They’re in the final stretch of what’s been a very different provincial election in Delta South.
Liberal incumbent Ian Paton is hoping to win a second term as he faces challenges from New Democrat Bruce Reid and Green candidate Peter van der Velden.
All three say their campaigns have gone well and they’ve received positive feedback as they try to spread their respective messages while campaigning amidst the backdrop of the pandemic.
“I feel really good. I can make a hundred phone calls a day and we spend two-to-three hours a day doing safe door knocking and the response has been really good,” said Paton. “By no means am I taking anything for granted. We are working hard and have a really good crew here of volunteers going 12 hours a day, every day, making sure we cover all our bases.”
Reid, a Delta Board of Education trustee, said the NDP could finally be making serious gains in the riding.
“I’ve just spoken to a retired lady who said she has three friends and they all voted Conservative in the past and they all say they’re going to vote for you because they’re so happy with the things the NDP government has done,” said Reid. “In my opinion, and looking at the polls, the majority of people are happy with the government and I think you’re going to see a lot of people want us to go ahead. That seems to be the indicator we’re getting from our calls. This is considered a safe Liberal riding, but it seems like a lot of people are considering change. I know it’s hard getting people to change old habits, but it seems like that might be happening.”
van der Velden, who recently received an endorsement from former Delta South independent MLA Vicki Huntington, noted it has been a challenge campaign due to COVID-19, staying away from door knocking and instead relying on social media, phone calls and ads in the Optimist.
He said that while Paton may be well known in the riding, which has traditionally voted right-of-centre, he also found a strong appetite for change.
“I think the campaign has gone well. A lot of people will also vote for me because of Vicki Huntington’s endorsement,” van der Velden said. “They feel I’m considered a viable alternative to that of the Liberals. That and the fact I’m the only one willing to address serious local issues like Terminal 2 and the expansion of Tilbury (LNG plant)…Ian is really popular, but the problem is the legacy from Christy Clark with higher Hydro rates, higher ICBC costs, lack of affordable housing and that continues to hurt the Liberals.
“This election is something completely different than what I experienced when I worked with Vicki on her last campaign. I’m also hoping people are paying attention to what (Green leader) Sonia Furstenau is saying and our platform. I’m feeling really positive about that.”
Although election day is Saturday, final results won’t be available for several more days due to the huge number of voters who asked for a vote-by-mail package.
More than 725,000 people have requested packages according to Elections BC.
As of Monday 8,673 packages were mailed out in Delta South, which has 37,039 eligible voters.
Meanwhile, 6,967 packages were mailed out in Delta North, which has 37,998 eligible voters.
The NDP’s Ravi Kahlon is seeking re-election in Delta North, facing challenges from Liberal Jet Sunner and the Greens’ Neema Manral.
