Central Okanagan

Photo: Contributed - BCGEU

Mike Nuyens has been nominated as the NDP candidate in Kelowna Lake Country.

Longtime Lake Country resident and small business owner Mike Nuyens has won the NDP candidacy for Kelowna Lake Country.

The 52-year-old former hockey coach and volunteer firefighter beat out UBCO student Tom Macauley for the nomination in front of 100 NDP members and visitors on Tuesday evening.

“It’s an incredible feeling. I’m very excited and very full of energy,” says Nuyens, noting while this is his first foray into politics, he has spent many years as a labour leader within the BCGEU.

Having seen the cuts made by the Liberal Party over the past decade, Nuyens felt the time was right to put his voice forward and move into politics.

The nomination process was decided in one vote, but the final tally is not being disclosed. Nuyens admitted feeling some anxiety going up against Macauley, who orchestrated a student turnout of roughly 30 New Democrats at the Rutland Centennial Hall.

Nuyens says his platform for the May election will focus on the four main issues of education, healthcare, the economy and the environment, among others.

“One of the key things I’ll be looking at is making sure the farming industry – and not just agriculture and orcharding, for example – but all types of agriculture.

“Elderly care is also an important issue to me. I think we all, as we grow older, have elders in care and we want to make sure they’re taken care of.”

Nuyens will be running against Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick and Conservative nominee Graeme James.