CML EDA Executive

Joanna grew up in the Cowichan Valley, with both parents as teachers in public schools, so naturally the NDP has always been the party of choice. In 2004 she joined the Jean Crowder team, and since then she has volunteered on many local, provincial, and federal campaigns. Joanna has served on the federal Cowichan-Malahat-Langford NDP executive as Member-at-Large, Vice President, and multiple terms as President.
She is a proud union member and holds an elected Component Vice President position within her union, the BC General Employees’ Union. Joanna works as an Adult Basic Education Instructor at Vancouver Island University’s Cowichan Campus.

Leanne Finlayson is totally immersed in NDP politics as a constituency assistant to Alistair McGregor, MP for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford; life partner to Doug Routley, MLA for Nanaimo-North Cowichan; Vice-President of the Cowichan Valley BC NDP Constituency Association; and volunteer events coordinator for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford NDP EDA.

Still, Leanne finds time for her family Matthew, Brooklynne, and Maddy; volunteering at the BC Forest Discovery Center; highland dancing; and riding her favourite horse Dixie in local dressage and jump shows.

Connie More immigrated to Canada from the USA in 1970 and became a Canadian citizen as soon as she was eligible, having already begun volunteer canvassing for the BC NDP and soon thereafter for Tommy Douglas in Nanaimo. She had a 40-year career as a music educator for ages 3 through adulthood (day care centres, schools and universities), including regional, national and international roles as an organizer, conductor, editor, and clinician. An ongoing variety of NDP volunteer activities led to serving on the provincial Langford Juan de Fuca Constituency Association Executive 2019-2022, adding the federal Cowichan Malahat Langford Member at Large role in 2021. On Facebook, she lists her occupation as “Lifetime Citizen”, and the NDP is a big part of that!

Sue Stroud grew up all over Canada as her father was in the Armed Forces, but she found her true home when her family moved to Vancouver Island in 1970. Sue worked for BC Housing for 23 years. She has been a community activist fighting for farmland & trees, social housing & community amenities, disarmament & human rights. She joined the NDP in the 1980s and has been active on federal executives in Victoria, Saanich-Gulf Islands, and several provincial EDAs as well. In addition to her new CML role, she is currently Treasurer of the South Island Regional Council & Langford-Juan de Fuca NDP. Her greatest joy is hanging out with her nephews and working on elections. You may occasionally see her on Twitter.

Rick Lebitschnig grew up in Crofton and his first political memories are of Orange and black Tommy Douglas signs on his grandfather’s lawn. Rick joined the NDP in 1976 to attend the Young New Democrats Convention in New Westminster as a visitor.

Later that year, he returned to Crofton and joined the Cowichan-Malahat Provincial NDP executive as the YND rep. and later alternate Provincial Council Delegate for a short while before moving away for school and work.

Rick has been active in the NDP as an executive member and as a campaign volunteer almost continuously since joining the party, serving on various Provincial and Federal executives in Prince Rupert, Prince George, North Vancouver and Kamloops before returning to Crofton in 2006 and joining the Cowichan-Ladysmith BCNDP executive as a member at large in 2007.

Rick joined the Cowichan-Malahat-Langford EDA in 2015. During the 2021 Federal Election, Rick was a member of the data coordination team.

He looks forward to when we can gather again at both social and political events.

Growing up in an isolated mining town in Northeastern Manitoba, Faye’s first contact with politics as a fifteen year old was when her father took her to a CCF campaign meeting. When the local United Church minister was fired for trying to organize a union—there were mine managers on the church board, the church was on mine property—the injustice confirmed Faye in her commitment to the CCF and later the NDP as the party that would fight for the values she believes in.

Faye is a retired social worker, having spent many years working as an employee of Cowichan Tribes. Faye serves as membership co-lead on the Executive and also sits on the Executive of Cowichan Valley BC NDP.

Tom Harkins has been a member of the NDP since the late 1970s and is an Honourary Lifetime Member of the BC NDP. He has served on either the Federal or Provincial executives since 1987. Tom has organized the signs and sign crews for countless Federal and Provincial elections. After 40 years in the forest industry as an IWA Steelworker, Tom adopted a second career calling into CFAX 1070 radio to express his labour-oriented, blue-collar NDP views. You can find Tom gardening; spending time with Pat, his wife since 1977; or hanging out at his second home, the Cobblestone Inn.

Darryl has lived on Vancouver Island most of his life. Born in Victoria, he spent time as a child in Campbell River before finally ending up in the Cowichan Valley. He grew up in a family of progressives and has always held the values of the New Democratic Party close to his heart.

Darryl left home at the age of nineteen to attend the University of British Columbia where he completed a degree in Political Science. And it was while attending UBC that he became active in the Young New Democrats (YND). He was elected President of the BCYND in 1988.

Darryl took a hiatus from active involvement in politics during the 90’s and early 2000’s while raising a family and establishing his career in aviation. But, thanks to the passion and persuasion of his life partner, and current CML EDA President, Joanna, he is again involved with the Party and is looking forward to helping ensure we continue to have an NDP MP represent us in Ottawa.

Shaye was born and raised in the Cowichan Valley. Coming from a family of forestry workers, his blue-collar background never left any doubt that Shaye was NDP right from the get-go! Labour rights, True Universal Healthcare, Public Education, and Climate Change/Environmental justice are the 4 cornerstones of his drive to help the NDP improve the lives of everyone. Shaye moved to Alberta for a number of years and that’s where he got even more involved in the party, running for MLA in Leduc-Beaumont, winning, and then having the incredible opportunity and honour to be a Minister in the government of Rachel Notley. He is now a member at large for the federal riding of Cowichan Malahat Langford as well as for the provincial riding of Cowichan.

As a lifelong NDP voter and a candidate in the 2016 BC election, Lori cites the most important part of her life as being a mother, grandmother and wife along with being a committed community volunteer. She has been a union member of CUPE working for the School District 79, and the Teamsters in books and magazine sales. She recently retired from a four-term position as an elected official at Cowichan Valley Regional District, in 2021-2022 as Board Chair. For more than 20 years she has been a Community Kitchens Facilitator, currently volunteering with South Cowichan Community Kitchens to teach low-income families how to budget, shop, and cook nutritious meals to take home to their families. With a smile, she says, “So now I have some free time to lend a helping hand to the CML Executive.”

David grew up in Chemainus and worked briefly in the ‘MacBlo’ Chemainus sawmill before its closure in 1982. He later worked as a summer student at the Chemainus Festival of Murals, developing an understanding of the fragility of one industry communities, and of their ability to adapt to survive.
David moved to Toronto and then to Richmond, working in supply chain management for various industries and in multiple capacities. His passion though was making sure that everyone shared in our prosperous society. As a community activist, he volunteered as Chair of the Richmond Poverty Response Committee for many years, building public support for affordable housing and community support for the most vulnerable among us. He was part of a team with Harold Steves and other activists that saved the Garden City Lands (130 acres of farmland in the heart of Richmond) from high density development.
David was politically active from a young age, growing up in a CCF/NDP family. He served as Treasurer and Vice-President of the BC Young New Democrats and was an active member of the Chemainus-based Tommy Douglas Club. While in Toronto, he served as President of the Willowdale NDP, and upon returning to BC he served as President of the federal Richmond New Democrat Riding Association. He is proud to have worked on many election campaigns across Canada, developing wonderful friendships.
Living now on Thetis Island, David is an active community member serving on multiple community groups and committees, as well as being on the Board of Directors for Social Planning Cowichan. He believes that climate change is an existential threat. We must all act both personally and collectively, building our local communities as a key foundation to climate change resilience.