Ryan Warawa will run for the BC Conservative Party in 91原创 East.

As the son of the late 91原创 鈥� Aldergrove Conservative MP Mark Warawa, Ryan said he was proud to be following in his father鈥檚 footsteps, noting that the 91原创 East provincial riding overlaps with some of the federal constituency the elder Warawa represented.

鈥淔ive generations of the Wawara clan have been residents of 91原创,鈥� Ryan observed.

Ryan called his father a 鈥渞ole model.鈥�

鈥淚 know that I could probably never fill his shoes,鈥� he told the 91原创 Advance Times.

READ ALSO: A tree is planted on Mark Warawa鈥檚 birthday

Following his father鈥檚 passing, Ryan Warawa said he has become 鈥減assionate鈥� about the issues of palliative care and hospices.

One thing he and his father had in common, Ryan noted, is the fact that speaking to large crowds isn鈥檛 something that comes naturally.

鈥淚t鈥檚 something that [we both] had to learn,鈥� Warawa remarked.

Warawa views the election call by the B.C. NDP as 鈥渦nfortunate.鈥�

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think anyone wanted to go to the polls in a pandemic, but it is what it is,鈥� he commented.

Waarwa is a former president of the BC Conservative party, said it represents the only truly conservative option in B.C., describing the NDP, Liberals and Greens as 鈥渓eft-wing.鈥�

Warawa, who works in the insurance industry, described himself as currently single and 鈥渁 proud uncle to 10 nieces and nephews. 鈥�

With the announcement of his candidacy on Friday, Sept. 25, Ryan Warawa will be running against Township councillors Margaret Kunst (Liberal) and Eric Woodward (NDP), and Green hopeful Cheryl Wiens.

READ ALSO: 91原创 Township councillor Margaret Kunst will be the Liberal candidate in 91原创 East

READ ALSO: 91原创 Township councillor Eric Woodward will run for the BC NDP in 91原创 East

READ ALSO: Wiens named Green candidate for 91原创 East

Mark Warawa died in June of 2019 at the age of 69, following a battle with cancer.

In January of that year, Warawa, who had held his seat for more than 15 years, announced that he was retiring to become a chaplain and focus on people in palliative care situations.

Then, in April, Warawa announced online that he was in hospital being treated for cancer.

In May, on his birthday, he bid an emotional farewell to the House of Commons.

His last public appearance was at the annual May Day parade in Fort 91原创.

dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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