On Saturday evening, the candidate for the federal Liberals in West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country visited Bowen Island to meet with constituents at Collins Hall. Pamela Goldsmith-Jones served as the mayor of West Vancouver between 2005 and 2011.
Goldsmith-Jones has been campaigning in the riding since late June, when she was officially chosen as the Liberal candidate for the riding.
“I want Bowen Islanders to know that they are representative of this riding as a whole, which is quite a diverse and healthy mix in terms of political leanings,” says Goldsmith-Jones. “But from talking to people over the past few months it is clear to me that there is a genuine concern, across the board, about the state of democracy in Canada today.”
Goldsmith-Jones adds that Liberal leader Justin Trudeau’s commitment to transparency and democratic reform is part of the reason why she wanted to run as a candidate for the Liberal Party.
“I think one of the things that is missing in Ottawa is the ability to work across partisan lines. Politics has become hyper-partisan,” says Goldsmith-Jones. “As mayor of West Vancouver, I made a concerted effort to work with people from all parties and all levels of government, including First Nations. I hope to take that experience and put it to work in Ottawa.”
Goldsmith-Jones says that as a fourth-generation resident of West Vancouver, she has many ties to Bowen Island and intends to visit regularly.
