Did you realize we are now six weeks into the federal election campaign?
When Prime Minister Stephen Harper opted in August to call the election for Monday, Oct. 19, the election campaign was officially underway.
But being the middle of the summer, particularly in the Okanagan, the attention span for politics among voters was seriously challenged.
Most of us are concerned about vacation plans, boating, camping and other outdoor recreation leisure pursuits.
Even some local candidates acknowledged getting people excited about the election during the summer was a tough sell.
But the unofficial end of summer is Labour Day, so the kids are back in school, parents are back to work while the election campaign continues to grind forward to voting day.
But who should you vote for in the two local riding contests—Kelowna-Lake Country and the new riding of Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola—and why.
In the Friday editions of the Kelowna Capital News over the next six weeks, our editorial staff will address a number of issues of potential interest to local voters, and the insights from the various candidates and others as the campaign winds down to voting day.
We hope to enlighten everyone about why the candidates are seeking your support, what issues matter to our local area and why you should all exercise your democratic right to vote come Oct. 19.
Today, we kick off our election coverage by introducing you to the candidates in both ridings, how Kelowna is divided up by the new constituency alignment, the past local voting history and what some political pundits see of the voting trend for this election.
As well, watch for our election coverage on our Capital News website, kelownacapnews.com, which will include stories both on a local and national level.
And please share your thoughts with us on Facebook and Twitter.
If you have any questions or issues you would like to see given coverage, email them to us at edit@kelownacapnews.com or drop us a comment to the Capital News office at 2495 Enterprise Way or on Facebook.
While our cynicism towards politics often is reflected in voter apathy, elections do matter, and this time is no different with the NDP, Liberals and Conservatives all polling within 10 points of each other as the numbers shift week to week.
So, encourage yourself to mark a ballot on Oct. 19, and we’ll do our part at the Capital News in the weeks ahead to help you make a thoughtful decision about which candidates appeal to you and deserve your support.