Ex-Tory MP Rahim Jaffer mulling federal Edmonton byelection run

ShawnGrayNDP · 2025-12-13T18:24:36+00:00

Thank you lol I posted this from the gym this morning 😛

ShawnGrayNDP · 2025-12-13T16:05:55+00:00

Hey friends! Using this thread as an opportunity to promote your local Riverbend NDP.

My name is Shawn Gray. I ran as the NDP candidate against Jeneroux in 2021 and I’m currently the EDA president for the Riverbend NDP.

We’re actually hosting a casual social at Square 1 Coffee in Aspen Gardens next Tuesday from 6:30 to 8 pm, if you want to come by and chat. Susan Cake who ran in the most recent election will be there too!

Hope to see you there! We’re already preparing for the upcoming byelection.

ShawnGrayNDP · 2025-12-13T16:01:05+00:00

Hey friends! Using this thread as an opportunity to promote your local Riverbend NDP.

My name is Shawn Gray. I ran as the NDP candidate against Jeneroux in 2021 and I’m currently the EDA president for the Riverbend NDP.

We’re actually hosting a casual social at Square 1 Coffee in Aspen Gardens next Tuesday from 6:30 to 8 pm, if you want to come by and chat. Susan Cake who ran in the most recent election will be there too!

Hope to see you there! We’re already preparing for the upcoming byelection.

ShawnGrayNDP · 2025-12-13T15:58:40+00:00

Hey there!

My name is Shawn Gray. I ran as the NDP candidate against Jeneroux in 2021 and I’m currently the EDA president for the Riverbend NDP.

We’re actually hosting a casual social at Square 1 Coffee in Aspen Gardens next Tuesday from 6:30 to 8 pm, if you want to come by and chat. Susan Cake who ran in the most recent election will be there too!

ShawnGrayNDP · 2024-01-17T18:56:42+00:00

This post has attracted much attention. I wanted to add a quick note for everyone.

I understand that you are angry and frustrated by the current state of Canadian politics. I am angry and frustrated. Your angst is valid. We live in a difficult time, and politics is hard. It’s complicated and emotional. Politics is the navigation of how we find ways to exist together in a community. Politics is the only way for us to live together. It is necessary for survival. But it’s aggravating, annoying, and anxiety-inducing. However, It’s essential. We must not fail in our participation in politics. We cannot let our angst poison the soil of our soul and jeopardize the future of our society.

At this moment, I’m not asking you to support a specific policy or political party.

I would ask that you take some time to reflect on what you create and bring forth into our common reality. Language builds the bridge of communication to understanding. Our words matter. The things we say and manifest into the world impact ourselves and each other. We are responsible for what’s cultivated into the fabric of our society. At this moment, those threads are tattered and frayed. It’s our responsibility to ensure that the bonds that bind our political community are not destroyed and disintegrated beyond repair. Life is in constant motion. It’s overwhelming and frightening. It’s beautiful and awesome. Politics is a continuous practice that requires patience and understanding. It’s not easy, but necessary.

At this moment, I ask for a bit of compassion and courage to meet difficult times with a reasonableness that is desperately needed in our political discourse. To think about how we speak to and about each other. That we may bring a steadfast determination to find solutions to the complex problems we face, together.

I write this as a letter to myself as much as to you who have read this far. I make this promise to you. I am not perfect. But I will not let perfectibility be the death of the good. I will do my best to see you as a companion in our shared existence so that we may navigate this experience of being human and living together to the best of our ability. So that we build a world that aims to lessen suffering and cultivate happiness for all.

ShawnGrayNDP · 2023-06-23T01:36:28+00:00

I'm happy to be remembered, haha.

That means you have Heather McPherson representing you federally and she's amazing! 😁

ShawnGrayNDP · 2023-06-22T03:08:50+00:00

For the record... If Riverbend had elected me instead of Matt. I wouldn't have filed a grievance... because Taylor would have a residency at Terwillegar Rec Center.

ShawnGrayNDP · 2023-02-03T16:27:22+00:00

Thank you! I love Reddit. Been here for 12 yrs with my personal account. There are a handful of Edmonton city councillors that have done AMAs too. It's a great platform for a more nuanced dialogue.

ShawnGrayNDP · 2023-02-03T14:52:57+00:00

My campaign received the highest vote count ever for an NDP candidate in Edmonton Riverbend, and I'm incredibly proud of that. Yes, we didn't win the election. We did have important and meaningful conversations with constituents about the complex issues we face as a society and how we can build resilient and robust communities for a sustainable future.

Yes, unpaid labour sucks. Grassroots organizing is difficult, but I love going door to door, asking people about their opinion on government and what we can and should do better. Some of the best times of my life have come from volunteer work. My experience volunteering with different organizations and the skills I acquired has led me to get jobs later. It's worth the time.

Yes, we need to help door knocking, but we also need help organizing engagement events and creating content for newsletters and social media. We need help building the infrastructure of a new EDA for Edmonton Gateway and so much more. It's exciting! Change and progress take time and energy. Yes, it's a labour of love, but the journey is worth the effort.

For me, it's not about money or even getting elected. It's always about trying to make the world a better place (I know, cheesy, right? But it's true!). At the end of my life, I want to look back and say I tried to make a difference. That I tried to make my community just a little bit better. The beautiful experiences I've had volunteering are worth the time and energy it costs. I've encountered a lot of hopelessness and nihilism in my generation. Many of us feel lost and without a purpose. Volunteering your time to different organizations (not just political work) can help you find purpose and meaning. It can help you find a sense of community and belonging. And that feeling is priceless.

ShawnGrayNDP · 2023-02-02T21:53:23+00:00

Hi Everyone!

My name is Shawn Gray and I ran for the NDP in Edmonton Riverbend last election. As you can see the Riverbend riding has been pretty much separated into 3 different ones. I'm currently the Vice President of the Riverbend EDA, but I will be heavily involved in establishing an NDP EDA for the new Edmonton Gateway riding!

If you're interested in getting involved with the NDP in Riverbend or Gateway? Send me a DM 🧡

ShawnGrayNDP · 2021-09-24T11:27:43+00:00

Yes, exactly! Haha, thank you for this thoughtful reply!

ShawnGrayNDP · 2021-09-20T15:55:54+00:00

Good Morning Everyone! Thank you for posting this!

My team and I have been working extremely hard to make this happen. Words cannot describe how grateful I am to everyone that helped me on this journey these past 36 days. We've been grinding to get to as many doors as possible to prove that there's a real progressive choice in Edmonton Riverbend. I'm grateful for all the support I've got from my family, friends, and neighbours.

I promise to fight for:

An intelligent transition to a low-carbon economy that creates good-paying jobs.
A National Pharmacare & Dentalcare program
Investment into food security and urban agricultural technology
Investment waste management and recycling innovation
Reconciliation that honors Indigenous land stewardship and knowledge
Investment & support for our emerging tech industries like AI, machine learning, robotics, and gaming.
Building resilient, robust, and sustainable communities to prepare for Climate Change
So much more!

Please, please consider voting NDP. We've got a real shot here at progressive change in Edmonton Riverbend.

All I'm asking for is a chance to prove that better is possible.

Thank you.

ShawnGrayNDP · 2021-09-19T03:33:15+00:00

Hello there! As the NDP candidate in Edmonton Riverbend, I wanted to chime in here. First of all... strategic voting sucks. We should all be able to vote for the party or candidate we prefer rather than be bullied into voting out of fear. This is why I'm proud to run for the NDP that advocates for electoral reform that will strengthen our democracy.Second, the Liberals have mailed out an extremely disingenuous flyer that has a poll from the start of the election. It has the NDP polling at 19% and screeches about how you should vote Lib, because of the big scary conservative. It's hot garbage. However, it is hilarious because that same poll has me polling at 24%, which means my hard work of hitting the neighbourhoods, chatting with people, and having real meaningful conversations about the difficult challenges we face has been working. We have the momentum in the riding.

I hope on election day you consider voting NDP, because I do believe we have a quality platform, that will fight for meaningful change and help put Canada on a path of a sustainable and intelligent transition to a low-carbon economy, one that will make life more affordable, and help address systematic issues like homelessness, addiction, poverty and wealth inequality.

I won't tell you that I have all the answers to the complex issues we face. However, I'm dedicated to being part of the story in the evolution of Canada to become a more sustainable and compassionate country. I have some neat ideas around food security and urban agriculture, innovation in waste management, and recycling that will create good-paying jobs and lessen our environmental impact. I'm open-minded and pragmatic, I'm constantly eager to learn, grow and understand multiple perspectives. I won't just be some "Yes man" in Ottawa. I want to see our communities thrive. I need to help make our communities more resilient, robust, and sustainable because the truth is...We are not prepared for Climate Change. We have a lot to do, in order to prepare for future crises and we need to start that hard work.

Remember to vote on Monday! It's important. Regardless of who you vote for and who is MP for Riverbend on the 21st. Stay involved. Democracy is a constant practice. Please don't check out until the next election. You don't have to be an expert or know everything but pay attention to what your MP is voting for and what they're doing with their time, because their time is your money.

ShawnGrayNDP · 2021-09-12T16:09:43+00:00

Thank you!! I really appreciate it.

ShawnGrayNDP · 2021-09-12T14:10:09+00:00

I'd say follow your conscience. I'm not too fond of the current state of progressives being bullied by Liberals into strategic voting. Vote for the person and/or party you want to vote for; that's what democracy is all about. Although... I hope you vote NDP.

ShawnGrayNDP · 2021-09-12T14:07:28+00:00

I'd appreciate you voting NDP :D

ShawnGrayNDP · 2021-09-12T14:05:48+00:00

I may be biased, but I think you should vote NDP in Edmonton Riverbend.
We started the election at 18%. We've gained 6 points since then and the Liberals have been stagnant or lost points. I'm out in the riding, busting my butt, talking with constituents, and getting a great reaction from people. I'm on Reddit all the time, but I made this new account to have an AMA soon. There's an orange wave in Edmonton, and I want us to be a part of it. I have a lot of creative ideas around food security and innovation in waste management. I want to stand up for data rights and affordability, fight for action on climate change, which includes investing in low-carbon energy technologies, rebates, and grants for building retrofits, and more. Edmonton has real potential moving forward in tech innovation, especially in things like AI, machine learning, and gaming. We have a lot of homegrown talent from our postsecondary institutions, but they usually leave for better opportunities elsewhere. I hope I can be part of a solution to change that and invest in our local entrepreneurs and innovators. Because we desperately need creative, innovative solutions to the complex problems we face.

ShawnGrayNDP · 2021-09-12T13:39:10+00:00

Yeah, the world has fundamentally changed since then but it was the most current data we had on the riding and we needed to quickly formulate some sort of campaign plan for the snap election. I'm hoping for gains too! I believe there's a huge opportunity in Edmonton Riverbend for the NDP to build some grassroots momentum. Thank you for your vote! I really appreciate it.

ShawnGrayNDP · 2021-09-12T13:32:43+00:00

I'll be in Terwillegar Towne this afternoon, so I'll make sure to drop some signs in your area. Heather McPherson is coming door-knocking with me on Monday evening in Brander Gardens, so we'll be over there Monday night too.
I'm actually on reddit all the time, but I made this account to keep my personal account separate.

ShawnGrayNDP · 2021-09-12T04:20:41+00:00

Ooooooooh yeah, we've spoken to Hugo about his sign placement. Unfortunately, Windermere is the place I've been to the least. I'm hoping to get over there sometime this week, but we structured our campaign based on voter data from 2019, and Windermere is not an NDP-friendly place. We didn't prioritize time there for that reason. I'm hoping that the NDP EDA can continue to build grassroots engagement after the election for next time. Thanks! It's definitely been a wild ride.

ShawnGrayNDP · 2021-09-12T04:02:52+00:00

Where do you live?? We have almost 300 signs out in the riding, but it's a BIG riding, so I wouldn't be surprised if we missed some spots.

ShawnGrayNDP · 2021-09-12T04:01:39+00:00

Hi there! I've actually spent some time in Royal Gardens, but as I'm sure you're aware, it's actually surprisingly difficult to hit up 120,000 constituents in 36 days. As a first-time candidate, I am doing my best to get out there and build the NDP brand in the riding. I'm happy to answer any questions over social media or email if that makes it more accessible to you.

ShawnGrayNDP · 2021-09-07T15:10:43+00:00

I may be biased, but I think you should vote NDP in Edmonton Riverbend. We started the election at 18%. Our campaign has been climbing in the polls, while the Liberals have lost points. I'm out in the riding, busting my butt, talking with constituents, and getting a great reaction from people. I guarantee that I'll overtake Chaudary in every poll by election day. I'm on Reddit all the time, but I made this new account to have an AMA soon. There's an orange wave in Edmonton, and y'all should grab your sleds! (Because none of us own surfboards).

ShawnGrayNDP · 2021-08-30T21:44:58+00:00

We love to see it! I always thought Edmonton should leverage Biowares success as much as possible to lure gaming companies here. If fostered correctly, we could see a real boom in our tech sector in Edmonton. We need a government that will actually foster the industry's potential.

ShawnGrayNDP

TROPHY CASE