Kira Cheeseborough is an activist for animals and homeless youth and is now in the race to be the Member of Parliament in Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo.

Image Credit: FACEBOOK / Kira Cheeseborough

KAMLOOPS - She’s a university student, an animal activist and hopes to be the next Member of Parliament for Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo.

Kira Cheeseborough, 25, is the local candidate for The Animal Protection Party of Canada.

“My biggest goal is to bring in a narrative and a dialogue that is otherwise going to be ignored or overlooked,” she says.

Cheeseborough is a Kamloops local and is currently studying social work at Thomspon Rivers University.

“As one of the younger candidates, if not the youngest, and also a student, I think it’s important to bring in the student perspective and the young people's perspective on these issues, especially when its surrounding climate change,” Cheeseborough says. “The decisions in government that are going to be made now, if there are any negative repercussions we’re the ones that are going to be experiencing them and going to be dealing with them.”

The Animal Protection Party of Canada was officially formed in 2005, and Liz White has been the leader throughout. The party focuses mainly on animal rights, environmentalism, and advocating for disadvantaged groups.

Cheeseborough has an extensive history working with volunteer groups, such as A Way Home Kamloops, where she worked on creating initiatives to combat youth homelessness, as well as addressing mental health, substance use, and sexual violence issues. She says her involvement with the organization has no ties to her current candidacy.

“I'm someone with lived experience of homelessness, of mental health concerns, of poverty, and I've seen first hand and I’ve felt first hand what it feels like to be let down by a system that has bad policy,” she says.

Cheeseborough realizes her last name is ironic given she has been a vegetarian since childhood and is now a vegan so she doesn't consume or use any animal products. The Animal Protection Party of Canada has strong beliefs about the benefits of veganism, and she says the practice can bring benefits to various societal sectors.

“Even though it’s a primary focus on the platform, it's integrated into all these other social issues and how veganism can address poverty, how veganism can address and help combat climate change, how it can spur economic reform and help create jobs in a new industry, a plant-based industry,” she says.

Cheeseborough is planning a meet and greet with the public. She says the event will take place on the evening of Sep. 18, although the location has not yet been determined.

To keep up to date with Cheeseborough’s campaign check out her Facebook page here or at the Animal Protection Party of Canada website here.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Jenna Wheeler or call (250) 819-6089 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. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2019