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Denesiuk to carry federal Liberal hopes

Summerland resident wins Liberal nomination for South Okanagan West Kootenay
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Connie Denesiuk has won the federal Liberal party nomination for the new riding of South Okanagan West Kootenay

Betsy Kline

Castlegar News

 

Federal Liberal party members from the riding of South Okanagan West Kootenay held nomination meetings on Saturday, July 26.  Connie Denesiuk of Summerland was appointed as the Liberal candidate for the next Federal election.

A longtime resident of the Okanagan, Denesiuk is a partner in a construction business with Bob, her husband of 37 years.

When asked if she plans to move from Summerland to within the riding boundaries she responded,” I am on the outskirts of the riding and look at it every morning as it encompasses right across Okanagan Lake. We do most of our business in Penticton. We are tightly connected to the riding, so we won’t be moving.”

Mrs. Denesiuk  has many years of experience in public life, having served 19 years as a trustee on the Okanagan Skaha School Board and as president of the BC School Trustees Association. She currently serves as vice chair of the Okanagan College Board of Governors, director of Summerland Chamber of Commerce and as a director of the Summerland Credit Union. She is also chair of the Trail of the Okanagan Steering Committee and serves on the leadership board of Summerland Baptist Church.

In response to the question of how she will keep in touch with the more rural areas of the riding outside of the  Okanagan, Mrs Denesiuk answered,”I think the riding is a challenge because of the many communities and towns, but I am absolutely committed to spending time throughout the riding and getting out to the communities, talking to people about their issues. Every community is quite unique, with their own history, beauty, issues, and hopes for the future. It’s my intention to spend a lot of time out in the riding. I love the Kootenay area as well as the Okanagan.”

Her response as to how electing a Liberal candidate would benefit Castlegar was, “If you look at our leader, Justin Trudeau, he has very strong links and connections to the Kootenay area. You can bet that he would spend time in the riding and would give attention to the area, which would be a huge benefit.

“The federal Liberal party offers great hope for all communities in the riding. We are looking at responsible environmental policy as well as economic growth and health. We need to have a government that listens to the people and their concerns and works for them. We need to return to a government that puts the people first and foremost.”

Connie Denesiuk is working on plans to visit the area in the near future and wants to let people know she is available.

“I am very interested and eager to talk to folks in the community, so if there are people who like to get in touch with me, I would be thrilled to be able to spend time with them and hear what their concerns are and begin those conversations.”