Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Hay River (Jan 23/06) - Growing up in Fort Providence, Kim Crook says her family supported the same political party for many years.

"My family was always strongly Liberal and I just remained Liberal," says the Hay River resident. "It was sort of like a religion."

A long-time Liberal, Hay River's Kim Crook will be supporting the NDP in today's federal election. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

But that has changed for today's federal election, in which Crook has decided to vote for Dennis Bevington, the New Democratic Party candidate in the Western Arctic.

The switch of parties is largely because of the Liberal sponsorship scandal in Quebec.

It's time for a change to show the Liberals they are accountable for their actions, says Crook, a controller at a retail store and the owner of a part-time bookkeeping business. "If the Liberals get back in, it's like saying do it to us again."

Crook says she decided to support the NDP instead of the Conservatives because the New Democrats have been strong in opposition, and she knows Bevington from when she lived in Fort Smith. At that time, he was mayor and she and her ex-husband operated Kelly's Service Station.

Although she was born in Edmonton, Crook moved to Fort Providence with her family when she was just three, and considers herself a northerner through and through.

Her father owned Air Providence and the Aurora Market general store, which is still operated by her brother.

She says she can hunt and trap, make mukluks, do beading and tufting, and clean fish, and is an excellent shot. "I could shoot the eyeball out of a squirrel."

She even once served as a special constable with the RCMP in Fort Providence.

However, people would never realize all that by looking at her, she says. "You wouldn't think it, eh? People see me and say, 'White woman from the city.'"

Crook, 41, considers herself politically aware, but not politically active.

However, she volunteered to help the NDP in this election.

"I went campaigning door-to-door for the first time in my life, and it was a blast," she says, although she notes it was only for one evening in one neighbourhood.

As for whether she will continue to support the NDP in the future, Crook makes no commitment. "I'll have to see how they're going to do."

She says this election will put all parties and all politicians on notice that voters will make them pay for misdeeds like the sponsorship scandal.