Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

GREEN PARTY & NDP

Provincial election race takes shape in Kamloops with entrance of two new candidates

Sep 28, 2020 | 5:03 PM

KAMLOOPS — Heading into the weekend, only two candidates in the Kamloops ridings were known for the upcoming provincial election — both Liberal incumbents, Todd Stone in the South Thompson and Peter Milobar in the North. As of Monday morning (Sept. 28), two others had entered the race: one in the South riding on Saturday, and one in the North.

“My name is Sadie Hunter, and I’m the BC NDP Candidate running to be the next MLA in Kamloops-North Thompson.”

Hunter made it official Monday morning, after her name appeared, then quickly disappeared off the BC NDP website Sunday evening. The Kamloops city councillor was just last week elected to the executive board of the Union of BC Municipalities. As she hits the campaign trail, she’ll have to step aside from both of those positions.

“There are so many things we can’t get done at the council table,” Hunter explains. “When this opportunity arose, it felt like the right move to be able to continue to advocate and provide support for the things that need to get down that we can’t do there. No matter where I end up I will be providing support for the citizens of Kamloops.”

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On Saturday, Dan Hines announced that he’d be representing the BC Green Party for the second straight provincial election. In 2017 he ran in the Kamloops-North Thompson riding. This year, he’ll be seeking a mandate from voters in the Kamloops-South Thompson riding.

“I live in the South Thompson riding, so last time it felt a bit strange running in the North. That’s fine, sometimes it happens. It’s certainly true for some of the other people running, including the MLA,” Hines tells CFJC Today. “We don’t always necessarily live in the riding we’re in. Kamloops is, y’know, across the river, we’re one community. One region.”

Having been through one election as a candidate, Hines says he’s prepared for the ups and downs of a campaign this time around. He’s also a believer that the pandemic will give voters a clean slate to look at the issues instead of partisan politics as usual.

“This election feels different to me than the last election. It feels more like we’re going to find our way through this and navigate our way through this, just like we’ve been doing for the pandemic,” Hines says. “Anything’s possible. And I’m really sensing it, by the way. I’m feeling lots of energy coming into this election. Lots of support. A lot more people who are engaged than were engaged the last time around.”

In 2017, then-provincial newcomer Peter Milobar won the Kamloops-North Thompson riding by nearly 4,500 votes, a 17.97 per cent margin of victory over NDP candidate Barb Nederpel. Hunter hopes to close that gap in the coming weeks. She sees an opportunity for stability across BC if an NDP majority is the result of this election.

“The pandemic is going to be with for a long time,” Hunter says. “For me, it’s really important — especially at the municipal level — to have some stability and to know what’s going to be coming at us for the next four years. Having the election now will provide that, because there’s some sense of surety.”

Both the NDP and the Green Party will need to announce candidates in the South Thompson and North Thompson ridings, respectively, later this week. The deadline to nominate candidates is Friday (Oct. 2).