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Sonia Furstenau cancels Okanagan leadership tour due to COVID-19 concerns

The Cowichan Valley MLA was scheduled to come to Peachland on Mar. 12
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B.C. Green Party leadership candidate Sonia Furstenau was scheduled to be in Peachland on Thursday, Mar. 12. (Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance)

B.C. Greens’ leadership candidate Sonia Furstenau has cancelled her Okanagan tour.

Furstenau’s tour was originally scheduled to start on Thursday (Mar. 12) in Peachland, with stops in Kelowna, Nelson, Ymir, Vernon, and Kamloops.

Her tour cancellation comes after the party issued a statement cancelling all of its in-person events to reduce the risk of community transmission of COVID-19.

“While I was greatly looking forward to visiting Peachland, Kelowna, Nelson, Ymir, Vernon and Kamloops over the course of the next week, the situation with COVID-19 is rapidly changing and we have a responsibility as political leaders to exercise the best practices recommended by experts,” Furstenau said.

My campaign staff is cancelling all our events and will continue to follow the advice of the party and of experts. We are revising our campaign plan to hold online events, and are organizing an online downhill to be announced as soon as possible.”

She thanked her campaign staff and community organizers who worked hard to prepare for the trip.

Over the weekend, Furstenau was invited to speak at an International Women’s Day event co-hosted by the Westbank First Nation and the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance.

READ MORE: World Health Organization declares COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic

READ MORE: Peachland hosts first annual International Women’s Day tea and bannock celebration


Twila Amato
Video journalist, Black Press Okanagan
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Twila Amato

About the Author: Twila Amato

Twila was a radio reporter based in northern Vancouver Island. She won the Jack Webster Student Journalism Award while at BCIT and received a degree in ancient and modern Greek history from McGill University.
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