The new candidate for the Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies riding has officially hit the campaign trail.
The Liberals made the announcement Mavis Erickson had entered the race on Wednesday (Sept. 25), noting her “extensive local, provincial, and federal political and social experiences” as a twice-elected Carrier Sekani Tribal Chief and First Nations lawyer.
A day later (Sept. 26), Erickson officially opened her campaign office in Prince George, sharing her headquarters with Cariboo-Prince George liberal candidate Tracy Calogheros.
“Mavis has been a long-standing member of the community and has been serving as a leader for northern British Columbia for an extended period of time," said Calogheros. "A two-time chief for Carrier Sekani, she is absolutely perfectly poised to become a voice for the north that will not only be well heard, but will be well versed and respected."
Erickson, who practices law in Prince George, is a graduate of Harvard Law School.
She has also worked as the coordinator for the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council, B.C. Ending Violence Association, and Human Rights Watch, and was the Highway of Tears Coordinator for Carrier Sekani Family Services.
Erickson says although she entered the race later than the other candidates in her riding, she says it’s better late than never.
“It’s such a huge riding and there was no Liberal candidate being put forward and so I was asked to put my name forward and I agreed,” says Erickson. “Part of my thinking in running was the fact that it’s such a huge riding and I think that the north really needs a big northern voice.”
As for campaigning in a riding that has historically voted conservative, Erickson says she is up for the challenge.
“In my background, I’m a member of the B.C. bar, I have a Masters of Law from Harvard Law School, a Bachelor of Law from UBC and Bachelor of Arts in history from UBC so I have my academic background, and my northern status as a northern woman with a strong voice. I haven’t seen that strong voice in northern B.C.”
Erickson says one of the things she appreciates about Liberal leadership is their work on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry, as well as family initiatives and balancing economic development and the environment.
“We haven’t been getting what we deserve as northerners,” says Erickson. “We are sitting on a vast wealth of resources and we haven’t been getting a piece of the pie. We haven’t been getting what we deserve and what is ours. I think I have a good strong voice for the north.”
Erickson faces competition from incumbent MP Bob Zimmer of Fort St. John, who is seeking a third term for the Conservatives, Catharine Kendall of Eaglet Lake who is running for the Green Party and Ron Vaillant of Lacombe, Alta., who is running for the People’s Party.
