Jonah Timms is the Green Party candidate for the Fraser-Nicola riding in the upcoming provincial election.

“I want to run in this provincial election because I have spent a lot of my life in small towns, I live in the riding and I feel like the Liberals and the NDP just haven’t been moving forward with climate change and they haven’t been moving forward fast enough with regards to respecting Indigenous rights and title,” explained Timms.

“I wanted to address those concerns with my campaign, and I will address those concerns in Victoria when I’m elected. I feel like I understand where people are coming from when they say that we need jobs, we need to ensure that we are respecting First Nations culture and heritage and their territory, and I feel like the other parties and the other candidates just aren’t addressing those quickly enough or at all.”

Timms, like several other candidates, has also raised concerns that this snap election is unnecessary, and has put the people of BC at risk.

“My first reaction is that it’s not necessary,” said Timms.

“The NDP claim that the Greens weren’t going to support them in the Legislature, and our leader Sonia Furstenau has repeatedly said that that’s not true, the NDP had our support for the budget bills, but I feel like this campaign is just John Horgan wanting to get four more years in a bit prematurely,” continued Timms.

“And in doing so he’s putting the lives of British Columbians at risk. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, right now our Minister of Health should not be out campaigning or worrying about re-election and our Minister of Education should not be doing so either. They should be concerned about how to keep our students safe and how to keep people in communities safe.”

Timms hopes to help the communities in Fraser-Nicola rebuild their economies and thrive, as well as focusing on environmental principles, Indigenous rights, and safe, affordable housing.

“As a Green MLA we are deeply concerned about having safe, affordable communities in which people of all backgrounds can live,” said Timms.

“I would fully support investing in healthcare, ensuring that we have affordable places to live, to rent and buy our houses, and part of that is ensuring there is housing for renters, but it’s also about ensuring that there are well paying jobs in our community as well, and in Merritt. And part of that is making sure we’re ensuring that there’s a consistent supply of woods coming from the forest. As a Green MLA I would push for those logging practices in the surrounding are to be sustainable and to follow recommendations that have been made to government by various reports that have come out recently,” Timms continued.

“Also ensuring that First Nations are involved in all aspects of resource management within the province and within the riding, and part of that is ensuring that they are able to manage their culture and their heritage in accordance with their laws and customs.”

Timms, who was born on Salt Spring Island and raised in Clearwater, moved to Lillooet a year and a half ago, and after working around the province and in New Zealand, now has a position as a First Nations Relations Advisor for the Ministry of Forests. In his career in environmental sciences, Timms notes that the work is often cyclical, working all summer and then trying to find something else to do during the winter months.

“So, I understand where people are coming from when they say that they can’t find reliable work in the communities where they want to live,” said Timms.

Although this will be a different election, the first in BC’s history to take place during a pandemic, Timms believes it is as important as ever for British Columbians to have their voices heard.

“One thing that I would like to get out to voters and to Merrittonians is that this election has brought up a lot of things, and COVID has exposed some of the systems within our society that don’t quite work for everyone,” said Timms.

“It’s exposed what government can do when they believe something is an emergency, and I truly believe that the current government is not moving quickly enough on climate change, they’re using half measures with regards to forestry and resource management. And when BC implemented UNDRIP last November it was a really positive step but it was just one step on a long journey that the government of BC and the people of BC have to take with our indigenous neighbours and partners to move towards full and fulsome reconciliation. So, just get out and vote – or stay in and vote!” Timms urged.

“Elections BC is advertising that there are ways to mail in your ballots, there’s going to be advanced voting, more so than in previous elections. I’ll be travelling through the towns conducting meetings with people, socially distanced, if that’s what people want, and if constituents and voters aren’t comfortable with that, I’m more than willing to meet them online. I do want to talk with everyone so I would suggest people find me on Facebook, send me a message, I’m very good at responding to that. But the most important thing is to vote by whichever means you personally feel comfortable with.”