FORMER Maple Ridge city councillor, school trustee, and health care project manager Cheryl Ashlie will be the BC Liberal candidate in Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows.

A mother of three and active community volunteer who was named the Maple Ridge Community Foundation’s Citizen of the Year in 2017, Ashlie will be officially nominated on February 1 and begin working to close the 1,617-vote gap that separated the BC Liberals and NDP locally in the 2017 election.

“I’m very proud to have Cheryl joining our BC Liberal team as our first new candidate for the next election,” said Andrew Wilkinson, BC Liberal leader. “Cheryl is an outstanding community leader who deeply understands the needs and aspirations of Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows residents, and she will be an exceptionally effective MLA.”

“I can’t wait to start knocking on doors, listening to voters, and sharing our positive B.C. Liberal vision for Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows,” said Ashlie. “We deserve a government that will stand up for local residents, fight for more affordable auto insurance and lower taxes, and invest in the services our community needs.”

The BC Liberals have also set a date for the candidate selection meeting for Abbotsford South. A nomination contest is currently underway, and local party members will select the successful candidate on February 8.

Candidate Biography:

Cheryl Ashlie is a long-time champion for the people of Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows.

Cheryl was elected two times to Maple Ridge City Council, and served three terms on the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School Board, where she advanced education improvements for children and families. A mother of three children who attended local public schools, she has also been an active PAC member.

Her dedication and leadership in education, health care, and community advocacy earned her the Maple Ridge Community Foundation’s annual Citizen of the Year Award in 2017.

Currently working as a project manager in family medical services, Cheryl is president of the Alouette River Management Society – a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the Alouette River watershed and serves on the Ridge Meadows Education Foundation board of directors as secretary. She has taken on volunteer leadership roles in the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Community Services, the Substance Mis-Use Prevention Task Force, the 2009 BC Disability Games and volunteered with annual events such as the Terry Fox Run, MS Walk/Run, and Ridge Meadows Hospice Vista Run.

Cheryl’s deep experience working for the betterment of her community gives her a unique and detailed perspective on the issues and opportunities facing residents in Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows.