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Saturday’s by-election results Candidates
Votes
%
Ian Paton
5,752 33.89
Sylvia Bishop
4,630 27.28
Maria DeVries
2,176 12.82
Sandeep Pandher
1,590
9.37
Amy Ghuman Sara 1,441
8.49
Kathleen Higgins
1,137
6.70
Peter Harms
164
0.97
Ray Robinson
82
0.48
Total Delta registered voters: 68,261 Total ballots cast: 16,981 Voter turnout: 24.88 per cent
* Source: Corporation of Delta PHOTO BY
SANDOR GYARMATI
Ian Paton, who won Saturday’s Delta council by-election, is sounding the alarm over the impact heavy rainfall has had on local crops. He said Delta farmers are going to lose in the millions because harvesters can’t get into the saturated fields.
Ian Paton claims council seat Ladner gets its representative in Saturday by-election; farmer immediately shines light on disastrous situation SANDOR GYARMATI
sgyarmati@delta-optimist.com
A farmer is back on Delta council. In his first shot at political office, Ladner farmer and auctioneer Ian Paton won Saturday’s by-election, fending off a strong challenge from Sylvia Bishop. It was an eight-person race to fill the seat left vacant by the sudden death of councillor George Hawksworth this spring. The only candidate from Ladner, and now the only councillor from the community, Paton is also the first representative from the farming community on council since John Savage left for pro-
vincial politics in the late 1980s. Paton, who won due in large part to his overwhelming showing at the Ladner polls, wasn’t about to celebrate and made it clear in an interview Monday how farming issues will be made more public. When asked about his thoughts on the election, he instead shifted the topic to this month’s torrential rainfall, which has become “an absolute disaster” for Delta farmers. “The number one topic in Delta right now should be that the farmers are going to lose in the millions of dollars in crops this fall, based on the rain we’ve had. This is just insane and these fields are
so saturated with water,” he said. “They can no longer get the harvesters in the fields to get beans, turnips, potatoes, it’s just a complete wipeout. Pete Guichon
Strong showing for Sylvia Bishop
Page 3
was telling me this is probably the biggest financial loss Delta farmers will probably face in the last 40 years.” When the time comes for relief, Delta council may have to lobby the government to aid local farmers, noted Paton. “The chances of things turning around here right now are abso-
lutely slim to none. For instance, I have $25,000 worth of hay sitting in the field I haven’t been able to cut in September because you have to have hot weather. I’m looking at a huge financial loss.” Paton took that message to Monday night’s council meeting. While he is not at the council table yet — he will be sworn in Oct. 4 — Paton observed the meeting from the audience and spoke to council about the current problems facing Delta farmers. “We’re facing a situation of huge magnitude,” Paton said, telling council this is the worst fall for rain and wet fields in 35 years. After hearing from Delta’s newest elected official, council agreed
to approach B.C. Agriculture Minister Steve Thomson to initiate talks about what can be done to help farmers. Back on the topic of his byelection victory, Paton said he had no idea how things would unfold with so many candidates in the race. “The first thing that came up on the screen on Delta Cable was the advance voting polls and it put me ahead right away. I thought that was a pretty good sign,” he said. “The support was unbelievable and I just can’t thank the people of Ladner and Tsawwassen See PATON page 3
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