Saturday October 17, 2020 | VICTORIA & VANCOUVER [Last update 8:30 pm]
Election campaign coverage by Mary P Brooke, editor | Island Social Trends
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Saturday October 17 is Day 26(*) on the Election BC campaign trail (*calling September 21 as Day 1, the day the election was called).
- The Provincial General Election Day is on Saturday October 24. Advance voting (October 15 to 21) and voting-by-mail are available. Elections BC info. | See which ridings have the highest number of mail-in ballot requests.
- Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which requires physical distancing, most campaign activities are done remotely online, both for the media and the voter audiences.
- Town halls and All Candidates Meetings are posted on the Island Social Trends Events page.
BC NDP: In a news release this morning, BC NDP Leader John Horgan said a re-elected BC NDP government will deliver a new regional cancer centre in Kamloops. He made these comments in Kamloops this morning at 9:15 am at Thompson Rivers University alongside BC NDP candidates Sadie Hunter (Kamloops-North Thompson), Anna Thomas (Kamloops-South Thompson), and Aaron Sumexheltza (Fraser-Nicola).
Horgan said that local health care investments would be at risk under the BC Liberals. Horgan cited that under the NDP the first Urgent Primary Care Centre opened in Kamloops, giving opportunities to new doctors. A new patient care tower is being built at Royal Inland Hospital. Another 100 more public long term care beds are coming to Kamloops, as part of 500 beds coming to the Interior.
BC NDP: BC NDP Leader John Horgan also is making stops today in Merritt, Penticton and Oliver.
BC NDP: This morning northern region candidates Nathan Cullen and Jennifer Rice addressed media about how they say BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson’s past actions have impacted communities in Northern BC regarding a court challenge with Sun Wave Forest Products for which he was the legal counsel (ref: Globe & Mail article February 2013).
BC NDP: BC NDP incumbent Mitzi Dean (Esquimalt-Metchosin) cast her vote at the advance voting place at West Shore Parks & Recreation in Colwood today.
BC Liberal: Today BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson will address media at 10:30 am from Campbell River. In a release prior to the live announcement, Wilkinson is quote as saying that “the NDP simply threw in the towel and let forestry workers and forestry-dependent communities suffer on their own”.
In his live session, he again mentioned his background as a medical doctor, saying he practiced medicine in Campbell River for three years in the 1980s.
Wilkinson encouraged people to vote today — advance voting is open and today is the deadline for putting mail-in ballots into the postal mail system (to reach Elections BC in good time for the 4 pm October 24 deadline).
BC Green: BC Green Leader Sonia Furstenau released the full BC Green platform earlier this week.
Today October 17 Furstenau addressed media at 12:30 pm from an outdoor spot at Witty’s Lagoon regarding a sustainable forestry system. She was accompanied by BC Green candidates Andy MacKinnon (Esquimalt-Metchosin) and Gord Baird (Langford-Juan de Fuca).
Furstenau feels that the legislature produces better results for British Columbians by hearing different perspective at the table. The BC Greens would bring evidence-based solutions to the table, she said today.
Furstenau will take part in a Trivia Night with BC Green candidate Jenn Neilson (Victoria-Beacon Hill) this evening, from 7 to 8 pm.
Inside notes and editorial about the election results after October 24 will be made available to paying subscribers. | How to subscribe: call 250-217-5821 to request an invoice and pay by credit card, or email your billing request to subscriptions@islandsocialtrends.com (and pay by e-transfer) | Subscription info: www.islandsocialtrends.com/subscribe-2
