Have political slates finally arrived in North Cowichan?

You might think so based on the election platform posted by three candidates — Adrienne Richards, Chris Shaw and Joe Enslow — campaigning under the banner of the United Independents, https://bit.ly/3Ru0UTY .

But these would-be politicians say no.

“We are just independents helping each other run,” says Richards, who describes herself as a mother, volunteer, and freelance researcher.

Elections BC provided sixmountains.ca with the following statement: “The term ‘slate’ is not defined by the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act. It can be used to refer to a group of independent candidates that share election expenses together, or a group of candidates endorsed by an elector organization (civic political party). There are campaign financing requirements in both circumstances. Candidates must report shared election expenses in their campaign financing report. Elector organizations share an expense limit with their endorsed candidates and file their own campaign financing report as well. Candidates may share some, none or all of their expense limit with their elector organization.”

In an election brochure (https://bit.ly/3L7IwOc) , the United Independents call for less government in citizens’ lives and assert that North Cowichan has become a “testing ground for multiple international environmental projects, without public consultation.”

They also believe council has "allowed North Cowichan to act as a climate hub, which subjects the area to a plan designed outside of Canada, to address issues that aren't local to our area.”

Shaw, a UBC professor, was a leading critic of the 2010 Olympics and wrote the book, Five Ring Circus: Myths and Realties of the Olympic Games. Shaw also recently wrote the book, Dispatches From the Vaccine Wars: Fighting for Human Freedom During the Great Reset, with a foreword by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Nominations closed Friday for the Oct. 15 municipal election.

In North Cowichan, four candidates are running for mayor — Rob Douglas, Rosalie Sawrie, John Koury and Peter Morris — and another 15 are vying for six councillor positions. The term of office is four years.

The following website provides links to posted campaign platforms, including how candidates can be reached: https://bit.ly/3eExhko .

Click on the blue icon to the left of their names.

Advance voting takes place on Wed., Oct. 5, and Tues., Oct. 11.

You can also apply to vote by mail. The deadline to return completed mail ballots is 8 p.m. on Oct. 15. Details and other election info at https://bit.ly/3TY7aVL .

Visit sixmountains.ca for exclusive municipal election coverage, including interviews with the United Independents and other candidates in the coming weeks.

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(Photo: Joe Enslow, Chris Shaw and Adrienne Richards)

— Larry Pynn, Sept. 11, 2022