Thursday October 8, 2020 | VICTORIA & VANCOUVER, BC [Last update 1:30 pm]
Profile by Island Social Trends | Mary P Brooke, Editor
Today Thursday October 8 is Day 18(*) 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 and voting-by-mail are available. Elections BC info.
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.
All Candidates Meetings are posted on the Island Social Trends Events page.
BC NDP: Today Thursday October 8, BC NDP Leader John Horgan will be in Langley to make an announcement at 9:30 am about infrastructure and job creation. He will be joined by Andrew Mercier, the NDP candidate for Langley.
UPDATE at 12 noon: BC NDP Leader John Horgan announced that the SkyTrain will be extended from Surrey out to Langley, if the NDP is re-elected to government.
Horgan has served as premier for 3.5 years, and in this re-election campaign is “looking at all British Columbians and what their needs are”. He says that “those who need less can do well enough on their own” (referring to the top two percent). He itemized things achieved in health care by his government that will benefit all residents of the province such as cancer care enhancements, improvements in long term term, and the opening of several new Urgent Primary Care Centres. “Our commitments to British Columbians are same no matter where they live, or their income,” said Horgan today in Langley.
BC Liberals: Today BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson will address media at 9:45 am, from Delta at a business location called X-Treme Clothing Boutique, along with candidates Jet Sunner and Ian Paton.
UPDATE at 12 noon: BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson said “this is urgent”, regarding helping small business immediately during the economic challenges of the pandemic. “Tourism operators will be making their decisions by Christmas,” he said, saying that for some that could mean shutting down for good. Businesses “need to know that help is on the way, so they can start to think about a future rather than the past.” He added that “so many employees are saying I don’t know if I’ll have a job by February, and they’re really worried for next summer.”
As a sort of pep talk, Wilkinson said “let’s plan for a vaccine, tourism season, and the border being open again”. However of that has no definitive timeline, all of it being dependent on factors that are fast-changing and dependent on multiple factors. To want the border open again would be — at this time — inviting in the virus from the US where the pandemic is not well under control.
Wilkinson said he was unaware of a news release that had been issued yesterday from 11 of the 13 mayors in Greater Victoria, regarding a range of issues, including transportation in the south island area. Wilkinson said he realized the McKenzie Interchange was an issue (though that project was just recently completed), as well as the Malahat, the E&N railway line, and the Colwood crawl (traffic congestion to and from the fast-growing west shore).
BC Green Leader Sonia Furstenau will hold a press conference at 2 pm today from Elsie Miles Park in Shawnigan Lake. She will make a platform announcement on renewable resources, community resilience and environment.
In the evening (7:30-8:30 pm) she will attend a BC Greens Virtual Rally, remote from the Delta Hotel in Victoria.
A televised leaders debate will be held on Global TV on Tuesday October 13 from 6:30 to 8 pm.
