Wayne Stetski confirmed as federal NDP candidate for Kootenay-Columbia

Wayne Stetski is the official federal  NDP Candidate for the Kootenay-Columbia riding.

The Kootenay-Columbia NDP Constituency Association held a virtual meeting on Saturday, March 27 where Stetski was unanimously confirmed as the candidate for the next federal election.  Association president John Chisamore announced Stetski had completed all the vetting and certification by the national NDP and could now be acclaimed as the riding’s official candidate. The nomination comes amid speculation the federal government will call an election in the spring, despite growing numbers of COVID-19 cases across the country.

In a statement Stetski said he is honoured to represent the people of Kootenay Columbia and is  “especially focused on recovering from COVID, addressing the climate change crisis, protecting the environment, introducing proportional representation voting, and building a green economy that includes energy workers in the discussion and planning for the future.”

Stetski has lived in the riding for more than 30 years , raising his children in Cranbrook with wife, Audrey. He has remained an active member of the community through various roles including provincial parks management, being the Kootenay Regional Manager of Environmental Stewardship, and as manager of the EK Conservation Program working on a private land conservation. He was Mayor of Cranbrook and also served as East Kootenay Regional District Director from 2011-2014. Over the years, he served as chair and board member on a number of cultural and civic organizations associated with the College of the Rockies, Symphony of the Kootenays, Key City Theatre, and the United Way.

In his acceptance speech, Stetski said he is running “because I care about our people, our communities, our riding, and our future. I’m running because I want to get things done in a non-partisan way to serve you and to serve Canada.”

Stetski was previously MP for the Kootenay-Columbia riding from 2015 to 2019.