Canadian hockey legend Ken Dryden says Okanagan/Coquihalla Liberal MP candidate Ross Rebagliati, an Olympic gold medalist, knows what it takes to succeed.

With the constant threat of a federal election under the Tory minority government, the Liberals are pushing 1998 Nagano Olympics snowboarding champion Ross Rebagliati as the best candidate for the Okanagan/Coquihalla constituency.

“I think the people who are the best in anything and the best parliamentarians are people who have some measure of achievement in something beforehand,” said York Centre MP Ken Dryden, following a¬ round table forum on poverty at Okanagan College in Kelowna, Friday afternoon.

“The something can be anything—it can be teaching it can be law, it can be farming, it can be insurance—whatever it is, but people who have achieved in something.”

“If you've achieved in something, you know what it feels like to achieve, you know what your standards are, you know what makes you feel satisfied and what doesn't, (and) you know something of the kind of focus and discipline that is required to get there,” continued Dryden.

Following the round table, Dryden and Rebagliati attended a private function before they gave speeches at the Coast Capri Hotel.

“The way I see it, if you didn't win against the best guys, it wasn't really a win,” says Rebagliati of competing at the highest level in international snowboarding.

“Through my social activities, charity work, and getting involved in running in the next federal election, I think, just really shows character and I think that's what people notice.”

While the two internationally-acclaimed former athletes shared stories with a mostly Liberal-supporting audience in the Capri hotel conference room, they also addressed what they say are major social problems in Canada.

Reblagiati says his primary aims, should he manage to defeat current Okanagan/Coquihalla MP Stockwell Day in the next federal election, are childcare, affordable education, minimum wage, and getting the senior population more involved and interacting with younger generations.

“Our kids are graduating from high school with no real working skills,” he explained.

“In Europe, kids come out of high school ticketed.”

He says he would also like to work on improving after-school programs for children, and developing opportunities for children in not only team, but extreme sports like snowboarding.

Dryden, a former social development minister under then Prime Minister Paul Martin, brought up many of the social concerns as Rebagliati throughout his speech.

Earlier Friday, Dryden, Rebagliati, local politicians, and social advocacy groups worked through a round table challenge based on homelessness and affordable housing.

“I've done these round tables before about poverty and it's a really good group,” says Dryden.

“There are a lot of people in this area that do terrific work, whether it's addictions, mental health, housing, childcare, seniors, (or) people with disabilities.”

“They provide all kinds of great services and they are tough to provide. You're always stretched and you're always hoping for the next dollar to be able to continue with the service that you provide.”

Participants took on the role of cabinet ministers, “elected on a promise to reduce poverty significantly,” who had two hours to come up with a plan.

“Just a litany of what's wrong isn't a plan or a litany of programs and policies isn't a plan-what are those things that matter the most, what's credible, and why will this time be different?”

“It becomes a pretty intense couple of hours,” says Dryden.

“Most of the work that I've done in the six years that I've been in parliament, whether its minister of social development or now in opposition, has to do with social justice questions in the broader sense.”

Currently, Rebagliati campaigners are putting teams together and finalizing a campaign manager.

“We hear that there is going to be one (election) maybe in the fall, so we do have some time to prepare for it,” said Rebagliati.

“We're also gearing up to have Michael Ignatieff come through the riding at some point during his summer tour.”