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The race for Victoria is underway
Premier Christy Clark dissolved the B.C. Legislature April 16 and the writ was dropped signalling the formal start to the May 14 provincial election.
Clark’s beleaguered ruling Liberals want to return to power to tackle debt reduction and job creation, while Adrian Dix and his hard-charging New Democrat Party (NDP) want to invest in our children’s future while pointing out it is time for a change.
Adding to the mix are candidates from the B.C. Conservative Party and Green Party.
The East Kootenay is part of two provincial ridings. The northern half of the region makes up half of the Columbia River-Revelstoke riding, with Kimberley and Columbia Valley voters having as their choices: incumbent MLA, Norm Macdonald (NDP) of Golden; Liberal candidate Doug
Clovechok; Conservative Party candidate Earl Olsen (both are from Fairmont Hot Springs); and Kimberley resident Laurel Ralston (Green Party) has been reported to be running. However, the candidates’ list issued by Elections BC this morning (April 18) only notes Macdonald and Clovechok as candidates.
The southern half of the East Kootenay is the Kootenay East riding, with incumbent MLA Bill Bennett (Liberal) of Cranbrook, and NDP candidate Norma Blissett, also of Cranbrook, as voters’ choices.
Last week, Macdonald and Bennett closed their constituency offices and opened campaign headquarters, and Blissett and Clovechok opened their campaign offices.
Bennett addressed a large group crammed into his downtown Cranbrook office, including fellow cabinet minister Don McRae (Minister of Education) on April 10.
While Blissett’s Cranbrook office opening stretched from 3 to 6 p.m. on April 12.
Macdonald opened his Invermere campaign office yesterday (April 17) and is in Kimberley this afternoon and evening, from 4 to 7 p.m. at 117 Wallinger Avenue.
East Kootenay News Online Weekly (e-KNOW) will be presenting a candidates feature prior to the election and invites all candidates to submit letters/columns outlining their positions and campaign plans.
To see a list of candidates across the province go to: http://elections.bc.ca/docs/CSA_List%20Candidates%20by%20ED%20by%20Event.PDF
Ian Cobb/e-KNOW