Canadians are heading to the polls on April 28, but voters in the new riding of Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola will have to wait to see who all their candidates are.
On March 23, Liberal leader Mark Carney met with Governor General Mary Simon to dissolve parliament, triggering an early election. Under Canada's system of fixed election dates, the next federal election was not scheduled to take place until October 2025.
Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola is one of five new ridings across Canada created since the last election, due to population increases and changes reflected in the 2021 Census of Canada. It extends from Lytton to south of 100 Mile in the west, from Merritt to south of Valemount in the east, and includes the western half of the City of Kamloops. Among the other communities in the new riding are Ashcroft, Barriere, Cache Creek, Clearwater, Lillooet, Logan Lake, Lytton, Merritt, and Spences Bridge.
As of the time of going to press (March 23), the only candidates confirmed to be running in Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola are Frank Caputo (Conservative Party) and Chris Enns (People’s Party). It is expected that candidates for the Liberal, NDP, and Green Parties will be announced soon.
Caputo was first elected as MP in the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo riding in 2021. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Simon Fraser University and obtained a Bachelor of Laws (with distinction) from the University of Saskatchewan and a Master of Laws from the University of Alberta. After obtaining his law degrees, he worked primarily as a Crown Prosecutor in his hometown of Kamloops, where he now lives.
Prior to the election call he served as the acting Shadow Minister for Public Safety, and previously served as the Associate Shadow Minister for Justice and Attorney General and the shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs. He has authored four Private Member’s bills to protect the rights and well-being of women, children, and his community from violent offenders, and is active in local volunteer work.
Enns, who lives in Clearwater, is a relative newcomer to the area who, after two decades of living and working in larger centres, has returned to his rural roots. He obtained an Honours BA in History from Wilfrid Laurier University and also learned the electrical trade before building a career in Australia as a digital marketer and project manager.
He currently operates a marketing and research consulting firm, and is a manager in the electrical field. His biography on the People’s Party website notes that he aligns with the “family values, work ethic, and local resilience” exhibited by fellow residents of the North Thompson.
On election day (April 28), polls will be open for 12 hours. There will also be four advance voting days, with polling stations open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day; opportunities to vote early at any Elections Canada office; and an opportunity to vote by mail.
For information about how and where to vote, how to register to vote, how to check your voter registration and update it if necessary, and more, visit the Elections Canada website (https://www.elections.ca/).
