Terry Lake, former B.C. Liberal MLA, to seek federal nomination

A familiar face in B.C. politics could soon be making the jump into the federal ring.

Terry Lake, former B.C. Liberal minister, confirmed Tuesday he planned to seek the Liberal nomination in the federal riding of Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo.

“Since leaving provincial politics two years ago, I’ve had the opportunity to work in the private sector. I’ve enjoyed building a new Canadian industry from the ground up and with a company that’s committed to environmental and social responsibility,” he said in a Facebook video shared Tuesday.

“But I feel our country is at a crossroads. We’ve made such important gains in issues such as climate action, indigenous reconciliation, gender equity and childhood poverty. Our economy is among the strongest in the world and our unemployment is at it lowest rates in decades.

“But we can’t let these important gains be jeopardized.”

Lake said he felt the Liberal Party of Canada was the “best choice to keep our country moving in the right direction.” He cited the overdose crisis, climate action and rural economic development as among the priorities he hoped to tackle.

The Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo riding was formed in 2004 and has been held by the Conservative party since its establishment.

Lake was the mayor of Kamloops from 2005 to 2008 before entering provincial politics. He served as an MLA for almost a decade before leaving in 2017.

He has previously worked as a veterinarian and is currently the vice president of corporate social responsibility and sustainability for Canadian cannabis company Hexo Corp.

A nomination meeting has not yet been scheduled.

More to come.

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