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John Weston's signs vandalized as race heats up

Whistler all-candidates meeting in the works
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John Weston's campaign team is on patrol after a number of election signs were not only knocked over but also shredded.

There are also reports of his signs being damaged in Squamish, the Sunshine Coast and in West Vancouver.

Other candidates have had signs damaged as well.

Locally, fixing and removing John Weston's signs is the work of campaign volunteer Jack Mann. He's frustrated after fixing or removing broken signs at Alpine, Nesters, Lorimer Road, Creekside, Blueberry and Alta Lake Road highway entrances, and is receiving daily reports of stolen lawn signs as well.

As a result of the vandalism, he said he has to patrol his signs each day and recruit neighbours to keep an eye out for damage. On Tuesday morning he received a call from a neighbour that the sign at the north entrance to Alpine Meadows had been torn into pieces.

"This is a level of violence we haven't seen before, it's far more than just somebody pushing a sign over," he said. "It's frustrating. We're lucky people here - we can vote for anybody we like, we have a free country where people are allowed to vote. There are people in the Middle East that are fighting for what we have."

Mann said his 14-year-old kids have helped him to put on the signs and have taken an interest in this election.

Now, out of signs, he said he has to drive down to the city at his own expense to pick up new ones. The campaign helps out with wood and some supplies, although Mann said he's had to buy some of his own as well.

Mann doesn't believe that there's a single person doing the vandalism, as the damage is different. Some signs have been pushed over and stepped on, and one was torn into pieces that were left along Lorimer Road.

Under the Elections Act, it's against the law to remove or damage campaign signs. An offender can face up to three months in prison and/or a $1,000 fine.

 

Nine candidates declared for riding

The deadline for federal candidates to declare themselves was April 13, and as of press time on Wednesday there were a total of nine declared candidates in the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country Riding.

Incumbent Conservative Party MP John Weston, Liberal candidate Daniel Veniez, NDP candidate Terry Platt and Green Party candidate Brennan Wauters were already declared when the writ was dropped. Since then they've been joined on the ballot by Tunya Audain (Libertarian Party of Canada), Carol Lee Chapman (Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada), Doug Hartt (Canadian Action Party), Allan Holt (Western Block Party) and Roger Lagassé (Progressive Canadian Party).

In the run-up to the May 2 election, there are all-candidates meetings throughout the riding. The Whistler event is scheduled for Wednesday, April 20 at Whistler Secondary at 9 p.m.

 

All-Candidates Meetings

West Vancouver - Sunday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m., Kay Meek Centre

Whistler - Wednesday, April 20, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Whistler Secondary

Powell River - Tuesday, April 26 at 7 p.m., Evergreen Theatre

 

The Candidates

John Dunbar Weston - Conservative Party of Canada

Web: www.re-electjohnweston.ca

Facebook: Search "John Weston"

Twitter: http://twitter.com/JohnWestonCPC

 

Daniel Veniez - Liberal Party of Canada

Web: http://danveniez.liberal.ca/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dan.veniez

Twitter: http://twitter.com/danveniez

 

Terry Platt - New Democratic Party of Canada

Web: http://terryplatt.ndp.ca

Facebook: N/A

Twitter: N/A

 

Brennan Wauteurs - Green Party of Canada

Web: www.brennanwauters.ca

Facebook: www.faceook.com/brennanwauters

Twitter: http://twitter.com/brennanwauters

 

Tunya Audain - Libertarian Party of Canada

Web: http://tunya-libertarian.org

Facebook: Search for "Tunya Audain"

Twitter: N/A

 

Carol Lee Champman - Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada

Web: www.mlpc.ca

Facebook: N/A

Twitter: N/A

 

Doug Hartt - Canadian Action Party

Web: www.canadianactionparty.ca

Facebook: N/A

Twitter: N/A

 

Allan Holt - Western Block Party

Web: www.westernblockparty.com

Facebook: N/A

Twitter: N/A

 

Roger Lagassé - Progressive Canadian Party

Web: www.progressivecanadian.ca

Facebook: N/A

Twitter: N/A

 

Election day voting is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, May 2 at the Telus Whistler Conference Centre. Advance Polls are on Friday, April 22, Saturday April 23 and Monday April 25 from noon to 8 p.m. at the Westin Resort and Spa.

To vote by mail or at the Elections Canada office, the deadline is April 26. The returning office is available at 1-866-202-6646.