Image Credit: FILE PHOTO

BC NDP incumbent Harwinder Sandhu changed the political direction of the North Okanagan riding in 2020 by defeating the BC Liberals.

Fast forward four years and the political landscape has changed with the former BC Liberals — now called the BC United Party — out of the campaign, a revamped BC Conservative Party with a lot of clout and a well-known Independent candidate all running for the seat. They also have a new geographical landscape to contend for the Vernon-Lumby riding.

The new Vernon-Lumby riding looks much like the old Vernon-Monashee riding, with the exception that the District of Coldstream has been removed. It now encompasses the City of Vernon heading north along Highway 97 but keeping south of Armstrong and stretching across to Lumby and north to the southern tip of Mabel Lake.

Historically the riding had always been a Liberal and Social Credit stronghold up until Sandhu's 2020 win.

It was opined that Sandhu's victory, by a mere 423 votes, came about because right-leaning voters split the vote between the BC Liberal Party and the BC Conservative Party. 

And a quick glance at the current candidates could suggest that the same thing will happen again.

The BC Conservatives have parachuted in Kamloops native Dennis Giesbrecht who has no experience in political office, while Mayor of Lumby Kevin Acton — who has been mayor for 15 years — had planned to run for BC United. Once that party collapsed, Acton said he'd run for the BC Conservatives, but they overlooked him and now he's running as an Independent.

This may split the right of the centre vote.

For the first time in more than 30 years, the BC Green Party aren't running a candidate, which could see Green voters turn to the BC NDP.

The outlier is BC Libertarian Party candidate Robert Johnson.

Demographics:

The City of Vernon's population grew by 11% between 2016 and 2021 and it's estimated to be 47,000 now. The Population of Lumby is approximately 2,220 and is also growing at a similar fast pace.

The riding has a significant population over the age of 65 with Vernon at 28% and Lumby at 23%, according to Statistics Canada. The BC average is around 20% over the age of 65.

The political allegiance of the older generation is important as 65 to 74-year-olds vote more than any other age group. In the last provincial election, 79% of those between 65 and 74 voted, while only 39% of 25 to 34-year-olds did.

Today's issues:

Unsurprisingly housing affordability and health care come top of the list.

Juliette Cunningham served three terms on Vernon city council and spent a decade as a school trustee. More recently she's just finished a six-year stint as a board member of Okanagan College and has previously run for the BC NDP.

"Housing affordability... is an issue right across the country, so we're not immune to that," Cunningham said. "Health care is challenging in terms of attracting doctors and nurses, there's a shortage of that."

With a higher-than-average demographic of seniors the economy is particularly tough for those on a fixed income, she said.

"I think it's a real challenge. I know our seniors... and those that are working at minimum wage are having challenges," Cunningham said.

With wildfires or the threat of wildfires dominating the summer, climate change is also a big issue, she said.

"I think my generation really had the benefit of the best of times. And I do have concerns for our younger generation. I think they have a real uphill battle in so many areas," she said.

The Vernon Chamber of Commerce recently surveyed its members to ask what the most pressing issues were in the riding.

The top issues in order of importance were housing, health care, affordability, crime and taxes, Vernon Chamber of Commerce general manager Dan Proulx said.

Proulx said it's a struggle for businesses to attract both skilled and unskilled labour when the housing options are so limited.

"Whether it's rental affordability or the ability to buy or find a home," Proulx said. "Sometimes (businesses) bring people here and they don't have the ability to retain them because they're just finding that the affordability of the lifestyle in British Columbia in general is significantly high."

Do voters show up?

In 2020, turnout in the Vernon-Monashee was 53% about one percentage point lower than the provincial average.

From top left: BC NDP MLA Harwinder Sandhu, BC Conservative candidate Dennis Giesbrecht, BC Libertarian Party candidate Robert Johnson, and Independent candidate Kevin Acton.

(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)

Who to vote for in Vernon-Lumby:

Harwinder Sandhu - BC NDP incumbent

It was third time lucky for BC NDP incumbent Harwinder Sandhu when she took the seat by a handful of votes in 2020. She'd previously run for the BC NDP in Kelowna-Mission and the federal NDP in the North Okanagan-Shuswap.

A nurse by career, Sandu was born in India and moved to northern BC about 25 years ago. In 2012 she took a job as a registered nurse at Vernon Jubilee Hospital and moved to the Okanagan.

She's been open about being a widow with two young children after her first husband died of cancer 14 years ago. She's since remarried and had a son.

Dennis Giesbrecht - BC Conservative Party

A Kamloops resident, Dennis Giesbrecht had been picked to run for the BC Conservatives in the Kamloops Centre riding. However, when BC United folded its candidate, incumbent MLA Peter Milobar, moved to the BC Conservatives and Giesbrecht was given the Vernon-Lumby riding.

He had a few stabs at political office before but has never been successful. In 2020, he ran for the BC Conservative seat in Kamloops-North Thompson and he also ran for a seat on the City of Kamloops council in both 2018 and 2022.

His biography said he has a background in heavy industry, and he understands the importance that energy, forestry and shipbuilding play in our economy. 

Kevin Acton - Independent

Kevin Acton has been the Mayor of Lumby since 2009 and was a councillor before that. He was the BC United candidate until the party dropped out of the current election campaign and is now running as an Independent.

He's been the director of the Regional District of North Okanagan and the chair of the North Okanagan Columbia Shuswap Hospital District as well as a board member of Economic Trust Southern Interior.

He owns the Bloom Wellness Centre and has worked as a massage therapist for 25 years.

Robert Johnson - BC Libertarian Party

Robert Johnson is a dentist from Salmon Arm and one of only four candidates the Libertarian Party is running across the province.

Johnson made headlines in 2022 when he released a video on social media in which he called the COVID-era public health measures "ridiculous" saying there was "no science" and "no logic" behind them.

For more information about the BC election and to register to vote go here.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Ben Bulmer or call (250) 309-5230 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.

News from © iNFOnews, 2024