Clad in cowboy hats and plaid, dozens of young conservatives gathered at an Irish pub in Calgary early Sunday afternoon, sipping water and draught beer while waiting for Conservative leadership hopeful Pierre Poilievre to arrive.
Poilievre’s political roots trace back to this club — the University of Calgary’s conservative club. And much of his points of view (and even one current feud) echo back those 22 years.
“I don’t think you can understand Pierre Poilievre without understanding his background,” said Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt. “You have to look at growing up in Calgary, going to the University of Calgary, taking political science in the time period that he did.”
