B.C. NDP leader John Horgan takes campaign to Liberal heartland in Okanagan

May 6, 2017 | 4:14 PM

VERNON, B.C. — The leader of British Columbia’s New Democrats is campaigning in the Liberal heartland in the Okanagan, making five stops Saturday in three ridings which are all held by Liberals.

John Horgan will traverse the Okanagan from Penticton to Vernon and back to Penticton in a final campaign push to snag seats in an area of the province where NDP victories are not common.

Horgan’s campaign will pass through Liberal Leader Christy Clark’s West Kelowna riding twice without stopping. The NDP is focusing on three seats currently held by the Liberals in Vernon, Penticton and Osoyoos.

Horgan said his campaign made stops in Clark’s riding earlier in the campaign.

“I was in Christy Clark’s riding at the start of the campaign and we drove through it today and I saw a lot of orange,” he said, referring to NDP campaign signs.

Clark halted her campaign Saturday morning to visit the community of Cache Creek where the local fire chief disappeared while monitoring flood waters at a swollen creek.

She’s expected to return to the campaign trail in the afternoon following meetings with Cache Creek municipal officials and a tour of the flood zone.

In Vernon, Horgan told a roomful of supporters he wants to meet as many voters as possible in the campaign’s final days.

“I think our chances are pretty good (in Vernon),” he said. “I think people are tired of the neglect of services.”

Horgan spent time walking through downtown Vernon, stopping to buy a five-litre carton of apple juice from the Vernon Judo Club, which was raising funds outside of a coffee shop.

Local resident Ed Craven said he did a double-take but recognized the NDP leader.