iN DISCUSSION: Another close race in Kelowna Centre? It depends

This is where cold hard facts give way to the hottest of takes, mostly mine I suppose. I’m the editor, Marshall Jones.

Want to include yours? Listen, this isn’t the comment section, this isn’t social media. Discussion and debate requires context and a wee bit of bravery — we need your name and where you’re writing from. Include it in your account or email me anytime.

---

If there’s a riding I am watching closely this provincial election, it’s Kelowna Centre.

Two years ago, former city councillor Loyal Wooldridge was 40 votes away from taking that seat for the NDP. As far as I can tell, the party did diddly-squat to assist — as is tradition when they don’t have much hope here, which is to say, always.

It’s almost like having an established name and presence volunteer for them was a shock and a surprise. It was absolute incompetence that David Eby himself never showed up once.

What a failure of imagination. What a statement it would have been for Eby and the NDP to win a seat in what former premier Christy Clark called the “cradle of free enterprise.”

But was that a fluke of circumstance, to get as close as he did?

Wooldridge is up against Kristina Loewen again, still one of the weakest links in the BC Conservative chain. Two years ago, she wouldn’t come out of hiding. She refused to do debates, forums, or interviews, and even refused to explain why. How many votes did that cost her?

Now, she says it was because she was “absolutely brand new” and it was “really overwhelming” — which is fair if, you know, this were high school and not a job responsible for writing laws governing nearly six million people. Come on.

She’s getting all kinds of attention from her party. Holding her hand now is former Premier and current fence-mender Christy Clark. Loewen is prepped, and — look out, world — she plans to grace us all by participating in the democratic process that currently employs her.

“This time I’ve had some time to get some experience and feel a lot more confident. So there’s no reason not to go at all.”

Still, she does have two years of experience and represents a familiar brand in the Okanagan. That’s a tall enough order for Wooldridge to personally overcome, let alone while carrying the anchor of an unpopular party brand.

We also know now that Wooldridge planned to leave Kelowna and is only sticking around if he wins. He hasn’t had the time to organize and prepare like last time. Will that make a difference?

Will OneBC enter the race, introducing another split on the right to the benefit of Wooldridge?

It would be nice to see them in action in a debate, but sadly the only one on tap I’m aware of is the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce All-Candidates Forum on Oct. 20. On short notice, however, that forum will lump together candidates from three ridings, showcasing none and resolving nothing (thanks again, David Eby, nice election call there, bud).

So many fun questions. What do you think will happen? Email me.

Mj
Marshall Jones
Managing Editor

---

Apparently the circus ran through Kamloops this weekend; it’s a shame they didn’t let us know ahead of time.

Some clowns covered their faces and wore matching goofy outfits to hang out at the Kamloops Residential School. Then they helped each other safely cross the street to a bridge where they unfurled a banner, which was surprisingly free of spelling mistakes (shame about the grammar though). (Thanks CFJC, we are pursuing our own story on this today.)

How smart can these guys be wearing masks outdoors, amirite guys? BEEP BEEP.

That picture makes me angry, which is probably the point.

You know, I was actually kind of interested when Caroline Elliott and the BC Conservatives started talking about Indigenous issues just because someone, anyone, was finally talking about them.

My entire professional life, the unofficial policy in the governing classes was silence. No good came from talking about it. Remember, DRIPA was unanimous.

Anyway, seemed to me we were about to get into a somewhat respectful conversation until Dallas Brodie of OneBC smelled the sweaty frustration of bitter, angry constituents and has been doing her best to whip up these Nacho Nazis. Her buddy Kerry-Lynne Findlay would have had the BC Conservatives follow that path, too.

So in a time when DRIPA legislation and its unintended consequences continue to unfold in our courts and our society, while BC negotiates treaties on our behalf in perpetuity, the podium can’t be taken over by these soulless ghouls.

I’d hope for an appropriate response if they come again.

These are touchy subjects and I’m supposed to say something like ‘hate is bad’ but looking at that photo, I don’t know. I feel something rather like hate. I would fear the temptation driving past them.

I presume that’s why they are anonymous, random and sporadic. They fear the immune response. They need to be scared again.

Email me.

Mj
Marshall Jones
Managing Editor

---

iN RESPONSE

Quebec neo-Nazi led Seconds Sons march in Kamloops

The Nazi’s were defeated in World War 2. Many Canadians gave their lives to stop that whole movement. The leader of the Nazi movement committed suicide in a dirty little bunker when the war became hopeless. The Nazi’s lost because decent people cannot stomach the indecent ideology proposed by groups like second sons. Decent people still cannot stomach the indecent ideology they propose. The beliefs of anyone purporting to be a Nazi are not the beliefs of Canadians anywhere.

— William Mastop via iNFOnews.ca

Mental illness (not Russian spies) strong factor in Okanagan arsons

Scott Anderson might find his time better spent encouraging his party to put forward a platform to fund help for the homeless and people with mental health issues than ginning up conspiracy theories. Of course that wouldn’t put him in the spotlight.

— Bonnie Derry via iNFOnews.ca

Canadian says Meta won’t let her talk to a human after killing her accounts

Can you imagine being a business that does business with Meta and has the same experience. It’s time the government stepped in and regulates this. Technology companies can afford to provide human customer service, they just don’t care and it’s a monopoly.

— Bonnie Derry via iNFOnews.ca

Banned Vernon lawyer ‘misappropriated’ $116,000 from elderly client who has dementia

Maybe jail should be the answer.

— Bonnie Derry via iNFOnews.ca

iN RESPONSE to Monday’s newsletter opinion-editorial on the Second Sons

Your editorial was spot on (Second Sons). Thank you!

— Linda Rightmire via email

Fabulous opinion piece Marshall!
I share your hypothetical reaction driving past them.

— Jonathan McCormick via email

Kamloops top cop calls appearance by white nationalists ‘cowardly’

Big brave men. Got to hid your faces. Apparently so bright they’re not even sure what they stand for. Cowards.

— Bonnie Derry via iNFOnews.ca

What you need to know about white nationalist group Second Sons

Weakness and insecurity drives this. The members of Second Sons are afraid. Don’t sweat it too much guys. I’m confident that white privilege will be alive and well for a long time yet.

— William Mastop via iNFOnews.ca

A bunch of cowards! If you were proud of yourself, you would show yourself.

— Bonnie Derry via iNFOnews.ca

Kamloops council dysfunction could lure voters in droves

I’ll say upfront that I am not a fan of the current Mayor. However, I would like people to go back over the past 4 years and take note of how often Council took every opportunity to take away the Mayor’s rights: he had his pay largely taken away, he was relegated to the basement and he was put down whenever Council felt like it. And then there was the one-sided report designed to legitimize their abusive behaviour!

For the record, the Mayor represents a portion of the voting populace, a fact that the whole of Council missed entirely.

Surely there were other ways this conflict could have been resolved? I suggest that well developed communication skills would have helped, listening instead of abusing, would have helped, understanding how divisions within a group occur and finding ways to include differences in personalities and how those differences can be the strength of of sound decision- making. But, alas…this Council did none of that because they did not have the skill sets necessary to do so.

It became easier for Council to threaten then to use critical team building skills for the betterment of Council as whole.

— Linda Wilson via iNFOnews.ca

---

Disclaimer: Any views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this page are solely those of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of the editor, iNFOnews.ca, iNFOTEL MULTIMEDIA, its partners, principals or advertisers.