Dick Cannings has been nominated by the Penticton NDP Constituency Association as the candidate in next May’s provincial election.
Cannings, a well-known environmentalist and author, defeated David Finnis of Summerland at the nominating convention held Sunday in Penticton. Finnis is a former Summerland municipal councillor and has previously represented the NDP in provincial and federal elections.
Cannings is running against Penticton Mayor Dan Ashton, who won the Liberal nomination in October. The Penticton riding seat was vacated by long-time Liberal MLA Bill Barisoff, Speaker of the House, who has announced his retirement. Summerland is included in the riding of Penticton.
Cannings is one of the founders of the Meadowlark Festival and a national board member of the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
NDP leader Adrian Dix, who visited the riding last week, said he isn’t concerned about the Liberal’s selection of Penticton Mayor Dan Ashton as candidate.
Dix said that in the results of the last election, the NDP and the Green Party got more than 50 per cent of the vote here combined.