Tory MP candidate Stephen Hill ousts incumbent Oliver’s Rob Zandee
Kyra Hoggan on Wed, 2009-11-11
Castlegar Source
BC Southern Interior riding Area Conservatives have given Rossland’s Stephen Hill
the nod to take a run at re-capturing the riding in the next federal election, in a 161-to-132 upset over incumbent Tory nominee Rob Zandee of Oliver BC. (seen here on right) – in photo insert - 
Members of the Conservative Party of Canada gathered in Grand Forks, Oliver and in Castlegar, to choose their candidate in a bid to re-take what was one a Tory riding – Conservative/Reform MP Jim Gouk held the seat for four terms before retiring from Parliament in 2005.
Since then, NDP MP Alex Atamanenko has represented the B.C. Southern Interior riding – a status quo Hill said he’s determined to change.
“We’re not politically relevant because we’ve been on the wrong side of the glass looking in for more than 30 years,” he said (Gouk served during a Liberal regime). “My responsibility is to line this riding up with the government in Ottawa such that we get the funds necessary to build the infrastructure we need for a modern economy – bridges, airports, fibre optics, sewers …”
The Rossland father-of-two (a 16-year-old and a 13-year-old) and business-owner ran for the nomination once before, in 2006.
“I signed up on the very last day,” he said. “I was behind the eight-ball and had no idea what I was doing. It was a learning experience.”
He said this time he won through sheer sweat equity.