Thunder Bay delegates ready to 'regroup' at NDP convention

Superior Morning5:57NDP Convention - Miriam Ketonen

The NDP kick off a national convention in Edmonton. Miriam Ketonen from Thunder Bay is there.

Several NDP supporters from Thunder Bay, Ont. are on their way to Edmontonfor the party's national convention, and they're expecting some lively debate about the party's future.

New Democrats are expected to do some soul-searching at their first gathering after a crushing defeat in the most recent federal election. There's been much speculation over how Thomas Mulcair will fare in a leadership review.

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For Miriam Ketonen, the event in Edmonton will be her first national party convention. She wanted to make the trip from Thunder Baybecause she feels the party is on the verge of a change, she said.

"People went through a giant swing in terms of expectations and what was actually possible. So now the work begins again of deciding:Who are we, and where are we going?I think it's a chance for the party to regroup, and get back to our original roots of social democracy," she said.

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The convention will be an exciting chance to discuss the party's policies and direction,she added.

When it comes to a leadership review, Ketonen said it's hard to say what will happen, but she doesn't think the party is ready to give up on Mulcair.

"I don't think that he can take blame for everything that went wrong. I don't put it all on him."

Ernie Epp, a long-time NDP supporter in Thunder Bay, and past president of the Thunder Bay-Superior North riding association, has been to many party conventions, but perhaps none that have followed an election as"intense," as the last one.

"It will be difficult" for Mulcair, he said, adding that he himself is still unsure about whether he will support the leader in a vote.

"I have no idea how it will go."