Modeling Journey

In the search for an agency, technology can be your best friend. However, typing in ‘modelling agency’ into any search engine will result in you getting more information than you can handle, and much of it, indiscriminate and irrelevant to the type of career you want.

Research

Start off by researching models you admire. Find out who represents them – this is a good starting point to ensure you only make contact with legitimate agencies. Do your homework, find out who the top agencies are and visit creditable sites like www.models.com to see which agencies hire models that most closely represent your look. Success in modelling is all about marketing, and doing it with insight and intelligence. Try to imagine your own look in an existing market – where would you place it? High fashion, commercial, plus-size, sports and athletic modelling – it’s a big modelling world out there. Having an awareness of where you might fit in is crucial.

Don’t be afraid to contact the bigger agency names. Yes, they are inundated with photos every day, but each one of these is checked to see if that person has modelling potential. Don’t assume that you’re better off trying just the smaller agencies. Be ambitious for yourself, contact every relevant agency, but be prepared for knockbacks. They come with the territory, and this point in your career is just the beginning. Try not to take rejection personally, because it rarely is. It’s just business.

Modelling may seem like an artistic pursuit, but the fact is for everybody concerned, it is a money-making venture. Think ahead: formulate, plan and plot your course of action, even if it’s only week by week.

Enthusiasm is infectious, and showing agencies that you have a ‘game plan’ can be the thing that tips the decision in your favour. If you’re really serious about becoming a model, make fashion your business. Read the trade publications (Vogue, W, Elle, Nylon, Harper’s Bazaar). Study who is out there, and why they keep getting re-hired. What are they doing that’s right? It’s rarely down to dumb genetic luck. The very best models get to the top because they are fearless about pursuing their goals. If you are really passionate about a career in fashion, let it show.

In person

When you’ve found an agency that captures your interest, look closely at their website. Many model agencies have very specific means of application. Some like you to send in a couple of photos in the mail: usually one head-shot and a full-length body shot. Others prefer you to upload a recent photo of yourself onto an online form, plus your personal details such as age and height. Others hold regular Open Days where would-be models are invited to attend an appointment with a booker to assess their suitability.

Open Days are becoming increasingly rare, with limits on time and resources to carry them out. If the agency you’ve found specifies a particular date and time, stick to it. Don’t assume that the booker will still be free to see you half an hour after the set time has elapsed.

Treat an Open Day appointment like a prospective go-see, only this time the agency is the client. Be friendly, attentive and polite. Mounting a charm offensive won’t hurt your chances one bit, and shows you understand what kind of behaviour would be required at a real life go-see.

Go prepared and present yourself as a model: your hair pulled back, clean, moisturised skin and no make-up. When picking clothes, it pays to go simpler. A vest and a decent pair of jeans are classics for a reason. Don’t make the rookie mistake of piling on every fashionable item in your wardrobe. An agent isn’t interested in admiring your fashion mojo: they just want to see potential.

Whatever the outcome of approaching an agency ‘in person’, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback. This can provide invaluable insight in helping you find a model agency sooner rather than later. Learning what you do wrong can really help you in the long-term. Mistakes can be corrected, but a know-it-all attitude? That’s not so easy to fix.

The key thing to understand about finding an agency is that to find success, a multi-angled form of attack is advisable. There are the lucky souls who get snapped up by the first agency they approach, but the reality is that for most people, it takes a little more work.

To get the result you want, it pays to cover your bases. After all, if you were job-hunting, no sane person would download their CV onto a recruitment website, sit back and wait for the phone calls to come pouring in. As with most things in life, if something’s worth having, it’s worth that extra effort to get it.

New technology: online model agencies

One angle you may not have considered is online model agency. They are steadily growing in profile, and while never a guarantee of securing work, it is definitely worthwhile exploring this option.

When looking for representation, it is important to know that the role of an online modelling agency is very different to that of a traditional agency. The main role of an online modelling agency is to primarily house electronic portfolios. They provide online space for you to display your photos on the internet.

The agency will offer a basic portfolio space on their website for little or no cost, and if you want something a bit more advanced, be prepared to pay an additional fee for running costs. This is a legitimate expense, as the more involved a person’s e-portfolio becomes, the more space and upkeep it requires.

The benefit of using this type of agency is that your work can be viewed by interested parties from around the world, thus maximising your earning potential. But online modelling agencies do not offer any of the other services routinely featured by more traditional agencies – do not confuse the two, or risk disappointment.

However, there are some similarities to bear in mind when shopping for an online agency. As with normal agencies, NEVER sign up to any agency that promises you work. No agency, however prolific, can guarantee a model work. The industry is notoriously fast-paced, and work fluctuates at all levels.

When choosing an online agency, look at the e-portfolios of other models on the website. Do their photos suggest that this model aspires to be in the same sector as you? Always try to match yourself to an agency’s existing book of models – you are far more likely to get work this way than trying to squeeze a square peg into a round hole. Also, if the agency seems clearly focused, in terms of what is offers prospective clients, this is also good news as a client will be more inclined to scout the better-developed sites for talent than the ones that are clumsily managed.

When selecting portfolio shots, keep in mind what constitutes a portfolio shot. Beware any e-portfolios with models posing with parasols or staring winsomely off-camera. This is the calling card of a makeover shoot, and as such is completely unsuitable for a professional portfolio. Whatever the cost of the shoot, a soft-focus glamour shot of you wrapped in a feather boa is unlikely to win over any client. Models Connect offers specific advice on the difference between portfolio and makeover photos. If in doubt, keep your fledgling portfolio shots simple, direct and uncluttered. No parasols necessary.

Keeping your expectations in line is another thing to remember when posting your shots to an online agency. As a method of securing work, it can be a long shot, but something worth doing if you are serious about securing a foothold in the industry. The more methods you try, the higher the likelihood of securing a response will be.

Where Models Connect can help

Models Connect can also assist you with your search. The website (www.modelsconnect.net) functions as a halfway house between a virtual agency and the ‘real’ world. It houses e-portfolios like an online agency would, but where Models Connect differs, is that it can offer a level of service including advice, tips and most importantly, the potential for booking jobs with its selection of clients.

To get the best results from Models Connect, you can sign up to have an online profile that can only be viewed by Models Connect’s base of vetted and approved clients, but you can also access your account and forward your details onto other agencies or interested parties, and manage your own career.

Where Models Connect’s main strength lies in how it can connect you to a body of clients, who are actively searching for new faces, for a wide variety of projects. Upon signing up, you will be assigned your own booker, who will ensure that if you’re suitable for a potential job, that client will be made aware of you.

Combining your search for an agency using the latest technology and exploring more traditional routes is the best means of achieving your goal. Think proactively, and this will translate into action, which shows potential agencies and clients that you are serious about building a career in the fashion industry.

Approach your search for an agency with intelligence: plan and strategise. Needing, at the very least, a Plan B in the modelling world is absolutely essential. Do your research, be aware of scams (see Models Connect for advice on how to avoid scams), remain alert to opportunities and keep an open mind. Your future could be closer than you think.

HELEN TOPE

Once more we see the Harper government trying to change the public discourse away from its performance in Afghanistan, to an issue which puts Ignatieff and the Liberals under the microscope.

Harper is trying to do this by introducing an HST bill while framing the issue as support for the legal right of the provinces to harmonize sales taxes if the provinces wish to do so:

""This is not a complicated decision," according to draft talking points prepared for Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, obtained by The Canadian Press. "Either Parliament supports the right of the provinces to choose a harmonized value-added tax or it does not."
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Dalton McGuinty Tries to Ram Through His $3 Billion HST Tax Grab Without Consulting the Public

Great video about the PC Caucus and their efforts to stop the HST
-Darryl

down people - it is now fashionable trend for those in power?

GAI: Omelchenko was sober at the time of accident


MP, ex-mayor of Kiev Александр Омельченко, который вчера насмерть сбил человека под Киевом, был трезв во время ДТП.

Народный депутат находился на месте ДТП до завершения оформления materials incidents, and passed a medical examination (pin N001101), who testified that he was sober, informed the head of the Moscow Office GAI Anatoliy Sirenko

In a written explanation of Oleksandr Omelchenko, which was given a traffic policeman, pointed out that his car was moving in the direction of the second lane with a speed of 70 kilometers per hour (on the section corresponding sign is set to maximum speeds up to 80 kilometers per hour).

He also explained that the village Chapaevka in front of his car due to the flow of oncoming traffic suddenly a man appeared. According to the MP, a pedestrian crossing the road at an undisclosed location for the transition, about 40 meters from the pedestrian crossing. Similar evidence provided one of the witnesses. In explanation Omelchenko also indicates that the applied emergency braking to avoid a collision, said Sirenko.

Recall November 25, at 21:30, on the outskirts of the village near Kiev Chapaevka SUV Mitsubishi Pagero, for driven by ex-mayor of Kiev, knocked down a pedestrian. Ambulance doctors nothing could help the victim. Earlier it was reported that a man crossing the road on a zebra.

more

Source material: UNIAN

sober, 70 miles per hour, slowed down - well directly "clever"

For weeks now Canadians have heard about the treatment of detainees captured by Canadian troops in Afghanistan, and the possibility that some detainees were handed over to Afghan troops and tortured. Today the Globe & Mail describes the latest development – the statement by our diplomat, Richard Colvin, that some of the memoranda he prepared on this possibility were copied to some of PM Harper's ministers.

All this discussion raises one very important point.
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Plato - Apology of Socrates

began to get acquainted with this piece, I find a lot of ideas on the topic of the day. At first glance between us, Goals, and the problems are similar.

Born September 10th 1988, Coco Rocha has secured her reputation on her ability to merge avant-garde with commercial.

Raised in Canada, but of Irish, Welsh and Russian descent, Rocha holds a unique place in modelling history. Combining modern athleticism with unique features that manage to be timeless, Coco represents the best of both worlds.

In 2002, Coco Rocha was discovered by agent Charles Stuart at an Irish dancing contest in Vancouver. Rocha had never previously considered a career in fashion, but she signed with Elite, and began to discover her value in the fashion world.

Rocha’s career started slowly but began to take off in 2006. Her first major breakthrough was appearing in a Balenciaga ad campaign. Wearing oversized platform wedges and a bowler hat, Rocha’s arrival on the fashion scene set the tone for the rest of her career: quirky, original and unexpected.

Her next notable assignment was a shoot with Steven Meisel for Dolce & Gabbana. Famous for being a ‘hit-maker’ in the fashion industry, Meisel has a gift for spotting new model talent. After working with Rocha, Meisel immediately rated her as a model that was worth watching. Website http://www.style.com/ was of the same opinion later that year when they named Coco their ‘rising star’.

The body of 2006 was a collective of great experiences for Rocha. An Italian Vogue editorial with Gemma Ward; a spot in the Chanel Couture runway show and additional shows for Vera Wang and Balenciaga. Coco topped off a brilliant year with an editorial in French Vogue, shot by legendary photographer Terry Richardson.

2007 would prove to be a seminal year for Rocha. Beginning the year by renewing her contract with Balenciaga, Coco also signed up to do a campaign for Lanvin. In February, Rocha achieved two Vogue covers in the same month, posing on the cover of Italian Vogue with Hilary Rhoda, plus an additional cover for Japanese Vogue with Russian model Sasha Pivovarova.

By themselves, these are noteworthy achievements, but in every great model’s career, there is a moment, a tipping point where everything falls into place. This moment came for Rocha in April 2007. She was booked to appear in the Jean Paul Gaultier runway show. Gaultier, charmed by the Canadian, found out about her dancing background and insisted she open and close the show. But Coco wasn’t to walk down the runway: she had to dance it.

Coco’s exuberant bursts of Irish dancing caused a sensation. Anna Wintour dubbed it ‘The Coco Moment’, and Rocha had arrived. The ‘moment’ lasted beyond the initial rush of publicity and translated into very real accolades. The next month, Rocha was featured on the cover of American Vogue. The theme of the cover was already decided: the world’s next supermodels.

Coco was in rarefied company. She shared the cover with Caroline Trentini, Raquel Zimmermann, Sasha Pivovarova, Chanel Iman, Jessica Stam, Hilary Rhoda and Agyness Deyn. Two years ago, these names were specialist knowledge only. Two years on, every one of these names evokes a face, an image and a glittering career. Vogue’s star-spotting was absolutely on the money.

On paper, the concept of Coco as a model should never have worked. Her years of dance training, while doing great things for her posture, should’ve worked against her. Contrary to popular belief, dancers don’t usually make good models, as their training forces them to resist the broken-down, angular poses required to model some of the extreme silhouettes in contemporary fashion.

But Coco took the best of her dance training and channelled it into the requirements of modelling. Applying an intelligent approach to movement, Coco’s popularity with photographers and editors boiled down to her ability to create shapes and lines for the camera.

Look at Coco’s body of work and you will see in her photos that she is a mistress of movement, providing a masterclass in how to create photos that are visually dynamic. Her energy, applied with restraint where needed, translates brilliantly onto film. Rocha is a rare breed: a dancer whose skills adds to, rather than impedes, the modelling package.

In September 2007, she opened a Chanel runway show, scoring the ultimate ‘insider’ job. If you are hired by Lagerfeld, you must be doing something right. In 2008, Coco was photographed for the famous Pirelli calendar by Patrick Demarchelier, and featured in a US Vogue editorial, dressed as famous cartoon characters. Who better to interpret Catwoman and Poison Ivy? Coco managed a difficult task with wit and verve, while still keeping the overall tone fashion-friendly.

Coco’s versatile face made her useable for commercial projects as well as the high-fashion fun. In 2009, she became the face of DeBeers diamonds and has a long-running series of campaigns with YSL skincare and fragrance, plus clothing campaigns for designers as diverse as Zac Posen and Liz Claiborne.

This disparity explains what makes Coco so in demand. She bridges the gap between the worlds of mainstream fashion and the avant-garde. Look again at the list of girls featured on the 2007 ‘Supermodels’ Vogue cover. The list shows how fashion’s take on beauty has shifted over the years. Girls like Agyness, Jessica, Coco and Sasha would’ve been sidelined in the Nineties as purely avant-garde faces.

Over a decade ago, as a model you were either positioned by your agency as an edgy, avant-garde girl or glamour personified. The careers of models such as Stella Tennant and Kristen McMenamy in the 1990s were sharply defined from those of more mainstream girls like Niki Taylor and Christy Turlington. Stella and Kristen did couture, Niki and Christy sold lipstick. Tastes for models would come and go: one year, it was all about the quirky, androgynous models, the next, fashion would celebrate classic beauties. What Coco and her peers represent is a departure from this idea that beauty has to be one thing or the other to be relevant. It has instead been replaced with a merging of the two ideals. Beauty can be just as sellable when it is off-centre, as it is in a Valentino gown.

The idea that a quirky-looking model could be editorial and commercial is something that has only truly evolved through this past decade. The complex requirements of a label like Balenciaga makes certain demands of a model, but now the mid-range labels, and even high-street brands are beginning to catch up.

Retail branding in the same decade has not just had an overhaul; it has been rewritten from scratch. High-street brands such as Reiss, Gap and All Saints are marketing themselves with the same level of sophistication as the designer names, because this is what the consumer now expects. Shopping isn’t just about the clothes you leave the store with; it’s about the whole experience. From the decor to the sales staff, the bar has been visibly raised and those stores doing well are outperforming their competitors because they have embraced everything high-fashion has to offer, including its models. Coco has secured so many contracts with brands on the high street because she offers a taste of high-fashion beauty that is both editorial and relatable.

Coco‘s quirky, off-beat appeal has seen her working with everyone from Gareth Pugh to Gap. Conservative designers love her, legends like Meisel and Wintour are fascinated by her. There is never a sense, in looking at Coco’s career, that there is a place where she doesn’t belong.
Models like Coco represent the future of modelling because they are the very definition of versatility. Seeing someone like Coco succeed shows how fashion has worked, actively and consciously, to become more inclusive to models that fall between the extremes of ‘quirky’ and ‘classic’. Coco’s amazing run of success has paved the way for new models such as Karlie Kloss, who has just signed a deal with Dior. The new girl personified by Coco is avant-garde, and she is establishment: part of the fabric of fashion, she is here to stay. Quirky isn’t a passing phase anymore.

HELEN TOPE

Vision (Los Angeles)
Marilyn Agency (New York)
-> her tfs forum topic

Brand Model Management (Helsinki)
FM Agency (London)
M4 Models (Berlin)

Image Discovery (Odessa)
IMG Models
-> her tfs forum topic

2PM Model Management (Copenhagen)
Next Models
Chic Management (Sydney)
-> her tfs forum topic

Next Models
Chic Management (Australia)
-> her tfs forum topic

Trump Models (New York)
Elite Models (Milan)
-> her tfs forum topic

Ice Models (Milan)
-> her tfs forum topic

Heartbreak AS (Oslo)
Metropolitan Models (Paris)
FM Agency (London)
-> her tfs forum topic

Heartbreak Models (Oslo)
Metropolitan Models (Paris)
Louisa Models (Munich)
MC2 Model Management (New York, Miami)
-> her tfs forum topic

Models 1 (London)
Marilyn Agency (Paris)
DNA Model Management (New York)
-> her tfs forum topic

Yesterday was a bad day for the president and a worse day for American democracy.

Commenting on a case before an American court, Obama said:

"“I don't think it will be offensive at all when he's convicted and when the death penalty is applied to him,” the U.S. President said Wednesday before leaving China."
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Her name may not be that familiar, but Crystal Renn is the face of a revolution.

here's me and Alex from lf shooting for the lf holiday gift guide that should be coming out in a few days! but anyways i just love that hat soo cute!! sorry i haven't been posting i will have some more new pics soon! :):)

Did “Cheque Republic” campaign backfire on federal Liberals?

Today I came across a website affiliated with the federal Liberals at http://www.chequerepublic.ca

I haven’t seen the website before today, but it is loaded with Conservative MPs posing with cheques for their ridings complete with Conservative logos and personal signatures from the local MP. Obviously I see what the scandal is. Conservatives are handing out taxpayer money as if it comes from the party and not Canadians. Fair enough.

Under “Get the Facts” some of the messages

- “Last month, MP Gerard Kennedy led a Liberal investigation that found a disproportionate share of infrastructure stimulus funding was going to Conservative ridings.”

- “Investigative journalists at those newspapers found that nationwide 57 percent of all projects with more than $1-million in federal funding went to Conservative ridings. The investigation also found that Tory ridings landed 66 per cent of all projects so far announced under the Harper government’s Recreation Infrastructure Canada program (RinC). The investigation concludes that if you live in a Conservative riding, you’re receiving 23 percent more infrastructure stimulus funding than you would if project funding was distributed equally among all Canadian ridings.”

An entry in the Blog section of the website

- “Harper slush fund favours Conservative Northern Ontario ridings”

There is also an opportunity to cut a cheque to your friends from Stephen Harper and have it emailed to them (see photo above) explaining the issue to others.

I really do not know if Canada’s Economic Stimulus Package has been handed out on partisan grounds disproportionately to Conservative ridings. I really do not like pork barrel politics and free spending for partisan purposes. I do not know if these allegations are true. But let us assume for a second that these allegations are true. What does it mean for voters? Currently my riding is blue in Newmarket-Aurora. Assuming what the Liberals are saying is true, what incentive would I have to vote for the opposition so that Newmarket gets short changed like the other opposition held ridings as Liberals claim? By drawing so much attention to this “Cheque Republic” issue, are Liberals not encouraging opposition ridings to vote Conservative in order to get some pork for themselves? Could this partially explain rising poll numbers and the recent by-election results? Do Liberals really think Conservative held ridings are going to vote Liberal because their riding received an unfair proportion of stimulus money? From the Liberal point of view does it really benefit them to highlight this issue? Looking at current poll numbers and pundits calling for a Conservative majority in recent days, one has to wonder if areas like Atlantic Canada, Toronto, Northern Ontario and Montreal will be tempted to get on board the gravy train as well following the next election. If these allegations are true I will not try and justify them. Having said that, Liberals really need to think hard about if this campaign helps them politically or not. Perhaps it is something to think about when trying to explain the upset in Montmagny-L'Islet-Kamouraska-Riviere-du-Loup.

Personally I am not sure if these allegations are true or not, but I am sure that the Cheque Republic backfired and Monday night was evidence of that. Perhaps the Liberal war room should go back to the drawing board and find something else to attack the Conservative government on.

Lest we Forget



Highway of Heroes by Bob Reid



Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement to mark Remembrance Day:

“Across this great country, from our largest cities to our smallest communities, we are united in remembrance and gratitude. On this Remembrance Day, we pause to remember the courage and sacrifice of those Canadian soldiers, sailors, and airmen and airwomen who served to defend our nation and fight tyranny, injustice and terror.

“Canada is proud of its forces. The world has seen the bravery of our service men and women at Vimy Ridge, on Normandy beaches, in Korean hills and in countless other missions throughout the world. When the cause is just, Canada has always been there to defend freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

“This is our heritage. It is a legacy handed down to us from those who sacrificed so much for our country, a legacy still carried on today by the brave Canadians serving in places such as Afghanistan.

“So, as we pause for a moment of silence this Remembrance Day, we ask ourselves, ‘How will I remember?’ We remember these brave Canadians by wearing a poppy over our hearts. We remember these brave Canadians by visiting our local cenotaph with our children and reflecting on the names etched in stone. We reflect on the fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters who never returned home. We remember these brave Canadians by sending a message of support to those serving overseas.

“However we choose to remember, we must keep the torch of remembrance burning for future generations to come. Let us never forget these brave men and women whose sacrifice served to make life better for others. We must remember, not just today, but every day.

“Lest we forget.”

25 ridings the Conservatives should target for a Majority

After last night's by-election, the Conservatives now hold 145 seats in the House of Commons. Assuming that the Conservatives could hold all of them (and that is a big assumption), here is 20 ridings the Conservatives should target to win a majority. Right now 10 more would be required to win that majority government. Current polls have shown Tory support ranging from 37-41%. The percentage is important, but ultimately in Canadian politics it comes down to seats. These targeted seats assume no breakthrough in Toronto and Montreal. 17 of these seats are currently held by Liberals, 6 by the NDP, 1 by the Bloc and 1 is an independent. Obviously there are a lot of close ridings the Conservatives won as well.

If current polls hold and Conservative MPs ensure re-election, 10 out of 25 of these ridings would be a majority government. In 1984, Brian Mulroney won 211 seats and over 50% of the vote. Stephen Harper currently holds 145 seats our of 308.

North

1. Yukon

Conservative Darrell Pasloski lost by less than 2000 votes in the last election while turnout increased and the Liberal vote decreased. The seat is currently held by Liberal Larry Bagnell. If former Yukon Party Cabinet Minister Brad Cathers runs for the Tories, the race might be close. Harper has made a big push in the North since winning government. Hopefully some of that Palin magic in Alaska crosses the border and energizes Conservatives in Yukon as well.

2. Western Arctic

Currently held by NDP Dennis Bevington, this riding is very winnable for the Conservatives especially with Harper's focus on the North. Last time Bevington got 5669 votes compared to Conservative Brendan Bell's 5146. Liberals were a distant third with 1858 votes. This time former Premier Joe Handley is running for the Liberals potentially opening up a strong three way race.

BC

3. Burnaby - Douglas

Currently held by NDP Bill Siksay, in 2008 this election was close with the NDP getting 37.94% of the vote compared to the CPC 36.25% Who is able to take the more of the Liberal 19.4% could make the difference in this riding. Ronald Leung ran for the Conservatives in 2008.

4. Vancouver South

Former NDP Premier and Liberal Star candidate Ujjal Dosanjh only defeated the Conservatives by 22 votes in the last election. Wai Young represented the Conservatives in 2008.

5. Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca

Keith Martin's riding. Last time he won by 68 votes against Conservative Troy DeSouza. Would love to see Martin cross the floor and get back in the fold. Otherwise this will likely be a close race again. Keith Martin was a former Reform/Canadian Alliance MP between 1993-2003 and is personally popular in his riding.

Alberta

6. Edmonton-Strathcona

NDP Linda Duncan upset Rahim Jaffer in the last election breaking up the Conservative Alberta sweep. Ryan Hastman will try and take it back in the next election. In 2008 the NDP took 42.5% of the vote compared to the Conservative 41.6%. Getting this riding back is probably priority one for the Conservatives.

Saskatchewan

7. Wascana

Ralph Goodale defeated Conservative Michelle Hunter by less than 5000 votes. Still a long shot, but this is the final red seat in the province. Goodale is winning this riding on personal popularity despite his party affiliation.

Manitoba:

8. Elmwood - Transcona

Winnipeg Jets legend Thomas Steen lost this riding by less than 2000 votes. NDP Jim Maloway is the incumbent here. Would love to see Steen take another shot at the goal.

9. Winnipeg South Centre

Conservatives held their convention in Winnipeg recently. Anita Neville won last time by less than 2000 votes and is the final Liberal in Manitoba. Trevor Kennerd ran for the Conservatives last time.

Ontario:

10. Ajax-Pickering:

Conservative star candidate Chris Alexander will face off against Mark Holland in the GTA. Will that be enough to make up the 3000 vote difference? This could be a huge win for the Conservatives in Ontario on the border of Toronto 416.

11. Brampton Springdale

Rudy Dhalla held this riding by just over 700 votes in 2008. She is a big target I am sure and Parm Gill has been working this riding like crazy. This riding is highly likely to go blue in the next election.

12: Brampton West

While everyone has been paying attention to Ruby Dhalla in Brampton Springdale, quietly Kyle Seeback was about 500 votes from Liberal MP Andrew Kania. This is probably even more likely to go blue than Brampton Springdale.

13. Richmond Hill

Conservatives made some big gains in the last election in York Region picking up Newmarket-Aurora, Oakridges-Markham and Thornhill. At one time this riding was represented provincially by Frank Klees and in 2008 the race was a lot closer with Liberal MP Bryon Wilfert fighting to keep his seat. A star candidate could easily close the 5000 vote margin here if current polls hold steady.

14. Mississauga South

Liberal MP Paul Szabo won by about 2000 votes in this GTA riding. Mississauga will be very competitive with the right Conservative candidates in the next election.

15. Welland

A rare tight three way battle where in the last election the NDP took 33% of the vote, Conservatives 32% and the Liberals 28%. NDP MPP Peter Kormos holds the seat provincially and NDP MP Malcolm Allenis the current incumbent.

16. Kingston and the Islands

If speaker Peter Milliken ever retired, this riding would go blue and is surrounded by blue. Like Wascana in Saskatchewan, Milliken is holding this riding on personal popularity.

17. Guelph
Liberal MP Frank Valeriote had 18,977 votes, CPC candidate Gloria Kovach won 17, 185 votes and Green candidate Mike Nagy finished third with 12,456 votes. The Green vote is the wildcard here.

18. Nipissing - Timiskaming

Northern Ontario should have strong potential for the Conservatives but right now it is largely dominated by the NDP. In Nipissing - Timiskaming Anthony Rota beat Conservative Joe Sinicrope by just over 5000 votes. In 2008 we saw an upset in Kenora. Is Nipissing - Timiskaming next? I believe Northern Ontario would be a good place to grow the Conservative base and build on our organizational strength. There is great potential for competitive three way races if time and resources are dedicated to the cause.

New Brunswick:

19. Moncton - Riverview - Dieppe

Current Liberal MP Brian Murphy beat Conservative Daniel Allain by just over 1000 votes. Closest riding in New Brunswick for the Conservatives to pick up.

Prince Edward Island:

20. Malpeque

1000 votes separated the Liberals and Conservatives last time. Wayne Easter would be a big target for Conservatives. Can Mike Duffy make the difference here? In 2008 Conservatives broke into PEI in the Egmont riding.

Newfoundland

21. Avalon 22. St. John's East 23. St. John's South-Mount Pearl

All three of these ridings were held by the Conservative Party and lost in the 2008 election. Is Danny Williams still a factor? Will Newfoundland want to be shut out of the federal government? St. John's South-Mount Pearl is the best chance. Turnout in the last election was low in Newfoundland despite the ABC campaign.

Quebec

24. Portneuf-Jacques-Cartier

Would love to see independent MP Andre Arthur formally join the Conservative caucus. He generally votes with the party and in the last election Conservatives did not run a candidate against him. He is in a close race and his personality would be an asset to the Conservative cause in Quebec. Arthur is a libertarian.

25. Louis-Hébert

Conservative MP Luc Harvey dropped the seat to current Bloc MP Pascal-Pierre Paillé. Could the Conservatives win this one back?