TUESDAY
S I N C E
MARCH 12, 2013
1 8 9 5 Smokies wrap up season
Vol. 118, Issue 40
110
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Page 11
INCLUDING H.S.T.
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
2013 B.C. ELECTION
Few challengers for Kootenay West
Incumbent Katrine Conroy only candidate to declare running for riding BY TIMOTHY SCHAFER Times Staff
It looks like a one-horse race in Kootenay West for the upcoming B.C. Election in mid-May. The only candidate declared for the general election, 64 days away on May 14, is the current member of the Legislative Assembly for the riding, Katrine Conroy. When contacted by phone, neither the provincial Liberals, Conservatives or the Green Party had a list of candidate names to release to the public to begin the push for May. The lack of competition surprised Conroy, who had already begun her campaign for re-election weeks ago. She said there were a couple of her colleagues who did not have any competition either but they were still moving ahead. “It is a bit odd,” she said about the nearly fallow field of candidates. “But it doesn’t matter. We are still working hard and we have our campaign team meeting every Wednesday ... Locally we are getting ready.” Conroy has held the seat since the riding was first created in 2008—and the preceding West Kootenay-Boundary seat since 2005—winning the last election in 2009 with two thirds of the votes (12,126). In that year it was a fourway race that included Liberal candidate Brenda Binnie (4,072 votes, 22.4 per cent), Andy Morel of the Green Party (1,791 votes, 9.84 per cent) and Zachary Crispin of the Communist Party (204 votes, 1.13 per cent). In all, there were 18,193 votes cast—with 88 rejected ballots—with a voter turnout of 59.1 per cent.
Community pitches in to help finish home BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff
SHERI REGNIER PHOTO
Enumerators Wynn Connolly (left) and Tammy Gallamore set up shop in downtown Trail on Saturday to update elector information and register new voters. The next stop is Waneta Plaza this weekend, but Connolly said people could register online (elections.bc.ca) or call 1-800-6618683 for more information. The electoral district is made up of parts of the regional districts of Central Kootenay and Kootenay Boundary, as well as the communities of Trail, Castlegar and Nakusp. The B.C. Conservative Party has not yet nominated anyone in Kootenay West, but they do have some people going through the process of nomination, said Kristy Fredericks, the party’s director of policy research and communications. Conservative candidates have to submit an application that goes through a review committee and once they are
approved they can start planning their nomination days. There was no Conservative candidate in the 2009 election. Fredericks said the party will be running a candidate in the electoral district, and every riding across the province except Delta South where Vicky Huntington holds a seat. “Vicky Huntington is Conservative all in but name,” she said. “We made a promise to her early on that we wouldn’t run against her.” Rebecca Helps, executive director of Green Party, said there still is quite a bit of interest from people wanting
to be candidates for Kootenay West. “It’s hard because we don’t have a lot of members on the ground in that area. So often it is just happen stance when somebody comes forward,” she said. The party members are “working networks and hoping someone will come forward on their own,” said Helps, and would like to have someone in place by at least April 1 as a final day. “I doubt that anybody will be coming forward at this point that wants to run a significant campaign because See LIBERALS, Page 3
Since January, the hammering of nails on a corner lot in East Trail has been the sound of a community coming together. When Frank Kotyk died suddenly in a car accident in December, left to mourn with his loving family, were many coworkers, friends and fellow church members. Aside from that, there was the issue “During of the shell of his the funeral, dream retirement many people home; a property the Kotyks had approached taken ownership of my mom in November. to say they “Frank fell head over heels in love wanted to with the property,” help.” said wife Nancy Kotyk. DANAYA KOTYK Kotyk said that in a few weeks, Frank had ripped the existing house to the foundation and had already put up a few new walls. “Then he was killed in a car accident.” Kotyk said that she was left with a house that was worth nothing, and a lack of funds to finish the renovation. That’s when the community kicked into action. “During the funeral, many people approached my mom to say they wanted to help,” said daughter Danaya Kotyk. “Dad knew a lot of people and they wanted to donate time to finish things up.” Mrs. Kotyk said that she heard through the grapevine that the carpenters at Teck (Frank’s crew) had passed around a bulletin asking tradesmen to volunteer time to complete the job in memory of Frank. So now, the “work bees” meet every other Saturday at the site to volunteer their labour to complete the renovation of Frank’s dream retirement home. On the last scheduled Saturday, there was a large group in attendance, including several electricians, carpenters, a plumber and other workers, said Mrs. Kotyk. See CHURCH, Page 3
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