SEAN UPSHAW; "Let me remind everyone that the word 'serve' is in Conservative"

Who is Westside-Kelowna BC Conservative candidate Sean Upshaw?  Well I asked Sean that very question, and here is what he had to say: 

Westside-Kelowna BC Conservative
candidate Sean Upshaw

Every story has a beginning.  Mine is similar to some, and greatly dissimilar to others.  I begin with this simply to let you know my early roots.  My parents divorced when I was 3. and I ended up in foster homes and between parents. Due to illness my Mom was on Disability Assistance; my father was an alcoholic. It was a challenging time for me as a child, and into my late teens. 

At age 18 I nearly died when I was stung by dozens of wasps, and I went into anaphylactic shock. I survived, and shortly after, I made a decision to make some major changes in my life.  Since then I have never looked back, and set myself on a path to be the best person I can. 

I have been married to my lovely wife, Heather, for almost 30 years. We moved here to Kelowna 11 years ago from Abbotsford, with our 3 children, Andrew, Sarah and Dave.  

Since then, Andrew has gotten married, to Ashley, and they have 2 children, Noah and Ezra. Sarah has been working with me for about 7 years. She did receive her real estate license, but is now working as my unlicensed assistant. Dave was working in real estate with us as well, but has recently moved to Vancouver with his fiancé, Jen. 

Heather and I have a dog named Sami. Some of my hobbies are spending time with my family, watching Canucks hockey and Golf, being out on the lake in the summertime, and vintage cars. I really enjoy studying the stars, the universe and physics. 

I am also a political junkie.  My political interest began when at the age of 10 in Camrose Alberta.  There I had the opportunity to meet, and shake the hand of, Premier Peter Lougheed. From that moment on, I grew to learn that that one individual can make a difference in this world. 

In the 2011 Federal Election I ran as an Independent Conservative Candidate in the Okanagan Coquihalla riding, and of course in the recent BC Provincial General Election, I ran as a candidate for the BC Conservatives. 

My record is that of a person who is well educated, a real

achiever who is not afraid to be innovative and take risks. 

I am loyal and committed to what is right, and to serving people whenever and wherever I am able. Even though I could have been held back by a challenging start to life, I have not let that hold me back from being the best person I can be. 

The reason I have chosen to run, in the Westside Kelowna by-election, is because our Province truly needs a Conservative government if we are to ever get out of the financial mess that the BC Liberals have put us in. 

It is not an easy task taking on a Premier, especially one who is as arrogant and cunning as the one we have now. 

Our province has been robbed from, lied too, and corrupted by this present Liberal government, but hopefully with new eyes on the situation, and the ability to speak first hand to it, they can finally be held to account. 

The BC Liberals have done a masterful job, of covering up their past, with a campaign that was paid for by the very taxpayers that are being deceived. I guess you could say we have sown the wind, and reaped to the whirlwind. Soon the chickens will come home to roost. 

Unfortunately it seems the media, in large part, are a big part of the problem. They have long passed the point of journalism and have been sold out to commercialism. The unbiased days of truth and fairness have been replaced with favoritism and greed, and the need to be populist instead realists. 

Am I being too honest?  

So I have chosen to run because I, like many BC Conservatives, am not under the “spell” of this agenda. 

I see my role in Victoria as one of fighting for truth in the midst of what Christy Clark herself has called a “sick” culture -- one I hope that a growing number of British Columbians will come to acknowledge as a role much in need of being filled. It certainly is not one that the NDP will take on, after all, they are as much a part of it, as the BC Liberals.

We should only do it if we have the gumption to say the BC Conservatives do have a future, and will be a 'strong' and 'viable' option for voters

Kelowna Westside MLA Ben Stewart to step
down.  Photograph:by Adrian Lam
(Victoria imes Colonist)

Following the announcement Christy Clark was preparing to call a by-election in the riding of Kelowna-Westyside (after the winning candidate, BC Liberal Ben Stewart, stepped down) I was asked if I thought the BC Conservative Party should run a candidate against her. 

I SAID YES!

I think we should --- we gave her a pass first time round when she ran to get a seat in legislature after becoming leader; she doesn't deserve another one 

She ran the BC Liberal Party, and the government, her way.  Her personal stamp was on everything.

On May 14th residents of Vancouver Point Grey said what they thought of that, and she lost.  BC Conservative will of course have to recognize the ever raising 'vote-split' arguement will rear its ugly head again -- that however should NOT be a consideration, and there will have to be a plan and strategy in place for that. 

AGAIN ... I think we should run a candidate ... and put every ounce of energy we can in to it.  We should only do it however if we have the gumption to say the BC Conservative Party does have a future, and will be a 'strong' and 'viable' option for voters to support.  That however is my personal opinion and others may not share it -- so be it.

Just so you know I'm willing to back up my beliefs, I have just made a $55 donation to BC Conservatives for the Kelowna campaign. 

Anyone else willing to show the party we still want to give BC a REAL choice .. a real alternative to BOTH the BC Liberals and the NDP?  Here's the link to go to: https://secure.bcconservative.ca/?f=donate

I'm Alan Forseth in Kamloops ... with the "independent" thoughts of one conservative.