Niverville’s Craig Tomlinson is throwing his hat into the ring to represent the PC party in the Springfield-Ritchot riding, a provincial seat currently held by Ron Schuler.

With 18 months to go before the next election, it would seem early for candidates like Tomlinson to announce their candidacy. Still, he says, if the NDP government calls an early election, the PCs needs to be ready.

“It’s just smart for the party to have somebody in place because you don’t want to be scrambling last minute,” says Tomlinson. “And it will be nice for the candidate to learn from Ron because he’s got 26 years of experience. You’re filling big shoes here.”

Tomlinson is no stranger to the political arena. For the past five years he’s served as chief of staff for Ted Falk, Member of Parliament for Provencher.

This experience, along with his recently acquired master’s degree in political science, puts him in a good position to understand what he’s stepping into.

As chief of staff, he oversees all of Falk’s administrative duties, lays the groundwork for events and appearances, and fills in at functions when Falk is in Ottawa.

“I talk to a lot of people on behalf of Mr. Falk and I try to find solutions,” Tomlinson says. “I also ran his campaign for two elections. I oversee his budget, his advertising, and his social media.”

It’s a position that Tomlinson admittedly loves. He hadn’t considered running for politics until he received a few nudges from supporters. Since then, politicians on both the provincial and federal levels have encouraged him as well.

Thankfully, he’s also got the seal of approval from his wife and three kids.

“I’ve always been a person that believes in giving back to the community. I served my country for 20 years. My parents invested [time], whether it was coaching hockey or getting involved in the church, and I believe in the same things.”

Tomlinson grew up in southern Ontario and, as a young man, pursued a degree in business administration. His deepest desire, though, was to learn to fly, so he joined the Canadian military to begin flight training.

“I got my wings in 2002 where I was posted to the 427 Special Operation squadron,” he says. “I worked with our Canadian Joint Task Force 2, American special forces, and some foreign ones too.”

Eventually he moved to Saskatchewan to instruct pilots in combat aircraft, transports, and military helicopters. After two decades, he completed his military career in Manitoba.

“After I got out of the military, we could have moved anywhere in the country. I’ve visited all ten provinces and the territories, and we chose to stay in Manitoba. It’s a hidden gem for young families.”

Over the next few years Tomlinson piloted for a major airline and then worked for a U.S. defence company. When Ted Falk offered him the position of chief of staff, he jumped on it.

Now, with his family settled in Niverville, he’s excited to invest in the region through strong political representation.

There are big issues facing this region, he says, including an AI data centre proposed for Île-des-Chênes. Important as water and energy resources are, he shares the concerns of many locals who are urging their government toward due diligence before approving a business which draws so heavily on natural resources.

For the province as a whole, he says that concerns about ensuring adequate electrical power is imperative.

“A lot of people think Manitoba has an unlimited amount of hydro electricity. We don’t. I know of companies that were waiting three years [for hydro hookup] and, economically speaking, if you’re trying to invest in this riding and you can’t get hydro, we need to figure out a solution to that.”

Of course, like other parents, cost of living is also top of mind for Tomlinson. He worries how the next generation of young adults will manage if the province doesn’t step up.

“People making $75,000 a year are taxed more in this province than they are in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. Why is that? Let’s put more money back in their pocket.”

Unless an early election is called, the province will go to the polls on October 5, 2027.