The referendum results over the HST question saw residents in the Boundary - Similkameen region vote yes to scrapping the tax by a margin of 59.8 per cent to 40.52 per cent against.
A total of 16,272 valid votes were cast in the provincial electoral area.
Early Friday afternoon, the HST result was the prime topic amongst patrons in front of the K Cafe in Keremeos. The popular eatery has been leading the charge in the Lower Similkameen with respect to the “vote yes” campaign.
Owner Tracy Erickson was away on holiday Friday afternoon, not available for comment. However, Marji Basso, recently nominated BC NDP candidate for the Boundary Similkaneen was in Keremeos Friday morning, to meet with residents and thank the patrons at the K Cafe for their work on the campaign.
“This is a momentous day for the people of B.C.,” she said.
“The citizens of this area and the province sent a strong message that they are not in favour of a regressive tax that burdens our working families, while failing to stimulate the economy.”
“I would like to thank all the volunteers who worked endlessly to make sure that accurate information was present to the general public, as well as commend those who took time to participate by voting in this true act of democracy. Your efforts have shown the Liberals that the citizens of this province want a responsible government who make transparent decisions.”
It appears that the local farming community is not impressed with the result, according to a source at the cafe.
Provincial Finance Minister Kevin Falcon has announced that the tax system will return to pre HST configurations, with the same tax exemptions prior to the HST implementation. It is expected to take 18 months to complete the transition.