Conservative Party supporters had their first opportunity to meet local candidate Kris McNichol during a meet and greet in Port Alberni on Feb. 26.
McNichol was elected by party members in October to represent Courtenay-Alberni in the next federal election, which could be called as early as next week depending on what happens with the federal Liberal leadership vote. McNichol waited until now to hold a public meet and greet because he felt people were dealing with "voter fatigue" from the provincial election last fall and his own nomination campaign.
"Things are ramping up," he said, so it's time to get into the riding. He wants to bring a message of "hope" for people. "We need change and that's what I'm really about."
McNichol lives in Parksville with his wife Sheryl and is a father to three grown daughters, a grandchild and another one due very soon. He is a businessman with involvement in five businesses, including as part owner of Sproat Lake Marina as well as a company that provides pumps and pumping systems to aquaculture firms on the West Coast. He has played "a lot of sports" in Port Alberni and was heavily involved in the Sproat Lake Water Sports Association.
This is McNichol's first foray into politics. He was in Ottawa a year and a half ago with one of his companies that deals with aquaculture and he realized there is science and there is politics when it comes to aquaculture practices and fish farming.
"Everything I do in the industry is to promote healthy fish," he said. He has seen first hand how First Nations and other people's lives on the west coast depend on aquaculture, and realized in Ottawa that "it's been politicized" and "people in Ottawa don't care." He wants to change that.
"I'm a bulldog. I don't like to talk, I like to do," he said.
The biggest reason he decided to run for public office is his daughters, who are all in their 20s. "I'm doing this for a lot of young people that don't have a voice," he said. "The cost of living has skyrocketed with the NDP backing the Liberals, you've got the cost of food, homelessness, drug addiction. Under the Conservatives I think we can address those issues," he said.
He said he differs in his outlook from the present NDP MP Gord Johns. "We differ in how we think of businesses, how we want to run a country."
"We're living through some of the toughest times many of us can remember," he told the crowd as he began his speech. "For too many Canadians, the dream of a better future and very promise of Canada feels further and further out of reach."
He spoke about how the Conservative Party hopes to change that, saying "there's going to be some tough choices.
"Change doesn't happen under the same policies with the same leadership."
Al Lemoignan of Tofino was one of several dozen people who packed the Port Alberni Lawn Bowling Club to listen to McNichol. He posed for a photo with McNichol before the meeting began, continuing a personal tradition of having his photo taken with Conservative politicians. He shared a recent photo of himself with federal Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre.
Lemoignan has been a Conservative member for several years; he drove to Port Alberni because he wanted to hear in person what McNichol has to say as the party candidate for the Courtenay-Alberni riding (which includes the West Coast). "My membership in the Conservative Party has lapsed so I'm looking for some interest in what's happening locally," he said.
"I'm concerned with the NDP holding the seat for far too long."
Lemoignan has lived in Tofino for five years. Gord Johns has been the NDP MP for the riding since 2015. Prior to that, James Lunney held the riding for the Conservative Party from 2000-2015.
