City of Cranbrook Councillor Norma Blissett announced today that she is seeking the nomination for the BCNDP candidacy in the Kootenay East riding.

“Running for the provincial NDP in 2013 and sitting on Cranbrook city council have provided me with the experience necessary to run a successful provincial election campaign in 2017,” she said.

Blissett said her past campaigning experience and time on city council have helped prepare her to properly represent all riding residents.

“I knocked on over 2,000 doors and spoke with hundreds of people over the course of the 2013 campaign. Knowledge of the local people and local issues allowed me to successfully run for Cranbrook city council. Since being elected I have increased my knowledge by attending numerous community events and meeting with a variety of community members,” she said.

A Cranbrook resident for over 20 years, Blissett works as a science and math teacher at Mount Baker Secondary School. She was a forester before becoming a teacher and was employed by a group of East Kootenay forest companies to do forestry education in local schools. Blissett holds bachelor’s degrees in both forestry and education, as well as a masters degree in leadership and administration.

“I have a resource industry background. I am aware of the importance of resource industries – forestry, mining and agriculture – to our local economy and I will fight for resource industry jobs at the provincial level,” she said, adding, “Being employed as a high school teacher has given me an appreciation of the issues that impact Kootenay families. I am confronted daily with the concerns of youth – affordable postsecondary education, employment opportunities, and the environment.”

The decision to run for provincial office was not easy an easy one, Blissett admitted.

“I enjoy being on Cranbrook city council and teaching at Mount Baker, so it has been a difficult decision to run again provincially. A number of people within the NDP and the community at large have encouraged me to run. It is time to put the experience that I have gained from working in forestry, education and municipal government to good use. I am very aware of how much hard work is required to run a provincial election campaign and I am up for the challenge,” she said.

A mother of three adult children, Blissett said that she has the time and the energy required to devote to provincial politics.

“For the NDP to be successful in Kootenay East we need to provide a strong alternative to the BC Liberals. The residents need to know that they will be listened to and that their concerns will be advocated for at the provincial level. The people of Cranbrook have seen from my work in the community and on city council that I will do my best to speak on their behalf. Now I must demonstrate this to the rest of the constituency,” she said.

Blissett will be taking on another former city councillor and Mayor of Fernie in Randal Macnair who announced two weeks ago he intends to seek the BC NDP nomination for Kootenay East.

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