By Don McDonald, Executive Director, Liberal Party of Canada in British Columbia
There has been a lot of talk about rebuilding since May 2nd 2011, and I have some good news, the response has been amazing. After the election people were calling into campaign offices, not to complain, but to ask “how can we help?”
Since the beginning of the year we have:
- Signed up over 1000 members
- Signed up over 2300 supporters
- Signed up over 200 monthly donors
We are still fundraising more than the NDP, and the Conservatives saw a sharp decrease in their number of donors. We have seen the largest growth in people donating small amounts; that is as grass roots as it gets. These numbers are a direct reflection of the efforts of Liberal volunteers. Whether it was helping organize a coffee meeting or making a few phone calls about membership, every bit has helped.
Beyond the numbers we are also building the profile of the party in the province. The Federal Liberal team in BC have always been leaders in the party, and once again we have been blazing a trail for the rest of the country to follow. At the national Ottawa 2012 convention we supported and passed two made in BC initiatives that became party policy; the legalization of marijuana and the creation of a functional national housing strategy. That effort has been matched by folks on the ground in their own communities.
With the hard work of local volunteers we have been building our presence throughout the province. During the Vancouver Pride Parade (August 6, 2012) not only did our scheduled volunteers show up, people actually showed up out of the blue to give us a hand. In the parade and at the festival booth people were genuinely enthused to see such a vibrant Liberal contingent.
Later this month there will be a policy meeting in the Okanagan where the local ridings will gather to discuss and propose policies that they plan to take forward, potentially to a national stage. This is all in advance of our BC Policy Conference happening November 23-25 2012.
Beyond the major events, the real heart of the rebuilding efforts has been local community organizing. Ridings all over the province are starting to host small regular events. The big hit has been local coffee meetings, where Liberals get together to just chat and get to know each other.
Last month we launched the go for gold drive. Individuals were asked to sign up members and supporters in their communities. I am happy to announce the winners.
Gold: Patricia Houston of Saanich Gulf Islands Silver: Ryan Hill of Vancouver Centre Bronze: Alex Nixon of Richmond
Though we have made a tremendous amount of progress with dedicated folks like we need your help if we are going to be ready for the next election, only 39 months away. It does not take much to do your part to rebuild our Party and our Country.
There is always work to be done and there is always something for everyone to do. Let us know how you want to help build our party or if you just want to help but aren’t sure how. There is a place for everyone to help, send an email to info@lpcbc.com or give us a call at 604 664-3786.
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