Local brothers race in Enduro series
g th e
th
1
4 Vo l e u s 59 Is
A D A CAN S
E T O V 5
201
BERNIE RAVEN CHRIS RAVEN TEAMRAVEN.CA Offices in Panorama, Invermere & Fairmont
si
14 October 2015
20
1-866-598-7415
C
n
ALLEY CHO
A quartet of German-inspired golfers graced the verdant fairways at Eagle Ranch during the Golftoberfest celebration on Thursday, October 8th. Dirndls and lederhosen were the fashion statement of choice. PHOTO BY ANGELA MILLER
56
VE
The Invermere
Liberal candidates 3 Green, critique strategic voting
1
$
05 INCLUDES GST
Maxwell Realty Invermere
PUBLICATIONS MAIL REGISTRATION NO. 7856
Confusion reigns during advance polling in valley STEVE HUBRECHT steve@invermerevalleyecho.com Mass confusion on where to cast a vote during advance polling days held over the Thanksgiving long weekend left multiple Upper Columbia Valley voters frustrated, disillusioned and even led to some giving up on voting in the federal election day altogether. Alan Kirton has lived and voted in Invermere for more than 20 years, and thought nothing was amiss when he walked into the Invermere Community Hall on Friday, October 9th to cast his advance vote at polling station 603 — located at the Invermere Community Hall as indicated on his voter information card. However, at the hall he was told he was actually at polling station 604 and that he would have to go to polling station 603 at the Radium Seniors’ Hall to vote. “So I said ‘I’ve been refused the right
to vote,’ and they said, ‘No, you hav- Seniors’ Hall to vote — as per their voten’t, you just have to go to Radium to er information cards — and were then do it.’ But I’m not going to go to Radi- sent to Invermere. um. They (Elections Canada) can bring Markham added some of the people the information here, otherwise I’m not he talked to had received updated votgoing to vote,” said Kirton. er information cards in the mail the Kirton says that when he called the of- morning of Friday, October 9th and had fice of Nelson-based Kootenay-Columbia no trouble voting with their corrected returning officer Rob cards. Switzer, “the woman “I would say close It should be fair I spoke to admitted it to half the people I and equitable for was a huge mess, and talked with were be(said the problem) was everybody. ing sent to Radium,” MIKE BRADFORD right across Canada.” INVERMERE RESIDENT he said, adding he Invermere resident came across one marStan Markham corroborated Kirton’s ried couple living at the same address account, saying that while attempting whose voter information cards sent to cast an advance ballot, he talked to one to the Radium polling station and a number of Invermere residents who the other had a card with the Inverwere showing up at the community hall mere station. as per their voter information cards, “One older couple was clearly disgustand then being told to go to Radium. He ed and said they were not going to Rahad also talked to a number of Radium dium and were not going to vote,” said residents who had gone to the Radium Markham. “A lot of people were annoyed,
but nobody really got out of hand. It’s pretty unbelievable. I can’t even come up with word a to describe it.” Markham was dealing with a different voter registration issue on October 9th — which is why he spent so long in the community hall — that left him ultimately unable to vote. He never received a voter information card in the mail so on Tuesday, October 6th he tried to sort the matter out online and then on the phone with Elections Canada. Neither options worked so he took his identification with him to register at the advance poll in Invermere and waited an hour and a half for a voter address map or book to arrive from Golden. It never came. “In the end I couldn’t vote today (October 9th), because they didn’t know if I was supposed to vote in Invermere or Radium,” he said.“I do have an odd address (he lives in a neighbourhood on See A13
Infrastructure
Parks Canada Upgrades
Kootenay–Columbia Authorized by the Official Agent for David Wilks Authorized by the Offcial Agent for David Wilks
Authorized by the Offcial Agent for David Wilks
view more at DW4MP.ca