Westerly News
October 21, 2015
News updates: westerlynews.ca
Wednesday
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Serving Tofino and Ucluelet
West Coast welcomes new MP
Gord Johns delivers Courtenay-Alberni riding to the NDP ANDREW BAILEY
Westerly news West coasters are sharing an orange sky with the rest of Vancouver island but it seems everyone else in the country is covered in red. the ndP’s gord Johns became the new courtenayalberni riding’s first MP on Monday after outpacing conservative incumbent John duncan to the tune of 26,595 votes to 19,631, according to Elections canada. liberal candidate carrie Powell-davidson secured 15,166 votes followed by the green Party’s glenn Sollitt
with 8,190 and Marxist-leninist Barbara Biley with 137. the new riding’s voters had an impressive inaugural showing with a 76.62 per cent voter turnout—69,719 votes cast out of 90,998 registered voters— not counting those who registered to vote on election day. the national average was 68.49 per cent representing a roughly 7 per cent jump from 2011’s 61.1 per cent average. While the ndP celebrated a near sweep of Vancouver island securing six of seven MP seats—green Party leader Elizabeth May won her Saanich-gulf island riding—they
watched their party fall to third nationally. Justin trudeau’s liberals won a decisive majority earning 54.4 per cent of the votes and 184 seats. the conservatives were bumped to the Official Opposition with 29.3 per cent of the vote followed by the ndP with 13 per cent. this is the first time since 2006 that the West coast’s MP is not a member of the governing party. andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
gord Johns celebrated with supporters after being voted in as the CourtenayAlberni MP on Monday. Photo by Candace Wu Parksville Qualicum Beach News
Stuck truck blocks road to voting booth ANDREW BAILEY
Westerly news
A heavy duty tow truck pulled a stuck fish truck out of the way of Hitacu residents trying to get to the Ucluelet Community Centre to vote on Monday night. Photo Andrew Bailey.
INSIDE THIS WEEK:
locals are going bananas over a major motion picture being filmed locally. PAgE 2
Hitacu residents wanting to vote in Monday’s federal election found themselves stuck in a sticky situation on their way to the polls as a semi trailer packed to the gills with fish got caught in a ditch and blocked their only road access to ucluelet. the truck did not flip over but its trailer swung into the road
the West coast’s mayors were thrilled with Monday’s election results. PAgE 5
and blocked both lanes of traffic around 2 p.m. forcing commuters to wait on a heavy-duty tow truck en route from Port alberni. the tow truck arrived and was able to pull the truck out of the way of the significant line of traffic behind it by around 6:45 p.m. giving those who had been waiting just 15 minutes to race to the ucluelet community centre to cast their
ballot. Social media sites were full of community spirit as ucluelet locals volunteered to pick Hitacu residents up on the ucluelet side of the truck so they could vote. the Westerly could not confirm whether the delay caused anyone to miss their opportunity to vote by press time. andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
Student athletes are digging community service. PAgE 14
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