On Sunday, Fort Langley-Aldergrove MLA Rich Coleman held his annual appreciation barbecue for his friends and supporters. He always invites local media people, and I like to take up his invitation, as it is an excellent way to take the political pulse in Langley.
At last year’s event, held in the pouring rain, then-premier Gordon Campbell was a surprise guest. He was trying to save his political skin at the time, given the overwhelming success of the initiative against the HST. About six weeks later, he announced he was going to resign.
All the talk at that event was about the future of the BC Liberals, as supporters were openly concerned about the future.
This year, in the bright sunshine, those fears appeared to have vanished. A huge crowd was on hand at the home of Dixie and Roy Jacobson, and few that I spoke to even mentioned the provincial scene.
Coleman praised new Premier Christy Clark, and noted that she “put her family first” by going to her son’s rep hockey tryouts Sunday, instead of coming to his barbecue. He applauded her choice of priorities.
What I found fascinating this year was that most people I spoke to are focused on the upcoming municipal election, particularly in the Township.
Many were asking me if I thought Mel Kositsky was running for mayor, while others were convinced that he was. (He announced that he was doing so late Sunday night).
Two former Township mayors, John Scholtens and Kurt Alberts, were on hand. Current mayor Rick Green was not. He has not been to a Coleman event in the past two years.
However, at least two of the Vote Langley Now slate that Green has put together were there — Glen Tomblin and Tony Malyk — and there may have been others.
Numerous current councillors were there as well — incumbents Charlie Fox, Grant Ward, Steve Ferguson, Bob Long and Bev Dornan. Former councillor Jordan Bateman, who resigned in August to take up a position with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, was also there. He is a former president of Coleman’s constituency association, and resigned his party membership to take up his new post.
Langley City Mayor Peter Fassbender, who announced Thursday that he is running again, was there, as were CouncillorS Gayle Martin and Jack Arnold.
Jack Froese, who is running for mayor, was there and was talking to as many potential voters as possible.
All those that I spoke to felt that a three-way race for mayor would make the race very wide open and difficult to call. I suspect Froese had a lot of support at the barbecue, as many of his supporters are Coleman supporters as well. But his lack of experience on council may hurt him somewhat.
One of the best things about a three--way race is that it is likely to boost voter turnout, which has been abysmal in the past three elections. It is rare that 20 per cent of voters turn out. However, they may be more motivated in a race that seems, at this point, to be quite wide open.