Campbell River City Councillor Tanille Johnson wants to represent the region at a higher level.
Johnson recently announced her intention to seek the nomination to be the NDP candidate in the 2025 federal election. Johnson said that a federal run had been on her mind for a while, but that after current MP Rachel Blaney announced that she would not be running in the next election, Johnson's plans had to be accelerated a bit.
"I spent some time like chatting with (current NDP MP) Rachel (Blaney) about how she got into federal politics and what she thinks it's like now," she said. "I was also talking a bit about her timeline, because I was figuring out if it was something I'd stick with and pursue on a long-term basis, or float around in the municipal world for a while.
"It just kind of evolved in the past year. Then Rachel's announcement came a bit sooner than expected, and I had to have a chat with my family and see if ti was going to be the right choice for us," she added. "If you dip your toe in, you've got to do the cannonball."
She hopes that, if successful, she's able to advocate for First Nations voices in the riding.
"We have the highest concentration of First Nations in North Island-Powell River on the Island," she said. "It's pretty significant how many rural and remote communities we have, and most of them are First Nations. They get left behind fairly frequently in almost every aspect of programs or services. It's always lovely to see programs added to our more urbanized centres like Campbell River. However we don't necessarily see the ripple effect go far enough out to reach our remote communities.
"Healthcare is another big one for me. For First Nations, our healthcare is federal. There's a lot to know and understand about how First Nations access healthcare and how it is majorly controlled by the federal government," she added. "That's a big piece of work that I'm super passionate about, especially the work that the NDP has already done on the pharmacare plan. It's got a long way to go, but I think the NDP have done a lot of leg work on what that can possibly look like."
Johnson is currently only running for the candidacy nomination. She said that she has filed an application with the party, who has vetted her. From there, she is able to publicly announce her candidacy.
"If you're a registered member (of the NDP in the riding) before July 16, then you're able to vote for any of the folks that have been proposed as nominees publicly. Then the electoral area membership for the party will select the person, who will be declared the NDP candidate for the North Island-Powell River riding."
Voting for members is Aug. 31. Other candidates can apply by July 31.
Johnson started her political journey as a Campbell River City Councillor, work she says she will continue despite her intentions to run federally.
"I'm there to do the job of representing Campbell River and not be influenced by any outside party," she said. "If I'm a successful candidate chosen by the NDP on August 31, I will look to take a leave from city council during the campaign next year. We'll see what the timeline is on that one."
Over the next few weeks, Johnson will be taking some time to travel through the riding and meet like minded people. One of her goals is to learn from people living in the area what their concerns are.
At least one other person has announced their intention to seek the nomination. Tahsis Councillor Sarah Fowler is also pursuing the candidacy. More to come.