Candidates had until April 18 to file their nominations for the upcoming provincial election, which is scheduled for May 9, 2017.
As of press time on Monday April 17, the Nechako Lakes riding had three candidates listed.
Anne Marie Sam has been acclaimed as the B.C. NDP candidate. Sam was born and raised in Nak’azdli Territory and has been based in the Fort St. James area for most of her life. She says it was her family who encouraged her to learn and become the first woman among them with a university degree. She’s familiar with political life, as a former school board trustee and current elected councillor with the Nak’azdli Nation.
Fort Fraser resident Jon Rempel will be representing the B.C. Libertarian Party. He describes himself as a businessman, heavy equipment operator, prospector and politician. He says he is against high taxes and government bureaucracy, and for personal freedom, liberty and privacy.
Incumbent John Rustad will be running again for the B.C. Liberal Party. Rustad was first elected in 2005 and served as Parliamentary Secretary for Forestry before his appointment as Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation in 2013.
An all candidates forum will be held in the Heritage Centre in Burns Lake on Thursday, April 27 at 7 p.m.
According to a recent Insights West poll, fewer British Columbians are satisfied with the performance of premier Christy Clark. The approval rating for Clark has dropped to 30 per cent – down six points since an Insights West survey conducted in February.
Opposition and B.C. New Democratic Party leader John Horgan is at 37 per cent while Andrew Weaver of the B.C. Green Party shows significant improvement, gaining six points in two months to reach 35 per cent.
Results are based on an online study conducted from April 5 to April 8, 2017, among 801 British Columbian adults, including 625 decided voters in the 2017 provincial election.
