Some facts about the federal riding of Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo

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This article was published 02/10/2019 (2217 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo

The Conservatives have held the B.C. Interior riding for almost 20 straight years. Three-time incumbent Conservative MP Cathy McLeod, who replaced former Conservative and Alliance MP Betty Hinton, is running for a fourth term. The Liberals are hoping to break the Conservative grip on the riding with well-known candidate Terry Lake, a former provincial Liberal health minister and mayor of Kamloops.

Population: 124,358

Main challengers: Lake, known for supporting experimental front line overdose prevention methods early in B.C.’s opioid crisis, is expected to test the Conservative stronghold, even though the last Liberal voters sent to Ottawa was Len Marchand back in the 1970s. Family counsellor Cynthia Egli is running for the New Democrats. She’s the third NDP candidate nominated after originally acclaimed candidate Gina Myhill-Jones stepped down following a death in her family. Student Dock Currie was asked by the party to drop his candidacy after the discovery of controversial social media posts.

Election history: The riding traditionally elects candidates to multiple terms. Hinton was first elected in 2000 as a member of the Canadian Alliance and served three terms, while McLeod is seeking her fourth term. New Democrat Nelson Riis held the Kamloops riding from 1980 to 2000.

Fun fact: Lake, a veterinarian, took on the position of vice-president of corporate and social responsibility for HEXO Corp., a cannabis producer based in Gatineau, Que., shortly after leaving B.C. politics.