North Okanagan

The BC Conservative Party today announced nomination contests will be held in Vernon-Monashee and Shuswap on October 13 and 20.

The first tilt is expected to be decided by acclamation, as Scott Anderson, a Vernon business man, is the sole declared candidate.

The second is shaping up as a battle in Salmon Arm, where three contestants - Tom Birch, Ed Klop and Maureen Walker - are vying for the party's nomination.

Birch is a project manager with a software company serving the forest industry, Klop owns and operates a thriving asphalt company, and Walker, a former newspaper publisher, is active with the Chamber of Commerce.

"The province's Interior is a particularly strong region for the BC Conservatives," said John Cummins, party leader who will be attending both nomination contests.

"Our candidates in Vernon-Monashee and Shuswap are well-respected for their commitment to delivering real change to the way the government in Victoria works on behalf of British Columbians."