Canadians will vote in a federal election on April 28.
In the Courtenay-Alberni riding, the incumbent is Gord Johns of the NDP, who will run against Conservative Party candidate Kris McNichol, Liberal Party candidate Brian Cameron, Green Party candidate Chris Markevich, People's Party of Canada candidate Thomas Gamble and Animal Protection Party of Canada candidate Teresa Knight.
Johns was first elected the riding's Member of Parliament in 2015 and was the NDP critic for mental health and harm reduction before Parliament was dissolved for the election.
Before serving his first term as MP, Johns was a Tofino municipal councillor and executive director of the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce. His private members bill to increase the tax benefit for volunteer firefighters and search and rescue responders led to the doubling of their benefits.
McNichol is a business owner who has had multiple companies in the Parksville Qualicum Beach area during the last 23 years, according to a news release
He is a father and grandfather who has lived in the Parksville and Nanoose Bay area for more than 30 years. McNichol has promoted women鈥檚 sports by coaching The Rage softball team and serving as president of the Oceanside Minor Softball Association.
Cameron was born and raised in Ottawa, and after years of living in B.C., he and his wife relocated to the Comox Valley, according to his bio. As a renter, he says he understands the struggles that come with the rising cost of living and wants to make life more affordable.
Public service runs deep in Cameron's family. His great-great-grandfather, Donald Mackenzie Cameron, served as a Liberal MP from 1883 to 1887.
Markevich worked on Parliament Hill and volunteered on half a dozen election campaigns provincially, federally and municipally, according to his profile on the Green Party of Canada website.
According to his profile, Markevich cares about the planet, fighting climate change, seeking social justice, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, living in harmony with plants and animals, and caring about those less fortunate.
Gamble is a former military officer turned entrepreneur living in Victoria, according to his PPC profile page. He holds a computer science degree from the University of Calgary and worked as a programmer analyst for the municipal government. In 2004 he joined the military as a naval warfare officer with the Royal Canadian Navy.
With a keen interest in business and investing, he completed a master鈥檚 degree in business administration in executive management from Royal Roads University in 2020.
Knight has worked for animals all her life, according to her profile on the Animal Protection Party website. She serves on the board of the Animal Defence and Anti-vivisection Society of B.C. and has curated animal-themed art shows, like Non-human Persons and Animals in Our Humanscape shown at the McMillan Arts Centre in Parksville.
As member of the Animal Protection Party, Knight will encourage recognition of the "person inside each animal who deserves help and protection", and will work to change the laws that allow people to harm them, according to her profile.
Johns' campaign offices are located at 211-198 Island Hwy E in Parksville, 5161 River Rd. in Port Alberni and 106-501 4th St in Courtenay. Johns can be reached via email at courtenay-alberni-federal-ndp@shaw.ca.
McNichol's campaign offices will be open March 31 and are located at 1441 Island Hwy E (Nanoose Bay), 3-2945 Alberni Hwy (Port Alberni) and 1935 Cliffe Ave. (Courtenay).
He can be contacted kris@krismcnichol.com or info@courtenayalberni.ca or by mail at Courtenay-Alberni Conservative Association, PO Box 174, STN MAIN, Parksville BC, V9P 2G4
Cameron can be reached at briancameronliberalcandidate@gmail.com. He is working on putting together a campaign team, setting up an office and and website.
Markevich can be contacted by email at chrismarkevichgpc@gmail.com or through the email form on his website .
Gamble can be reached via email at thomas.gamble@teamppc.ca or through an email form on his PPC profile: .
Knight can be contacted by email at teresa@animalprotectionparty.ca.
The riding of Courtenay-Alberni had a population of 125,116 at the time of the 2021 census.
