Public safety takes centre stage in closely watched Kelowna election race

Crime and public safety are emerging as key issues in Kelowna Centre, where candidates from the BC NDP, BC Conservatives and OneBC say addressing safety concerns is a priority ahead of the provincial election.

“Undoubtedly it comes down to making streets safer,” said NDP candidate Loyal Wooldridge.

“The number one issue is crime and safety,” said Conservative candidate Kristina Loewen.

OneBC candidate Bill Desrosiers also identified crime as a major concern.
“The biggest thing for me right now is crime,” Desrosiers said.

The riding is drawing attention after the 2024 election, when Loewen narrowly defeated Wooldridge by just 40 votes.

The result made Kelowna Centre one of the closely watched battlegrounds in a region traditionally considered a Conservative stronghold.

Now, the two candidates are facing off again, with the NDP hoping to win the riding.

BC NDP Leader David Eby has made several campaign commitments in Kelowna, including expanding capacity at Kelowna General Hospital.

“Our government is committed to put $30 million into Kelowna General Hospital to build out the sixth-floor inpatient unit,” Eby said.

The NDP has also pledged to create 75 involuntary treatment beds at the Oliver correctional centre.

Wooldridge says the party has a detailed plan to fund and deliver on its commitments.

“We’re the only party that has a costed plan with these commitments that are built into how we’re going to pay for it and how we’re actually going to execute those commitments,” Wooldridge said.

Loewen, however, questions whether voters should trust the NDP to follow through on its promises.

“Why would we believe the NDP? They’ve come to Kelowna many times in the last two elections, promising many things, and they’ve failed to deliver on all of them,” Loewen said.

She pointed to the NDP’s 2024 promise to replace the aging Cottonwoods care home, a project that was later put on hold.

While Loewen did not outline specific commitments for Kelowna Centre on addiction and mental health, she said the BC Conservatives have strategies planned to address the issues.

“We have committed to a bunch of strategies and steps around that as Conservatives, and I look forward to that being implemented,” Loewen said.

Desrosiers says improving access to detox services is an important first step in helping people struggling with addiction.

“We have to be able to get these people when they come for help because right now that window is so narrow and there is nowhere for them to go,” he said.

With crime, health care and addiction among the issues being raised on the campaign trail, voters will soon decide which candidate they believe is best positioned to address the riding’s concerns.

The outcome could once again come down to a narrow margin in a race that was decided by just 40 votes in 2024.