The Parksville-Qualicum riding was the only one on Vancouver Island held by the BC Liberals this past term and the incumbent candidate is trying to win it again.
Michelle Stilwell is trying to be elected MLA for the riding for the third time in this unusual election
Stilwell blames the NDP for B.C. residents having to go to the polls during a pandemic.
“Snap elections aren’t good for democracy. I have four candidates running alongside me and they don’t have the same opportunity to get their message out to speak to the people to engage because we’re not out in the community, we’re not doing rallies, we’re not going to community events. We’re relying on email and zoom and social media,” said Stilwell.
Stilwell is most known for winning gold medals at three different paralympic games in two different sports.
In the last election, Stillwell won the seat handily with 45 percent of votes. The NDP and Greens split the majority of the difference
But this election has four candidates also vying for the seat.
The NDP candidate, Adam Walker, is a Qualicum Beach town councillor and farmer who’s running provincially for the first time.
“The word on the street is that people are very impressed with the leadership John Horgan has shown through this pandemic and there’s a lot of hope for our recovery process and what our world is going to look like after this pandemic’s over,” said Walker.
BC Green candidate Rob Lyon lives in Cobble Hill, outside the riding but says if he wins he’d move there right away.
He says he’s running for the BC Green Party because it aligns with his beliefs.
“The fiscal responsibility that they show in always wanting to have a stable growing economy and yet not go into huge deficit spending and raising taxes. There is a balance,” said Lyon.
And rounding out the competition in the Parksville-Qualicum riding is Conservative candidate Don Purdey and independent candidate John Saint John.
Kendall Hanson
