Note: The Times Review learned after press time that the Kootenay-Columbia Conservative Party Riding Association will be holding its vote next week, with the results being tallied on Mar. 19. This article is updated from the version in the newspaper to reflect that.
A Cranbrook businessman is the fifth person to enter into the race to become the Conservative Party candidate in the Kootenay-Columbia riding.
Russ Kinghorn announced his candidacy on Mar. 4 with a press release to the media Friday evening.
He has lived in the riding since 1983 and has worked as an engineer and business consultant in forestry and coal mining. In 2009-10 he was president of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC.
He also served on the Conservative riding association board for several years.
His policies are to represent his constituents’ rural view in Ottawa; reduce bureaucracy by eliminating duplication of federal and provincial processes and by cutting programs like the long gun registry; protect forestry, mining and tourism industries and the jobs they create; and protect the sustainability of our Kootenay-Columbia environment and way of life.
He joins Sparwood mayor David Wilks, Creston councillor Wes Graham and Cranbrook lawyer John Zimmer in the race to replace retiring MP Jim Abbott. Meanwhile, Radium resident Dale Shudra dropped out of the race.
The vote is scheduled for late next-week so the riding has someone in place in case a snap election is called following the tabling of the Federal budget on Mar. 22.