Two new candidates entering the race for Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP

People's Part of Canada leader Max Bernier, right, with local candidate Ken Filayson. (via Contributed)

Both the Green Party of Canada and the People's Party of Canada (PPC) have candidates for the fall federal election in the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo.

Voters will be seeing Ken Finlayson's name next to the PPC name on their ballots Oct. 21, while Iain Currie's will be next to the Greens.

The Greens announced Currie will be their nominee for the region today, June 13. A former Crown counsel and civil rights lawyer he will be acclaimed later this month at a party meeting, according to a press release. 

“At least one potential candidate bowed out after he found out who he would be competing against," says Matthew Greenwood, the party's local riding president, in the release. "We’re extremely proud to have someone of Iain’s stature in the community running under our banner.”

Currie says in the release he doesn't want to run on a doom and gloom platform, but for the environment.

The PPC selected Finlayson, a rancher living in Lac la Hache earlier this month as their representative.

This won't be Finlayson's first foray into federal politics, as he attempted to run for the Conservative Party in a 2017 byelection in the Battlefords-Lloydminster riding. As he puts it, he didn't fit the mould and ended up running as an independent.

"I ran as an independent after that because there was no People's Party," he tells KamloopsMatters, noting that's among the reasons he's running for the People's Party now.

The two will be facing incumbent Conservative MP Cathy McLeod, Liberal nominee Terry Lake and Gina Myhill-Jones of the NDP. Other candidates yet unknown may still step forward before nominations close.