Federal Election Profile: The Fraser Valley
Posted October 13, 2015 3:23 pm.
Last Updated October 14, 2015 7:35 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
FRASER VALLEY (NEWS 1130) – For years, Fraser Valley ridings have been considered Conservative strongholds, but does that hold true this election? NEWS 1130 takes an in depth look at the three ridings that stretch over a huge area.
Country 107/STAR-FM News Director Mike Hellinger says Abbotsford is likely the safest of the three eastern Fraser Valley ridings for the Conservatives.
He says part of the reason is International Trade Minister Ed Fast is seen as being the most experienced.
“He’s running against Jen Martel for the NDP who is 24 years old. Stephen Fowler with the Green Party is a teacher at Rick Hansen Secondary. Peter Njenga with the Liberals hasn’t shown up for any of the debates or answered any of the questions.”
Fast received 66 per cent of the vote for the Tories back in 2011.
In Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon, Mark Strahl has avoided some face-to-face meetings with his opponents.
“Like a lot of Conservative candidates, he has taken a lot of heat for now turning up to the all-candidates meeting. He came out a couple weeks ago and said he would turn up to at least four. Those four were ones were he didn’t think there would be an anti-Conservative bias,” says Hellinger.
The NDP’s Seonaigh MacPherson Liberal Louis de Jaegar and Thomas Cheney with the Greens have been turning up.
Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon is geographically a huge new riding. Hellinger notes the NDP’s Dennis Adamson continues to hit questions about his expenses as a one-time Fraser Valley Regional District director.
“He got in hot water a few years ago for claiming $28 thousand in expenses with no receipts in a 2011 audit from the FVRD. He claims he’s innocent on that”
Adamson is up against Conservative Brad Vis, Liberal Jati Sidhu and Arthur Alexander Green who is running for the Greens.
This riding also proves these races are not without fun. One candidate Wyatt Scott got a little creative on YouTube, releasing a video of him riding a giant Canada goose and fighting space aliens, which recieved plenty of hits.
“Wyatt Scott? Yeah, it’s funny because he’s probably the most entertaining of the candidate. As you might expect,” adds Hellinger.
