Erik Olesen announces intention to run for NDP in North Okanagan-Shuswap

Photo: Jon Manchester

Erik Olesen has announced his intention to run in the next federal election in the North Okanagan-Shuswap riding.

Olesen went public Wednesday after his approval by the NDP to seek the nomination.

One other potential candidate may yet seek the nomination, but has yet to be approved, so remains unnamed.

"We don't know when a federal election will be yet, but probably sometime this year," he said.

Olesen has a long history with both the federal and provincial NDP.

He ran unsuccessfully in Kelowna-Lake Country in the 2017 provincial election, and has worked on 15 campaigns in a support role over the last 17 years.

"I started when I was 12," says Olesen.

He also ran for mayor in Vernon in 2018 and for city council when he lived in Ottawa, at the young age of 18.

He has been president of the local NDP riding association for the past three years, and was campaign manager for Harwinder Sandhu when she ran federally in 2019. Sandhu has since gone on to become MLA for Vernon-Monashee.

Olesen says his party stands for "pharmacare for all," taking privatization out of the long-term care industry, climate action, and paid sick days for workers.

Locally, he says his platform includes improving Indigenous relations, climate retrofitting of buildings, and inclusiveness.

"I personally know of people on the OKIB reserve who have been under a boil advisory for more than two years and can't drink their water," he said.

Olesen feels there is a disconnect between the public and incumbent Mel Arnold of the Conservatives.

He's also board chair of the Vernon Winter Carnival Society.