VICTORIA, BC – Sonia Furstenau, MLA for Cowichan Valley and candidate in the party’s leadership race, released the following statement in response to the BC Green Party’s directive to cancel leadership campaign events due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic:

“While I was greatly looking forward to visiting Peachland, Kelowna, Nelson, Ymir, Vernon and Kamloops over the course of the next week, the situation with COVID-19 is rapidly changing and we have a responsibility as political leaders to exercise the best practices recommended by experts. Experts are increasingly calling for Canadians to take action to reduce and slow the transmission of COVID-19 through social distancing. The health and safety of British Columbians must be our first priority. 

“My campaign staff is cancelling all our events and will continue to follow the advice of the Party and of experts. We are revising our campaign plan to hold online events, and are organizing an online townhall to be announced as soon as possible.

“I extend my sincere apologies to the communities that I have been unable to visit, and my thanks to community organizers and my campaign team, who have been working hard to prepare for this trip. If the advice from the Party and experts changes prior to the conclusion of the leadership campaign, we will do everything in our power to reschedule events.” 

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