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MacPolitics: TV Producer, Singer And Concert Promoter Ray Mattie Seeks Conservative Nod in Cape Breton-Canso-Antigonish

Oct 13, 2024 | Politics

  • MacPolitics: Singer And Concert Promoter Ray Mattie Seeks Conservative Nod in Cape Breton-Canso-Antigonish

By Andrew Macdonald

Another singer and concert promoter is gunning to be nominated as a federal Conservative Party of Canada standard-bearer.

I refer to Ray Mattie, 52, who is following in the steps of Dave Carroll, another musician who is the federal candidate in Sackville. One year, the singing sensation ran for the federal Tories in Central Nova, the one and only George Canyon.

Mattie recently announced his candidacy to secure the Tory nod in the new federal riding of Cape Breton-Canso-Antigonish.

The new riding resembles the 1980s riding Cape Breton Highlands Canso. Antigonish is leaving Central Nova, after an electoral boundaries commission righted a wrong when Antigonish was lumped with Pictou County in 1997. (See separate story on righting a historic wrong when Antigonish was carved out of CB Highlands-Canso).

Mattie is not alone in seeking the Tory nod. Also running for the nod is former Tory contender Fiona MacLeod, comedian turned realtor Adam Delorey, and Guysborough lawyer and video podcaster, Adam Rogers.

No date for a nomination has been set yet, and the Tories in the riding think it is winnable for Pierre Poilievre who recently campaigned in Port Hawkesbury & Antigonish.

Mattie was a 2017 Antigonish PC contender, coming a respectable second against Liberal cabinet minister Randy Delorey.

In fact, Mattie came within 300 votes of nearly defeating Delorey, the latter who lost the 2021 election to now Health minister Michelle Thompson.

I once speculated in these pages that if Mattie had a shorter haircut in 2017 he might have won that vote. At the time, he had a typical singer’s hair cut, down to his neck. I mentioned that fact to Jamie Baillie and Baillie said if he had a shorter haircut and if Baillie had hair, the outcome of the 2017 election might have been different, joked Baillie. Baillie was the PC leader in the 2017 election.

That election “was a nail-bitter, right down to the wire,” recalls Mattie.

Mattie bills himself as a prominent advocate for the arts, culture, and tourism sectors.

“I’m thrilled to pursue the nomination for Cape Breton, Canso, Antigonish. Since 2019, I’ve worked hard to create new opportunities in the arts, culture, and tourism sectors within the riding. Now, I aim to expand those efforts by collaborating with additional industries and local leaders to grow our economy and address the ongoing challenges we face under the current Liberal government,” said Mattie.

Raised in Monastery, Antigonish County, Mattie is the founder of Nova Scotia Summer Fest, an
annual tourism event that has attracted visitors from across North America and beyond to
experience the region’s top musicians, food, beverages and attractions. For the last five years, that concert has been held in Downtown Antigonish.

Currently, Mattie is a television producer with Bell Media. Mattie’s recent collaborations with Bell Media have featured most of Cape Breton and Antigonish, including recent productions filmed at Crystal Cliffs. The Crystal Cliff beach episode involved nine shows with the region’s top bands and was recently promoted on A & E.

His contributions to the creative industries earned him a 2022 East Coast Music Award nomination for Event of the Year and the Roots Music Contemporary category as a collaborator.

“I am highly passionate and support youth music education initiatives and have worked alongside most of the East Coast’s top musicians on my TV productions and live events across Atlantic Canada.”

“I’m pleased to say since 2019, my collective projects have generated $1.5 million dollars in direct income for the creative industries and related services in Antigonish, Cape Breton, and across Nova Scotia,” Mattie added.

“In 2024, the Town of Antigonish saw over $300,000 in economic activity (GDP) from the three-day Summer Fest, as documented by Sports Tourism Canada.” The best year for Summer Fest was in 2022, with one thousand participants each night of the three-day festival. “Sixty per cent of the people were not from Antigonish, 20 per cent reside in Atlantic Canada.”

Mattie’s interest in politics began in his youth, sparked by his daily engagement with both local and national news while balancing his passion for music. This curiosity led to a degree in Political Science from St. Francis Xavier University.

“I don’t come from a political family at all, however, I’ve always been intrigued by politics,” said Mattie. “I wasn’t directly involved until I was recruited to run for the Nova Scotia PC Party in Antigonish in 2017. Now, with my experience building cultural and tourism projects from the
ground up, I’m seeking this nomination to expand my current work activities to include additional industries, non-profits and the residents of Cape Breton, Canso, Antigonish.”

Ray Mattie is a singer, TV producer and concert promoter who is seeking the federal Tory nod in Cape Breton-Canso-Antigonish. (Contributed),

Three Top Issues in Cape Breton-Canso-Antigonish

I asked Mattie what are the three top issues he is campaigning on.

“What I hear more than anything is affordability because the Carbon Tax is a serious issue, and a lot of people in Nova Scotia don’t feel we really need it because we are actually a major leader in climate adaptation and also in reducing our emissions. A straight tax and many people feel it is not needed here. When you put that type of tax on something you need an alternative energy source that is readily available to everyone and that does not exist,” Mattie tells The Macdonald Notebook.

“Our fuel bill for running a non-profit festival was quite excessive with all the taxes because we have no choice but to use diesel to run all the generators.”

Other issues he believes in are more consumer-minded competition. “Why can’t we have more competition with regard to grocery stores, cell phones and airlines? The Competition Bureau says we have a lack of competition in our country and that needs to be addressed,” adds Mattie.

“Those are the two issues that I am hearing because they affect every single person every day on routine purchases. But also, I hear periodically people are unhappy with how the federal government and provincial government are interacting and they feel the relationship should be better. And, I’d like to work to improve that.”

I asked Mattie why musicians like him, Dave Carroll and George Canynon gravitate towards the Conservative Party of Canada.

“I think it is a passion for community. I can’t speak for Dave and George, but the people I deal with and work closely with in arts, culture and tourism are very passionate about their communities and growing the economy with what we do. if we are in a position where we have the ability to help grow our industries and partner with others then we are doing a good thing.”

Right now, Summer Fest’s future concerts are “on pause. There are people in the group that are discussing that now and we will cross that bridge when it comes. Obviously, if I become an MP I can’t be directly doing that. But, my hope it will continue with someone else,” he says of Summer Fest.

For more information on Ray Mattie, go to www.raymattie.ca

Editor’s Note: Next weekend we will feature a talk with Mattie’s opponent for the Tory nod, Adam Delorey, who is the son of long-time municipal politico and former Antigonish County warden Herb Delorey, who never lost an election in 30-years of municipal service. We also plan to talk to would-be Tory nod suitors Fiona MacLeod & Adam Rodgers in future Macdonald Notebook editions.

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