CASTLEGAR NEWS Your Horoscope For the Week with Michael O’Connor inside the West Kootenay Advertiser
Vol.10 • Issue 20
Breaking news at castlegarnews.com
Thursday, May 16, • 2013
Local duo cops regional award Miss Castlegar hopefuls profiled See Page A14 See Page A12
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Katrine Conroy (centre) pictured with supporters at Castlegar’s Portuguese Social Centre on election night. Marvin Beatty
Conroy salvages seat in big BC Liberal win MARVIN BEATTY Castlegar News Reporter
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B.C’s path for the next four years will be forged with a majority Liberal government at the helm after Christy Clark and the BC Liberals took an early lead as results came in and the numbers continued to climb throughout the evening. Of the 85 seats up for grabs in the legislature, the Liberals secured 50, the NDP 33, while the Green Party had one in Oak Bay-Gordon Head (a Canadian
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first) and Vicki Huntington, Independent, won in Delta South. The Conservatives filed to win any seats. According to Elections BC, final voting results will not be available until after the conclusion of the final count, which begins on May 27. Locally, incumbent Katrine Conroy (NDP) took Kootenay West in a landslide. Here are the percentages and vote tallies on the night: Conroy 62.99 per cent (10,606); Jim Postnikoff (BC LIberal) 21.33 per cent (3,592);
Joseph Hughes (Independent) 13.30 per cent (2,239) and Glen Byle (Independent) 2.38 per cent (400). The BC Liberals were led by Christy Clark, who took over as party leader in February of 2011 and were down in the majority of polls heading into the final days of the campaign. The NDP, with Adrian Dix as leader, looked to be clear favourites across B.C.’s ridings but the faces of those gathered at Conroy’s reception at the Portuguese Social Centre were
a mix of shock and gratitude that their candidate bucked the provincial trend. Speaking from Castlegar, surrounded by supporters at a reception at the Portuguese Conroy said she would continue to do what she has done as MLA in the past. “Provincially, this is a concern and I’m watching and hoping the numbers will change as more polls are counted,” said Conroy. “Some of the ridings don’t have more than 50 per cent of the polls counted so we’ll hope things
change by morning.” Conroy was asked if she felt the possible continuation of a Liberal government would make her job that much harder. “It would make it harder but I’ve always worked hard in this constituency and will continue to work hard and will continue to represent the people of this area,” said Conroy. “Hopefully, I can continue the work I’ve been doing with seniors and making sure those issues are being addressed. We’ll continue to fight for
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what’s right and what needs to be done in this province.” Conroy was first elected as the MLA for West Kootenay-Boundary in 2005 before the boundaries were redrawn in 2008. She won the Kootenay West riding in the 2009 provincial election. She served as opposition critic for Seniors and Long-term Care. In the 2009 election, Conroy took 66 per cent of the vote and won by over 8,000...
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