The four major political parties have now selected their candidates for the next federal election in the riding of West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country.
On Saturday in Gibsons, Larry Koopman was elected by the members of the federal New Democrats to carry the party's banner.
Koopman beat out Gibsons resident Elizabeth Nordlund for the nomination.
He now joins incumbent Conservative MP John Weston, Liberal Pamela Goldsmith-Jones and former Whistler mayor Ken Melamed who won the Green Party nomination earlier this month on the ballot.
Canadians are slated to go to the polls on Oct. 15, 2015.
Koopman, who is the current NDP riding association president, is a small business owner and community co-ordinator for the Opportunities Fund for persons with disabilities.
"I'm certainly happy with the nomination," Koopman said. "I'm honoured to have the confidence of the members and supporters to go forward with this." Koopman said the party is under no illusions that winning the riding will be an easy task.
"Certainly it is a tough riding and we know that it is going to be a very big challenge, but I am and the party is up for the challenge," he said. "We finished a strong second last time and we have been increasing our votes in the riding. We certainly remain hopeful and we are going to do our best."
Melamed told the Coast Reporter he plans to go after Weston's record in the riding.
"It's going to be easy to attack Mr. Weston in the nicest way possible.
He's not a bad guy, he's just ineffective and he represents a party that has done tremendous damage to Canada," he said.
After nine years on Whistler council, Melamed served two terms as mayor, from 2005 to 2011, but was defeated in his third attempt.
Weston won the riding in 2011 with 45 per cent of the vote. The NDP's Terry Platt and Liberals' Dan Veniez finished with 24 and 23 per cent, respectively.
Since that election, the federal government has redrawn the riding by hiving off the Powell River portion and joining it with northern Vancouver Island.
- with files from Brent Richter. Ian Jacques is editor and John Gleeson reporter at the Coast Reporter newspaper in Sechelt.
