Residents will have three choices when they fill out their ballot for the Oct. 24 provincial election.
Late last week, the BC NDP Party confirmed Bruce Reid as their candidate, while the Green Party named Peter van der Velden as their candidate as both parties seek to unseat Liberal incumbent Ian Paton.
Reid is no stranger to politics in South Delta.
He is a current trustee with the Delta School Board and carried the NDP banner in the riding in the 2017 election, where he finished third with 5,228 votes.
As a retired teacher, school counsellor and pastor, Reid said he has dedicated his life to listening to his community and then working to make their lives better.
A father of three and grandfather of six, soon to be seven, Reid describes himself as a passionate advocate for strong schools and affordable child care.
He said he ran for school board trustee in 2014 to help restore B.C.’s education system after the BC Liberal government put the interests of the wealthy and well-connected before kids, cutting funding to schools and fighting with teachers.
“When John Horgan was elected, he put an end to giveaways for the wealthy and invested in schools across the province instead,” said Reid. “John and the BC NDP have made a lot of progress, but there’s more work to do to make sure we’re investing in our kids and giving them the best possible future.”
A former pastor and Salvation Army officer and administrator, Reid said he has always been concerned about his entire community and ensuring no one is left behind. He is an advocate for low-income families, people living with disabilities, those struggling with addiction and others who may need help advocating for themselves.
As a proud, long-time resident of South Delta, Reid said he feels blessed to live in such a wonderful part of B.C. and is aware of the concerns that South Deltans have. He would like to see South Delta represented on the government side of the house, putting an end to years as opposition. He says the time is now and this is South Delta’s chance to have better representation in Victoria.
Residents might be familiar with van der Velden through his frequent letters to the editor in the Optimist. He said his articulate and clear analyses on a wide range of local issues provide an open book for his positions in favour of fairness and transparency in government, sustainable development, protection of farmland and a shift away from relying on fossil fuels.
“I am honoured to have this opportunity to serve South Delta,” he said. “A really interesting race is shaping up because so many voters are tired of combative politics and ready for the Green message of caring, collaborating and cooperating. Because the other major parties have stricter rules about MLA’s voting along party lines rather than with their conscience, the closest you can get to an independent voice for Delta is voting Green.”
van der Velden was born in Holland and moved with his family to Saskatoon in 1963 where he developed a love of the Prairies. He remembers the strong sense of community. While living in the Kootenays, he served as a municipal councillor and as a director for several volunteer organizations. Ten years ago, he and his wife, Patty, moved to Tsawwassen to be close to his parents and care for them in their later years.
His career was in the construction industry including management of complex projects and oversight of multimillion dollar budgets. He said he is particularly proud of his environmental work remediating contaminated highway yards in the East Kootenays. He was also instrumental in creating a home inspector association in .B.C when this was a fledgling industry.
“Only the Greens have serious plans to address our crises in seniors’ care, housing, public health and the transition to renewable energy in a way that works for everyone,” he said. “I want to ensure a positive future for my granddaughters.”
A farmer and former city councillor, Paton in the 2017 election took back the riding of Delta South for the Liberals, which had been a stronghold held for two terms by independent Vicki Huntington before she stepped down.
At just over 44 per cent of the vote, Paton finished with 11,123 votes, well ahead of independent Nicholas Wong who finished with 6,437 votes. Green candidate Larry Colero finished with 2,349 votes and the B.C. Action Party’s Errol Sherley finished with 88 votes.
In Delta North, it is also a three-person race with BC NDP incumbent Ravi Kahlon, Liberal Party candidate Jet Sunner and Green Party candidate Neema Mandral seeking the seat.
Stay up-to-date on all the election coverage, both locally and provincially at: https://www.delta-optimist.com/bc-votes-2020.
