Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff was met by more than 100 local Liberal supporters and curious onlookers when his cross-country Liberal Express made an hour-long stop at the Bakerview EcoDairy in Abbotsford Sunday.

His next stop was Yale, where he was donating a copy of a journal written by his great-grandfather George Munro Grant, a rail surveyor who worked in the area in 1872.

Ignatieff seemed relaxed as he stepped off the bus and shook hands with members of the crowd, posing for photos and exchanging a few words. Several people had copies of books to be autographed by Ignatieff, an award-winning writer and author of 17 books.

Kevin and Kristin Schut's two young daughters were enjoying ice creams as Ignatieff made his way to the welcoming party, and stopped to say hello to the family.

"We were curious," they said after, explaining why they had come out.

Among those greeting the official Leader of the Opposition was Linda Burton, a former University of Toronto classmate of Ignatieff's from the graduating class of 1969, who now teaches history and social studies at Dasmesh Punjabi School in Abbotsford.

As of Sunday, the Liberal tour had traveled 25,000 kilometres across the nation since it began July 13 and hit 105 events.

Looking none the worse for wear, Ignatieff, 63, joked that everyone he met at the Pacific National Exhibition the day before was from the area.

“I was eating these mini-doughnuts and getting fat, and every single person I met said they were from Abbotsford. They were eating mini-doughnuts, getting fat with me.”

While his wife Zsuzsanna Zsohar mingled with onlookers, Ignatieff used the rural setting of Bill Vanderkooi’s Bakerview EcoDairy, where “content children were licking their ice cream cones, and the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye,” as a springboard to speak about the Liberals’ national food policy.

Its objective is to put more Canadian food on Canadian plates, improve food labelling, encourage healthy eating, rebuild ties between urban and rural Canada, support the family farm and innovation in agriculture.

“I know that agriculture is not just a business but a way of life,” he said to applause.

When asked about a poll that put the Liberals behind the Conservatives by seven points, Ignatieff said he’s not worried about the numbers at this point.

“Judging by the number of people coming out [to the Liberal Express stops], they’re looking for an alternative to Harper,” said Ignatieff.

Abbotsford Conservative MP Ed Fast wasn’t so sure.

In a statement released Sunday, the local federal representative questioned why the Liberal leader would stop in Abbotsford when he only recently returned to Canada after 34 years abroad.

“Although Abbotsford residents are always pleased to welcome strangers in their midst, I am somewhat puzzled in Mr. Ignatieff’s sudden interest in Abbotsford,” said Fast. “For decades, previous Liberal governments completely neglected the infrastructure needs of our community. It is only our Conservative government under Stephen Harper which recognized Abbotsford’s regional importance and invested $35 million into our city’s infrastructure.”

Fast noted his government’s recent investments in the McCallum Rd. and Clearbrook Rd. overpasses, the Abbotsford International Airport, the Abbotsford-Huntingdon Border Crossing, repaving of Highway #1, and recreational facilities throughout the city.

“I’m also wondering why, during the worst world wide economic crisis since the Great Depression, Mr. Ignatieff was the first to propose a national carbon tax, and has stated that he will raise the GST back to 7 per cent and increase taxes on small business,” Fast continued.

CToth@abbotsfordtimes.com