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For a guy who says he "doesn't like politics," Dan Ashton is pretty good at it.
First elected to Penticton city council in 1999, Ashton became mayor in 2008 and again in 2011. In 2103, running under the Liberal banner, he won the provincial riding of Penticton and then paid out of his own pocket for the resulting mayoral by-election.
He was elected Penticton's MLA again in 2017, and is now the apparent winner of a third term.
Granted, Ashton's latest victory isn't yet fully assured. With all ballot boxes counted, his lead over chief challenger Toni Boot is sizable -- 49.78% (9,137 votes) to 35.26% (6,472 votes). But 9,868 vote-by-mail packages were issued locally, and those returns won't be counted for a couple weeks.
Still, it would take a monumental skew of the election night count for Boot to close the gap. "The trend is in the right direction," said Ashton when chatting with PentictonNow Sunday afternoon, "but the mail-in votes could make a difference."
This time around, Ashton didn't even open a campaign office, opting instead to keep things COVIDly safe. So Saturday night he huddled at the home of a good friend -- "Dick Knorr, a gentleman who's helped me on several campaigns" -- to watch the results.
"There were only three people there," he said.
Ashton, who calls himself a "compassionate conservative," and lives in "our original family home" in Trout Creek, believes he can still make a difference in the newly minted NDP majority government.
"The secret to my success is cooperation and collaboration," he said. "I've done that my whole life. That’s why I've been successful.
"I hate politics, though I like the good governance part of it. And the legislature was working very, very well this spring and summer session. Now they have a majority, and I don’t think that'll change. I believe Premier Horgan and what he's said."
He said his key issue going forward is "livelihood in the valley," adding that the "economy is incredibly important, but so is our quality of life here.
"And I think there'll be more and more challenges. The valley is in huge demand right now. People moving here, retiring here, bringing families here or starting young families here. And we need a balance."
"But," he said, "the province is not functioning right now. We have to get people coming back out into the economy again."
Ashton alluded to a recent visit to the Penticton branch of The Bay department store and the obvious impact of various forces including the pandemic, saying, "After a lifetime of retail, I can tell you whether a store is hitting on all cylinders or it's not. And they're struggling.
"And I'm not just talking about The Bay. It's not The Bay that supports minor hockey or kids' gymnastics. It's the local merchants. And if those local merchants aren't making money, no money's going out the door for these contributions that make Penticton a better community."
About COVID-19 specifically, Ashton, who said he wears a mask whenever he's in close proximity to other people and carries two bottles of sanitizer in his car, was forthright.
"My mom's in a seniors home. She's 96 years old. And I haven't given her a hug since March.
"You wouldn’t believe the people who've been in touch with me before the election on that specific issue. I've had people bawling on the phone because they're losing a loved one and can’t even get in to hug them."
But he sees the need for "balance."
"I think we have to follow the science, and I think (BC's provincial health officer) Dr (Bonnie) Henry is doing a good job. But there's a balance. Maintaining bubbles, maintaining separation, but how do we get the economy functioning again?"
Beyond the economy and COVID-19, Ashton is a big proponent of bettering the Hwy 97 link between Penticton and the central Okanagan.
He's long argued for concrete dividers between the north and south lanes from Penticton to Peachland, and earlier this year presented a 27,000-signature petition to the legislature. Ashton said the first of those barriers will be installed Nov. 1st.
He's also involved in much-needed improvements to the Hwy 97 alternate route on the west side of the valley, typically put into action in the event of rockslides, weather events, and serious accidents.
"The geology of the area is really challenging," he said. "So one of the things I'm working on is to ensure safe passage through that area. With a little bit of TLC and a little money thrown at them, we can make a very good all-weather, all-vehicle secondary emergency route from Penticton to Peachland."
Now, Ashton waits for the almost certainly favourable final outcome, saying, "I don't take anything for granted."