«Let’s put Canada at the forefront of change and innovation and growth and prosperity and potential,» he said. «Canada should be a place where the top entrepreneurs all over the world come to make their home.»

Peterson is the first Western Canadian candidate and is fluently bilingual. He finished 12th out of fourteen candidates in the 2017 leadership race, with less than 1 per cent of the vote.

After early speculation about a large slate of candidates, the Conservative leadership field has dwindled in recent weeks.

A push for more candidates

Former Quebec premier Jean Charest, Ontario MP Pierre Poilievre and former interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose were all spoken of as likely candidates — until they ruled themselves out of the race. Now, some Conservatives are trying to convince prominent party members to run.

«There is no doubt that there are calls going out across Canada from Conservatives to convince people to either consider or reconsider their positions,» said Conservative strategist Jason Lietaer.

A lot of those calls are going to former Harper cabinet minister John Baird, who reportedly was working on Pollievre’s own campaign team until Pollievre dropped out. Baird also authored a lessons-learned report on the Conservative Party’s performance in the last federal election; that report has not been released.

Baird the ‘game-changer’

«Mr. Baird is 100 per cent taking calls,» said Lietaer. «A lot of people are trying to get him to reconsider his decision to not run. I think a lot of people think that he would be a game-changer in the race.

«His record of … long-standing competence, along with his ability to communicate … would make him a favourite in the race, and certainly a heavyweight in the race. So a lot of people are calling him, a lot of people are hoping he reconsiders, and we’ll see where he ends up.»

A source close to Ambrose said people have been contacting her and urging her to rethink her decision to stay out of the race. Last Wednesday, Ambrose posted a video on social media saying she prefers the private sector and living in Alberta.

The source told CBC News that the recent pressure likely won’t convince her to change her mind.

A ‘wide-open’ race

Today, New Brunswick MP John Williamson said he’s considering a bid to replace outgoing leader Andrew Scheer.

«Well, the race is wide-open and there is room, I believe, for a movement Conservative candidate,» Williamson told reporters on his way into the weekly caucus meeting. «And those are the waters I am testing right now, to see if that appetite exists amongst our caucus and our members at large.»

Asked by reporters what he meant by a «movement» Conservative, Williamson said, «You can figure that out guys.»

Williamson is the former national director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. He was a director of communications for former prime minister Stephen Harper and is now a member of Parliament for New Brunswick Southwest.

Conservative sources say Manitoba MP Candice Bergen is also making calls about a potential run, while Ontario MP Michael Chong — who ran in 2017 — is not ruling it out.

Former cabinet minister Peter MacKay is the only approved candidate so far; the Conservative Leadership Candidate Nomination Committee made it official Tuesday night. MacKay has met all the current requirements for entry — a $25,000 entrance fee and 1,000 signatures collected from party members in at least 30 ridings across seven provinces.

Applications to run filed by two other candidates — Ontario MPs Erin O’Toole and Marilyn Gladu — are still under review by the committee.

The deadline to enter the race is February 27.