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EDITORIAL: Winning the Squamish vote

Soon, the campaigning to represent our region in the House of Commons will be in full swing.
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Soon, the campaigning to represent our region in the House of Commons will be in full swing.

Our West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country federal riding encompasses more than 13,200 square kilometres and includes approximately 120,000 people, of which 90,554 are registered to vote. We have 222 polling divisions, according to Elections Canada.

(The riding is as vast as our ridiculously long electoral district name that makes media-types pound angrily at the keyboard whenever it has to be written out. Ours is the second longest riding name, next only to the riding of Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, which was created in 2015.)

It isn’t easy to speak — literally or figuratively — to or for all the people in this riding.

Our electoral district has proven to be a bit of a mixed bag, so other than an NDP win, not much would be a surprise come Election Day.

Since 1997,  the region has leaned conservative-ish then, liberal-ish — there was some party jumping — and then conservative and then liberal.

Last election, though many spoke of environmental issues such as the pending Woodfibre LNG facility, at the ballot box most shied away from the Greens, voting the Liberal Party’s Pamela Goldsmith-Jones in with 55 per cent of the vote.

The Green Party’s Ken Melamed garnered less than nine per cent of the vote.

With the Green Party’s fortunes rising since then, the question will be if the candidate can convince locals of the party’s ability to govern.

If the 18,000 who have signed the My Sea to Sky petition opposed to Woodfibre LNG are truly from the region, that should show at the polls, shouldn’t it?

A little advice for candidates hoping to garner Squamish votes: Spend time here, ideally before the rubber hits the road come fall. We don’t mind if you don’t know everything about us, but show you are trying. Knock on some doors — old school style. Yes, we may shut that door on you, but we want to know you came by.

Don’t pretend to be local if you are not. There’s nothing worse than being told, “Squamish isn’t a sleepy logging town anymore.”

No kidding, Sparky.

Don’t tell us you spent a lot of time in Whistler, so you totally get us. We are very different.

Whatever the party, have a strategic plan that shows you understand the climate crisis we are in.

And, ya better know about fish, fish conservation and what you are going to do about funding Fisheries and Oceans, about sports fishery closures and the like.

In fact, know as much as you can about our waters.

Show an understanding of and willingness to partner with First Nations.

We also want to know if you value heritage and understand the struggle of small business owners.

Don’t spend all your time bashing the other guy.

What will you fight for? It better be for us in Squamish.

Sure, ours won’t be the only votes counted, but they could be the deciding ones.

And thus, voters, when the opportunity arises, speak up for Squamish and what matters to you.

Tell The Chief what you want us to ask federal candidates by writing to editor@squamishchief.com.

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