The Kootenay-Columbia federal Green Party candidate nominees have been unveiled today.

“We are very excited that four strong candidates have stepped forward to seek to represent the Green Party in the upcoming federal election,” said Bill Green, co-chair of the Kootenay-Columbia Green Party Electoral District Association (EDA).

“The four individuals are Jason Leus of Ymir, Keith Wiley of Nelson, Rana Nelson of Revelstoke and Tom Prior of Nelson. They would all like to join the Annamie Paul team in Parliament after the election, if they win the nomination.”

“It is very clear that the Trudeau-led Liberals would like to move from minority to majority government status,” noted Andy Shadrack, EDA director, deeply experienced politician and political analyst. “Spring, early summer or fall are all possibilities for an election to be called.  We are working to be well-prepared with a strong candidate chosen and getting better known in our riding before an election is called”

Abra Brynne, Green Party candidate in the 2019 federal election, stated, “Everyone is welcome to participate in this important part of the democratic process – choosing the best possible candidate.  You need to be a Green Party member for at least 30 days prior in order to vote in the nomination process.”

Check the Green Party website for information on membership. The last day of the online nomination vote is Thursday, April 15 so you need to become a member by March 16.

“Whether or not you want to become a member, you can learn about the people seeking the nomination in three upcoming ‘Meet the Contestants’ on line meetings,” said Green.

These events are being organized around the foundational principles of the Green Party, as follows:

Thursday March 18 – 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. Mountain: Participatory democracy and respect for diversity.

Tuesday March 23 – 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. Mountain: Sustainability including just transition concepts.

Sunday March 28 – 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. Mountain:  Ecological wisdom.

Brief summaries of Kootenay-Columbia Green Party nomination contestants

Jay Leus

My name is Jay Leus (rhymes with voice). Aside from having a strangely spelled last name, I am a local, provincial, and national activist, a husband, a father, a volunteer firefighter of 15 years, and if there is any time left over, a paragliding instructor and tandem pilot. I am passionate about Green Party values as I live them every day. I am excited to have the opportunity to be both the voice of the Kootenay-Columbia and to work hard for the benefit of all people who call this land home: including, but not limited to, inspiring and facilitating collaborations with indigenous peoples and across party lines for the benefit of all.

Keith Wiley

Keith Wiley is a life-long activist for many causes: global justice, public health care, against toxic tar sands and against racism. The father of six talented young Canadians, he is also now a grandfather. Keith’s career as a movement journalist included stints with civil society organizations and the Alberta nurses’ union. Since “retiring” to Nelson 10 years ago, he has helped instigate environmental activities and for the past seven years hosted The EcoCentric on Kootenay Coop Radio. He is a cyclist, paddler, swimmer, hiker and woodworker and speaks French, some Spanish and some German.

Rana Nelson

I live in Revelstoke with my husband and three children, and I am grateful for this every single day. I believe that resolving the root cause of an issue is the only way to achieve lasting results, and that we must honestly acknowledge what those causes are. I see that the Green Party does politics differently — that is, respectfully, sustainably, and collaboratively — and I want to be part of it to help create positive political, social, and environmental change on a broader level. I have lived in rural, remote, and urban communities around Canada, and have a range of experiences in communication, education, employment, healthcare, Indigenous culture, housing, tourism, policing, and refugee assistance, all of which have helped me understand the joys, frustrations, and dilemmas people experience. I want to share this knowledge to help B.C. and Canada rise to the challenges of the future.

Tom Prior

West Kootenay successful entrepreneur. I have joined the Federal Green Party nomination as a long time business person and active concerned citizen in the Southern Interior of B.C. because I believe the Green movement needs to engage and promote economic theories that are not destroying the planets capacity to sustain healthy human existence. The Columbia/Kootenay business community is historically conservative and in order to gain confidence within this important sector of this large riding, the GP needs to nominate and run candidates with a genuine understanding of this sector of our economy that creates more than half the employment in Canada. To date Canada’s political Green movement is dominated by academics and risk missing an important creative aspect of our human resources needed to navigate political success in Canada.

Kootenay-Columbia Green Party Electoral District Association

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