This riding has been won by the NDP in four of the last six elections, the last three by Norm Macdonald, who is not seeking re-election.
In 2013: NDP Norm Macdonald won his third straight victory handily, defeating Liberal Doug Clovechok by more than 1,600 votes, 48 – 36 per cent.
In 2009: The NDP’s Macdonald won his second straight election in this riding, defeating Liberal Mark McKee by over 2,000 votes, 55 – 38 per cent. The BC Conservatives took 1,162 votes, and have yet to field a candidate.
History & Geography: Columbia River-Revelstoke comprises the northeast portion of the Kootenays, guided by Highway 1 from just before Revelstoke to the border, and Highway 95 from Golden to the northern outskirts of Cranbrook. It’s a descendent of the old Columbia River riding that the Socreds held for decades, much of it under James Chabot from 1963-1986. But it has gone NDP in four of the last six elections, with the party doing very well in Kimberly and Golden.
Candidates
BC Liberals – Doug Clovechok: An educator, Clovechok is the manager of the Invermere Campus of College of the Rockies. He lived in Calgary for over two decades, founding the Calgary Educational Partnership Foundation, and now lives near Fairmont Hot Springs.
NDP – Gerry Taft: The Mayor of Invermere, his nomination was the subject of some controversy over the effectiveness of the NDP’s equity policy. Taft claims he’s bisexual, so he qualifies as a member of the LGBTQ community, even though he’s a white man with a female partner and a child.
Greens – Samson Boyer: At 18, he is one of the youngest candidates running in this election. Works in the hospitality and tourism industry and is a beekeeper.
Independent – Justin James Hooles: Longtime Kimberley resident, he says he wants to run as an independent as he has a “distaste for party politics.”
Libertarian – Rylan Kashuba: The Libertarian party is running 30 candidates, four times as many as in 2013. They have been running candidates in B.C. since 1986, but have never come close to winning a seat.
Independent – Duncan MacLeod: MacLeod is a teacher who runs the Rocky Mountain International Student Program in Kimberley.
2017 Stats: Columbia River-Revelstoke
Population (2014): 31,907 (81st)
Population Deviation from Average: -39.9 per cent
Area: 37,704 sq km (8th)
Pop Density: 0.8 (81st)
Average Age: 44.4 years (23rd)
English as Second Language: 9.92 per cent (74th)
Top 3 Second Languages:
German – 2.68 per cent
Italian – 0.72 per cent
Dutch – 0.51 per cent
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