PC Alberta leader's dinner to proceed despite having no leader

Alberta's Progressive Conservatives are going ahead with their annual Calgary Leader's Dinner despite this week's crushing electoral defeat that left the party with fewer than a dozen MLAs and no leader.

The $500-a-plate fundraiser, which is set for next week,usually raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Tories.

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Last year's event, hosted by then leadership contender Jim Prentice, attracted a record 1,800 party faithful.

But after Prentice's hasty resignation on election night this week, with theNDP comingout on ontop,it's not clear who will host thedinner on Thursday.

A PC party spokesman would only say the format is still being finalized.

PC member and Rocky View County Coun. Rolly Ashdown says he's not sure what to expect but still plans to attend.

"I think it'll be probably a bit sombre," he said.

"I think it'll be probably a mood of how to rebuild. You know, just because a party isn't in power doesn't mean you don't continue to support them."

Party member Jamie Mackie, a portfolio manager at a Calgary investment firm, says the event needs to have a good turnout to show the party is still intact.

"It's a huge fundraiser for the party and to show the support is important. And for the, I guess, continuity of the party, it would be really important at this point," he said.

On the classified ad site Kijiji, someone posted an adpokingfun at the party's expense.