Richard (Dick) Cannings was nominated as the NDP candidate in the new federal riding of South Okanagan-West Kootenay. (Richard McGuire file photo)
Environmentalist Richard (Dick) Cannings earned the nomination on Saturday as the federal NDP candidate for the new riding of South Okanagan-West Kootenay (SOWK).
Cannings beat the only other nomination contender, Margaret Maximenko, in a vote by party members that was conducted by mail, online and by ballots cast on Saturday at the USCC Community Centre in Grand Forks.
Vince Salvo, president of the NDP riding association, said party policy prevented him from making vote totals public.
“It was definitive,” he said, adding Maximenko moved to make the decision unanimous after the outcome was announced.
Cannings said he would now start campaigning as candidate and contacting members of the wider communities in the riding.
“I’ll be going back through the riding and talking to everybody,” said Cannings. “Not just party members. I’ll be getting to know community groups, chambers of commerce, city councillors, union members and non-profit societies. There’s a tremendous amount of work that’s being done in these communities and people who know the communities very well.”
The party membership in SOWK is about 1,300, which is considerably higher than other parties. The NDP, however, uses the same membership list federally and provincially while the other parties do not.
Salvo said more than 750 members voted – roughly two-thirds by mail and about 30 per cent electronically. While about 70 people attended the meeting in Grand Forks on Saturday, most had already voted and only about 30 people cast ballots there.
Cannings attributed his win to his proven track record as a candidate in last year’s provincial election in Penticton and also to his profile in B.C. due to his numerous books and radio appearances.
People also may have taken into account the fact that he is from Penticton, which is a crucial addition to the new riding.
“Because of the boundary change, Penticton really alters the geography of the riding now,” said Cannings. “Almost half the riding population is in the greater Penticton area, so that was one of those things that I think people looked at. Not just to have someone from Penticton, but someone who is well known in Penticton.”
The present riding of B.C. Southern Interior is represented by MP Alex Atamanenko of the NDP. Atamanenko announced last year he would not be running again and would be retiring from politics.
The addition of Conservative-leaning Penticton to the riding will make winning more difficult, Cannings admits.
“It adds a lot more Conservative voters in there, but I’m confident we can do well,” he said.
Cannings added that he ran close to MLA Dan Ashton in the City of Penticton in the 2013 provincial election.
Summerland and Peachland are in the provincial Penticton riding, they are not included in SOWK.
Atamanenko issued a statement Monday praising Cannings and Maximenko.
“I was impressed by the civility and mutual respect they and their teams showed in this very close race,” said Atamanenko. “I feel confident that Dick will be an excellent MP should he have the honour to be elected in 2015.”
The Conservatives nominated Marshall Neufeld and the Liberals nominated Connie Denesiuk, both in late July.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
