Conservatives fill Kelowna spots
The B.C. Conservatives now have candidates in all four Kelowna-area ridings.
Kristina Loewen, a realtor who has also worked as a doula, has been named as the party’s representative for the new riding of Kelowna Centre.
“Kristina is a seasoned real estate professional, known for her exceptional ability to prioritize her clients’ needs while maintaining a level-headed approach under pressure. Her career has not only honed her skills in negotiation and client relations but has also given her a deep understanding of the local housing market,” the party says on its website.
Loewen and her husband Andrew have been married for 26 years. “Their enduring marriage is a testament to their commitment to family values,” the party says.
The B.C. Conservatives have long been a marginal player in provincial politics, but recent opinion polls have placed them second in popularity to the governing
NDP. The party will be represented locally in this year’s provincial election by Tara Armstrong in Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream, Macklin McCall in
West Kelowna-Peachland, and Alexandra Wright in Kelowna-Mission.
The BC United Party, successor to the B.C. Liberal Party, has long dominated Kelowna-area politics, with their candidates winning as much as 50 per cent of all votes cast.
Two of the party’s three incumbent Kelowna-area MLAs, Ben Stewart and Norm Letnick, are retiring from provincial politics and not seeking re-election this year. They will be replaced as candidates by Stephen Johnston in West Kelowna-Peachland and Pavneet Singh in Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream.
A recently retired doctor, Michael Humer, will represent BC United in Kelowna Centre. Incumbent Kelowna Mission MLA Renee Merrifield is running for re-election.
The BC United Party has said the current popularity of the B.C. Conservatives is due in large part to voters mistakenly believing the Conservatives are aligned with their federal namesakes.
They’ve expressed confidence that as the election draws near, voters will come to see BC United as the most realistic and desirable right-of-centre alternative to the NDP.
“The B.C. Conservatives are just riding on the coattails of the federal Conservatives, even though there’s no association between the two parties,” Stewart, MLA for Kelowna West, said in a recent interview.
“If you look deeper into the B.C. Conservatives, you’ll see that they’re given to making shallow, reckless, dangerous statements. And the people involved with them, they don’t have any results behind them.”
For its part, the B.C. NDP has not yet named any candidates for the Kelowna-area ridings.
Since 1991, generations of locals have fond memories of growing up in Y camps. The YMCA in Kelowna continues to grow and offer even more safe and inclusive camps for children ages 3-12. Spring break camp registration is now open, offering fun, educational games, sports, and crafts.
Spring break camps will be held March 18-22 and March 25-28 at the Kelowna Family YMCA,H2O Adventure + Fitness Centre, Black Mountain YMCA Child Care, experiences,
YMCA Child Care at Quigley Elementary, and Okanagan Mission YMCA Child Care.
Costs vary, visit: for details. YMCA financial assistance is available to families who qualify, thanks to generous donors.
ymcasibc.ca/camps
The YMCA of Southern Interior B.C. was as a cause-driven charity. Many Y programs and services, including Y camps, are only made possible through the generosity of community donors. To offer assistance visit: