'First things first': Dennis King's emotional election day visit and the photo that came from it

Sitting behind the premier's desk Dennis King can look left and see the mouth of the harbour that brought the Fathers of Confederation to Charlottetown, and if he looks right, in the centre of his bookcase a special picture from election day to remind him of his own father.

On election day, April 23, King's calendar was set. The PC campaign office organized visits with seniors in his own riding and then some other things. Anything to keep the candidate's mind off the voting.

Being no stranger to campaigns, though a first-time candidate himself, King was wise to the plan.

"Would you just kind of hang with me for the day, and we can entertain each other and we can get rid of these nervous moments," King said while picking his driver for voting day, long-time friend and fellow entertainer Gary Evans.

'Take me to Georgetown'

Evans took the day and they drove to District 15. King went to the first door on the list. After the visit he got back in the van, told Evans to toss the addresses in the backseat and point the van east.

"Take me to Georgetown," Evans recalls him saying as the pair started out for King's hometown.

I think he would also be proud of the approach that we've taken to do this, to be a voice of unity as opposed to division.— Premier Dennis King

King told Evans to turn off the road well before Georgetown — it was a dirt lane and in the rain it was hard to tell where they were. It took a moment for Evans to realize it was a graveyard until he stopped.

"I don't think I had any preconceived idea I was going to do this. It just felt to me, that in the early morning, it was just an important thing to do," King said.

On this day, that was in no way ordinary, King wanted to spend time with his dad. 

"It's 21 years since we lost him. Even though time is working to separate us, I try very hard to make sure he is part of my everyday life."

King got out by himself and walked toward a stone. Evans watched as King, shoulders up against the cold wind and rain, bowed his head a bit and reached for the headstone.

"I just went in and essentially said that I hoped he was proud," King said, his voice trailing. "That was about it."   

As Evans watched his friend turn around he grabbed his phone and didn't even roll down the van window to take a quick photo. He also didn't show the man who would be premier by the end of the night.

'Not a bad picture'

"Holy God, that's not a bad picture," Evans remembers saying after looking at the picture on his phone. He sent the photo to a photographer who had worked with the two of them in promoting their storytelling show The Four Tellers.

The picture was tweaked a bit and Evans had it printed off, framed and had a small plaque printed.

"First things first," it reads, followed by the election date.

Evans waited for the proper moment, a day between the election and when King would move into the office of the premier in downtown Charlottetown.

Late one afternoon, when there were only two people at PC Party headquarters, Evans presented the picture to the new premier.

"That's not a picture, it's a work of art," King told Evans after he composed himself.

"The picture is just centred perfectly, if you were setting up this photo this is exactly as you would set it up."

Hundreds of guests will be in and out of King's office over the next little while — the picture will be there for them to see — and for the rookie premier, a reminder of the father who helped get him there.

"He came from a generation where politics and public service was the highest of callings," said King. "But I think he would also be proud of the approach that we've taken to do this, to be a voice of unity as opposed to division."

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