The federal Green Party’s candidate for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford will be announced on Aug. 20.
A candidate-selection meeting was held on Aug. 17 where the three contenders were given their last opportunity to convince local party members which one of them would be best to be the Green candidate for the district in the snap election, called for Sept. 20, before it went to a vote.
Lia Versaevel, one of the three contenders, ran as the Green candidate in the Nanaimo-North Cowichan riding in the provincial election in 2017.
She moved to the Island in 1971, attended Victoria’s Claremont High School and completed a BA and Diploma at UVIC, and a MA at Royal Roads University in conflict analysis and management.
Versaevel worked for 30 years in the Attorney General’s Ministry in a variety of roles before taking on a mediation role in the State of Nevada.
She is a former chairperson of the party’s Cowichan-Malahat-Langford Electoral District Association, and she stood in 2019 as a federal nomination contestant.
Versaevel has three children and three grandchildren.
The second contender to be the Green candidate is Nick Dickinson-Wilde, a web developer.
He has lived on and around Vancouver Island his whole life, ranging from Pacheedaht lands (Port Renfrew) to Tsawout/Tseycum lands (Pender Islands) and most recently in the T’Souke (Sooke) area, where he resides with his wife and pets.
Dickinson-Wilde relies on the bustling business community of Langford for essentials, connecting him to the CML EDA.
When not being a self-described computer nerd, Dickinson-Wilde can be found hiking, biking, gardening or at community events.
Although on pause for the pandemic, Dickinson-Wilde is a shukokai karate sensei and enjoys helping a couple of local choirs.
The third contender is Shirley Lambrecht, who was born and raised in Saskatchewan by a farming family and completed public school in B.C.
Her family has farmed in Canada since 1640.
Growing up, Lambrecht developed a connection to the land and the elements.
As a young adult, she was deeply affected by how politics impacted the livelihood of her family.
After a mix of university and college, Lambrecht engaged with a Saskatchewan provincial crown corporation in the technology sector.
After returning to BC, she re-entered the tech industry for an additional five years. Lambrecht has one adult daughter.
Kim Hughes, CEO of the party’s CML EDA, said she has been impressed with the engagement of Green Party members in the district and across Canada. She said members have shown they really care about the future of the nation and its people.
“People are passionate about Green values,” Hughes said.
“Green policies can really take care of this country and people across the globe as we face rapid change around us.”