With two months to go before elections, the BC Liberals made another stop in Hope on Feb. 24 to make the case for Fraser-Nicola MLA Jackie Tegart.
Deputy premier and Fort Langley-Aldergrove MLA Rich Coleman, Chilliwack-Hope MLA Laurie Throness and Tegart herself converged at the Owl Street Cafe in a meet-and-mingle organized by Victor Smith.
Throness started off the finale of the event with speeches by himself, Tegart and Coleman.
“I feel really badly about leaving Hope, I’ve met so many neat and wonderful people.” said Throness. “I think of sitting across the table from a guy in North Bend who told me the dog ate his dentures. I think of the guy in Hope who said that Fraser Health is causing him to urinate by remote control.
“I’ll still be your neighbour, still be able to help in whatever way I can, but your person is Jackie.”
Throness then described Tegart as “fun, relaxed, informal, hang-loose, incisive, insightful, aggressive.”
Tegart continued after Throness’s speech, starting with a fun, relaxed, informal and hang-loose style before becoming more incisive and insightful. The Ashcroft-based MLA started by joking that she and Throness try their best to behave when in parliament, but quickly turned to saying that she wants to make “Hope the best place it can be.”
She added that her experience has shown her that people from small communities do not appreciate outsiders telling them what to do.
“I can tell you that my style is to come in to listen, to hear, to say how can I help,” said Tegart.
Tegart added her outreach strategy was to go out and meet with elected leaders and First Nation band members.
“My job is to try to get you there whether it’s water, sewer and garbage or economic development or tourism or some particular issue in an area of your community, that’s what we’re there for,” said Tegart.
Tegart said she wanted the Fraser Canyon to become one riding to be able to “coordinate and advocate” for canyon communities.
“There’s a natural movement of the Fraser Canyon that hasn’t happened for a number of years and we need to reinforce that,” said Tegart.
Tegart introduced the president of the Fraser-Nicola riding Shirlee Johnson and campaign manager Michele Coleman, Rich’s wife.
“She knows how to run a campaign office better than anybody I know because she has been running mine for four [or] five elections,” said Rich.
“One night she said, “I think I’d like to do something a little different.’ ”