October, 2016 - Bill Bennett’s MLA Column

Shypitka wins Kootenay East nomination October 24, 2016

Posted by admin in : Bill Bennett , comments closed

Tom Shypitka, a City of Cranbrook councillor, has won the Kootenay East BC Liberal Party nomination to serve as candidate in the May 2017 provincial election.

Shypitka earned the nomination over Sparwood resident and former Kootenay-Columbia MP David Wilks during weekend voting by party members in the riding.

Incumbent MLA Bill Bennett announced last spring that he is stepping down after 16 years in power in 2017.

“The East Kootenay has been my family’s playground for five generations and I couldn’t be more proud to be nominated to serve the people of this region. I am ready to roll up my sleeves and work to be a strong voice in Victoria,” Shypitka stated.

Shypitka has lived and worked in the Kootenays his entire life.

In 2014, he topped the polls as a Cranbrook city councillor, and was appointed as a director of the Regional District of East Kootenay and hospital board. He is also the Vice Chair for the Central East Kootenay Community Directed Funds Committee.

As an active volunteer, Tom has served with many health-based charities and has also volunteered as a minor coach in baseball, soccer, and curling.

BC Liberal nomination rivals strike unity pact October 20, 2016

Posted by admin in : Bill Bennett , comments closed

In an extraordinary move, the contestants in the hard-fought battle for the BC Liberal nomination in Kootenay East are pledging each to go all-in to support the winning candidate. Contenders Tom Shypitka and David Wilks announced their agreement Wednesday, citing the urgent need to prevent the NDP from picking up retiring incumbent Bill Bennett’s seat.

“We’re fighting a highly competitive nomination battle, but we both agree that a BC Liberal win in Kootenay East this May is more important than our own personal ambition,” said Wilks, the former Member of Parliament for Kootenay–Columbia and a 20-year RCMP veteran. “So if Tom is the successful candidate, I’m pledging that he will have my one hundred per cent support.”

“This race is all about choosing an MLA who will roll up their sleeves and fight for the interests of the East Kootenay in Victoria,” said Shypitka, a Cranbrook councillor and financial advisor. “So if David wins, I’m committed to having his back and working overtime to get him elected.”

“An anti-development, job-killing NDP government would be a disaster for British Columbia, especially areas like Kootenay East where many of us depend on natural resources,” said current MLA and minister of energy and mines Bill Bennett. “I’m really proud that Tom and David have put their differences aside and agreed to fight side by side for the future of working people, families, and seniors in our region.”

The candidates cited provincial investments in East Kootenay Regional Hospital, new trades training equipment at College of the Rockies, and additional residential care beds in the region as examples of why the seat must remain BC Liberal.

The pledge includes a concrete commitment from each candidate to endorse the other and to knock on as many doors and make as many phone calls to voters as possible during the campaign.

The nomination will be held on Saturday, October 22nd and Sunday, October 23rd with voting locations set in Elkford, Fernie, Sparwood, and Cranbrook:

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22nd – 4 Locations:

1. ELKFORD – Elkford Community Centre (Meeting Room), 750 Fording Drive
Registration & Voting: 9:00 am – 11:00 am

2. FERNIE – Best Western Fernie (Mount Proctor Room), 1622 7th Avenue
Registration & Voting: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

3. SPARWOOD – Causeway Bay Hotel (Red Cedar Room), 102A Red Cedar Drive
Registration & Voting: 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm

4. CRANBROOK – Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort (Small Ballroom), 209 Van Horne Street S
Registration & Voting: 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23rd – 1 Location:

1. CRANBROOK – Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort (Van Horne/Baker Rooms), 209 Van Horne Street S
SPEECHES: 10:00 am
Registration Opens: immediately after speeches
Voting Closes: 4:00 pm