While the political landscape may be filled with U.S. election talk these days, there are people around the South Okanagan trying to turn the focus to Canadian politics, and in particular, the upcoming British Columbia election.
Allan Patton is one of those people.
Patton, who owns and farms an apple orchard south of Oliver off Ryegrass Rd., is testing the waters with some coffee house meetings this week.
He was in Osoyoos this morning, spending a couple hours at A New Leaf.
“I think it’s important for people in a community to know who I am, to talk to me about the issues that concern them, and also to get my reasoning out as to why I am running,” said Patton while enjoying a coffee at A New Leaf. “That’s my job right now – to get out into the community. This is my first go-around. I intend to be back in the communities several times.”
BC voters are slated to head to the polls May 9, 2017, and Patton believes he can be a strong voice in the legislature.
His goal is to get an endorsement from the NDP party in the Boundary-Similkameen riding.
It all began with an apple.
A genetically modified apple.
“I’m really upset about this GMO (genetically modified organism) apple. That was really what got me going,” stated Patton, who spent three terms on the RDOS. “Once I decided I was going to give this a try, I started researching all aspects of government. I’ve been listening to radio and television, and what I hear is that the Province is doing great. I decided to look into it. What I found is that the government is doing a massive make-work project here. This is all government-funded jobs and government-funded economic growth.”
Patton believes the government has destroyed BC Hydro in the process and has added huge debt to the province.

“The provincial debt has grown substantially since the Liberals got in. So now, instead of the GMO issue being front and centre for me, it’s the economy,” said Patton, who spent five years on the executive of the BC Fruit Growers Association. “And I’m very concerned that to service that debt, we have to increase taxes, and we have to increase energy costs. The higher our costs are, the less competitive we become.
“I intend to tell the people just exactly what’s going on here with this Liberal government.”
Why does Patton want to do that as a member of the NDP caucus?
“I’m someboy who looks at the people that are running, somebody who looks at the policies of each party before I make my vote,” said Patton. “I find the NDP visionary, and a future-thinking party when it makes decisions. The NDP is going to take us back to where they will make decisions that are best for the community, best for the Province, and best of the people of the Province.”
Patton says he visited with many people at A New Leaf, and received a positive response.
Allan Patton will continue his tour of the Okanagan Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m. when he stops in at Medici’s Cafe in Oliver.
-Dale Cory