After spending several years in local politics, Michele Babchuk is running for the NDP and has big shoes to fill after incumbent MLA Claire Trevena decided not to run again after holding the North Island seat for the NDP since 2005.
“I’m just so happy with the work that John Horgan has done in the past,” said Babchuk. “I’m very very excited about joining his team so that we can continue going forward with that. His announcements around investment in health care and keeping people safe during the pandemic are fantastic.”
In 2017, the NDP won the huge geographical riding which includes part of the Central Coast by 3,207 votes over the BC Liberal Party. The BC Liberals have a new candidate as well this year. Norm Facey is a long-time forestry worker and mill manager on the island.
“I look at a juncture in forestry and aquaculture where the government has to stand tall, have a science-based approach and be advocates and I don’t see it happening and so I’m there for it,” said Facey.
His most recognizable opponent is long-time wild salmon advocate Alexandra Morton who says she has been approached by the Green Party to run for years, but only this time said yes.
“I was so concerned with the decision DFO made on the 28th of September to allow the salmon farms to continue operating in the Discovery Islands and in their announcement said they will have to be talking to the province about this and I thought OK maybe I need to be at the table when this comes to the province,” said Morton.
The Conservative Party of BC has 19 candidates running in the province, including John Twigg on the North Island.
He has run provincially twice before, once as an independent, once for the BC First Party and now as a BC Conservative.
He was also NDP Premier Dave Barret’s Press Secretary from 1972 to 1975.
“So one of the things I’m advocating for is reviving the BC provincial police force, parallel with the RCMP. We need to get control of our streets and I want to see more economic development across the entire constituency,” said Twigg.
Dean Stoltz
