"Go-to guy" Harper meets old buddy in North Bay

Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper talks to BayToday.ca about the visit he had with an old high school buddy who now lives in North Bay.
____________________________________________________________

Stephen Harper was a good long-distance runner in high school, and one of his former classmates says the Conservative Party leader has what it takes to cross the finish line first June 28.

Harper and North Bay resident Peter Newton attended Richview Collegiate, in the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke, during the late ‘70s, and saw each other today for the first time in 24 years.

More gravity
The old friends spent about a half-hour reminiscing just before Harper left following a campaign stop at the Clarion Resort Pinewood Park.

“It was great seeing Peter and he don’t look much different,” Harper told BayToday.ca before entering his car.

“He said I don’t look any different, but I think we maybe look like we pull a little bit more gravity than we used to. We hadn’t seen each other since we took a camping expedition in Algonquin Park shortly after high school.”

Needed a change
Newton, the treasure/controller at Boart Longyear, said he and Harper talked about old chums and tried to update each other about people they’d gone to school with.

“I wished him the best of luck, told him I agreed with his policies and told him we needed a change,” Newton said.

“I support him 100 per cent and think he can do great things for this country.”

Did alright
Newton said he and Harper “hung around” and participated in academic events.

“He was on the track team and I was on the football team,” Newton said.

“He was a good long distance runner, and more into track than football, and he did alright.”

Harper, Newton said, was “the salt of the earth” and worked very hard.

“I tried to beat him in math and never did. He did very well in math and sciences,” Newton said.

“He was quiet, but very personable if you approached him.”

Same spin
Newton and Harper went their separate ways, Harper heading off to the University of Toronto, and Newton to the University of Western Ontario.

“We both end up studying economics and probably have the same spin on things,” Newton said.

Newton said Harper had very good attendance at high school and was the “go-to guy” for notes if anyone missed a class.

“It was all strictly above board,” Harper said, before getting into his car and heading for the airport.