Wednesday, July 31, 2019 ~ COWICHAN / LANGFORD [Updated August 2, 2019]
~ West Shore Voice News
So far there are three candidates running in the federal riding of Cowichan-Malahat-Langford — for the NDP (incumbent), Conservatives and Greens.
The incumbent in Cowichan-Malahat-Langford is Alistair MacGregor, MP (NDP) who was elected in 2015 and was nominated by his party to run for re-election last December. As he gears up for door-knocking, MacGregor says he will stand on his record of representing south island and west shore constituents on issues like sustainability (land and agriculture) and ethics in Canada Pension Plan investment practices. Over the past term in office he has engaged the public with various issues including a forum on housing in fall 2018. He hosted NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh at Belmont Secondary in Langford in November 2018. MacGregor has maintained two constituency offices — one in Duncan, and one in Langford.
The Conservative Party candidate in Cowichan-Malahat-Langford is Alana DeLong. She secured the party’s nomination in June. DeLong was the B.C. Liberal candidate in Nanaimo-North Cowichan in the 2017 provincial election in 2017 coming second behind the NDP’s Doug Routley. Born in Nelson and raised in the Okanagan and Victoria, DeLong resides on Thetis Island. She is a former four-term Alberta MLA, who served in Calgary during a 14-year period and chaired the Alberta delegation at the Pacific Northwest Economic Region, ultimately becoming the organization’s vice-president.
The Green candidate in Cowichan-Malahat-Langford is Lydia Hwitsum, confirmed July 24 but not heavily promoted yet. She is a member of the Cowichan nation and a UVic law school graduate.
To date, there is no Cowichan-Malahat-Langford candidate posted by the Liberals on their candidates page.
The Cowichan-Malahat-Langford riding covers a vast geographical area that looks contiguous on a map but is complex to travel on the ground: Duncan, Lake Cowichan, North Cowichan, Cowichan Indian Reserve and Penelakut Island Reserve No 7, as well as various islands; Highlands, Langford, and Juan de Fuca past Jordan River up to Port Renfrew. The riding’s population has a complex demographic: income levels are low, middle and high including a large number of property investors.