The election campaign in Maple Ridge-Mission became a three-way race on Tuesday, with the announcement of the Green Party’s candidate.
Matt Trenholm will carry the Green banner, running against incumbent New Democrat Bob D’Eith and Liberal candidate Chelsa Meadus.
READ ALSO: Tight race for Maple Ridge-Mission during last election
Trenholm said the environment has been a passion for years, and he was moved to run for the BC Green Party for the first time when Premier John Horgan called a snap election. He saw it as a cynical move in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. His own party had just selected a new leader a week prior to the election call.
“It caught everyone off guard,” he said. “It’s a political move, to get more power for the government.”
READ ALSO: Sonia Furstenau voted in as new leader of the B.C. Green Party
Trenholm has been a health care worker for 15 years, and is in charge of the imaging centre at the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre in Surrey. He lives in Langley, and is married with two children.
Don't let anyone ever tell you that you're throwing away your vote if you choose to vote with your heart. You should always vote with your heart. That is why I support @BCGreens. That is why I will fight for proportional representation.#bcpoli #BCelxn2020 #BCElection2020
— Matt Trenholm (@MattyTrenholm) September 30, 2020
“The environment is obviously an important issue, but it’s far from the only issue,” he said.
He said the NDP government could have had a stronger response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and has allowed foreigners with the virus to enter the province on flights. The province has had relatively porous land border crossings, he said.
“The borders are not closed. There’s been a great number of travellers coming into this province,” he said, adding visitors could be a reason for recent increases in COVID cases.
Earlier this month, the CBC reported 4.4 million Canadians and foreigners have entered by land or air since travel restrictions were imposed in March.
“The handling of the pandemic is a pretty complicated issue. A large amount of people, especially in health care, are just doing the best they can, with the information they have.”
He said the opioid crisis is also not being dealt with by the existing government.
“The numbers of opioid deaths speaks for itself,” he said, noting the statistics show overdose deaths at an all-time high this year in B.C.
“The status quo is clearly not working,” he said.
Trenhold said he is also against “the corporatization of political parties in this province.”
“We need parties that work for the people, not large corporations.”
“I really care about the future of this province and future of our environment,” he said. “I want to leave the world a better place for the next generation, not a worse place.”
ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com
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