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All-candidate events announced in Central Okanagan

The first meeting is slated for UBC Okanagan April 5
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The B.C. provincial election is May 9.

The writ to start the official B.C. provincial election campaign may not be dropped until April 11, but that’s not stopping a UBC Okanagan professor from holding the first of what will likely be many all-candidates meetings in this area.

In an effort to generate student interest in provincial politics, UBC assistant professor. Carey Doberstein, is organizing an all-candidates forum today at the Fipke Centre for Innovative Research on the UBCO campus in Kelowna.

Candidates from all three central Okanagan ridings—Kelowna West (currently known as Westside-Kelowna), Kelowna-Lake Country and Kelowna-Mission—have been invited to a “meet-and-greet” session on campus. After a short social gathering, candidates will have a chance to give a brief speech to the audience.

The event is billed as an opportunity for candidates to meet students, faculty and staff, as well as to encourage students to vote and get involved in the election.

The public is welcome to attend the free event which will run from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

In addition to the UBCO event, the Central Okanagan Retired Teachers Association plans to hold an all-candidates meeting at the Kelowna Community Theatre on April 25, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Community Action Towards Children’s Health (CATCH) will hold an all-candidates meeting on April 27, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Hollywood Road Education Centre in Kelowna.

The Central Okanagan Retired Teachers’ Association forum will concentrate on seniors’ issues and education. President Rolli Cachioni said candidates from the Penticton riding have been invited because Peachland, part of the Central Okanagan School District, is represented by the MLA for Penticton.

Candidates currently nominated by their respective parties in the three Central Okanagan ridings and Penticton include:

Kelowna West—Christy Clark (Liberal-incumbent), Shelly Cook (NDP), Robert Mellalieu (Green Party), Brian Thiesen (independent)

Kelowna-Lake Country—Norm Letnick (Liberal-incumbent), Erik Olesen (NDP), Alison Shaw (Green Party)

Kelowna-Mission—Steve Thomson (Liberal-incumbent), Harwinder Sandhu (NDP), Rainer Wilkins (Green Party), Chuck Hardy (B.C. Conservative)

Penticton— Dan Ashton (Liberal-incumbent), Tarik Sayeed (NDP)

The provincial election is May 9.