in the private sector. I’ve been raising a family and I’ve been working in the charitable sector as well.”
The Guelph riding is noteworthy heading into the June 7 election. Liberal MPP and former cabinet minister Liz Sandals, who has held the seat at Queens Park since 2003, is retiring and not seeking reelection.
Sly Castaldi, the longtime executive director of Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis, will run in Sandals’ place, while the leader of the Ontario Green Party, Mike Schreiner will also be running in Guelph.
The Guelph riding association for the Ontario PC Party has yet to name a candidate and it’s not known when that will happen.