Candidates in Boundary-Similkameen are making their last pitch to voters as the provincial election campaign enters its final week.
Voters who aren’t voting in advance will cast their ballots on Tuesday, May 14. Most voters in Oliver will vote at the Oliver Community Centre from 8 am to 8 pm. Advance voting is being held this week from Wednesday, May 8 to Saturday, May 11 at six locations throughout the electoral district, including the Oliver Community Centre. Voters may vote at any polling station in the province by absentee ballot regardless of where they live.
Candidates for the two major parties both say they’ve been busy knocking on doors, and both say the issue they’re hearing about the most is FortisBC rate increases.
Liberal candidate Linda Larson said she was planning to knock on doors in Grand Forks and Christina Lake Tuesday before spending the remainder of the campaign focusing on Oliver and Osoyoos.
Most people have been very polite at the doors, she said, although one man abruptly shut the door on her.
NDP candidate Sam Hancheroff said he was encountering apathy earlier in the campaign, but recently voters have been more engaged as they get down to choosing. He expected to receive strong support in the Grand Forks area, but says he’s also had a positive reception in the Okanagan Valley once people realize that he’s a school trustee who is also a board member of the irrigation district.
The other candidates admit they’ve done less door knocking, although former Conservative Mischa Popoff, now running as an independent, said he’s been going around to farms.
Green Party candidate John Kwasnica said he’s done some door canvassing, although he’s working in a full-time job during the campaign and was busy last week with candidates’ forums and with a visit by family members.
Independent candidate Doug Pederson said he hasn’t done door knocking, but instead has been posting to the Internet videos of him speaking at candidates’ forums. While door canvassing is a necessary part of any election campaign, Larson acknowledged that many people already have their minds made up.
“If I’ve turned some, I would think it’s a small amount because I think people really have their politics pretty much in order in their heads,” she said. “If we’ve been able to say something that’s made them change their minds, great, but there’s not a lot of fence sitters.”
There may be more on the fence this time than usual, she added, because of upheaval in government generally.
Kwasnica said he’s encountered a lot of dissatisfaction at the door.
“Mostly people aren’t very satisfied with the status quo right now, the way the government is and people are a little fed up with what’s going on,” the Green candidate said. “They do want a change, and they’re not really sure if the Green party is the change they’re looking for. I’m hopeful we’ll get some votes from people who want the Liberals out and aren’t really fans of the NDP.”
Hancheroff said a number of people are also raising concerns about neglect of agriculture. He tells them the NDP is supporting agriculture in its platform.
Richard McGuire
Special to the Chronicle
