Elections BC has confirmed the candidate list for the Oct. 24 provincial election, and it will be a three-way race in Powell River-Sunshine Coast.
NDP incumbent Nicholas Simons will be looking to secure a fifth term as the area’s MLA.
Kim Darwin, who finished a close third in 2017, coming within 100 votes of the Liberal candidate, will once again represent the Greens.
And Sandra Stoddart-Hansen has been confirmed as the Liberal candidate.
Elections BC said that there are 332 candidates vying for the 87 seats in the legislature, with 308 representing the province’s 10 registered political parties and 24 candidates running as independents.
Both the NDP and the Liberals are fielding a full slate of 87 candidates.
The Greens are running in 74 ridings.
At an Oct. 4 event highlighting the environment and some of the party’s youngest candidates, Green Leader Sonia Furstenau said given the early election call she’s happy with the number of candidates the Greens are running.
“When we were blindsided by this unnecessary election call, we had exactly zero candidates nominated,” she said. “In 11 days, one week after I became leader of this party, a very small, very committed incredibly hard-working staff managed to get 74 people on balance across this province and I think that that is an extraordinary achievement.”
NDP Leader John Horgan highlighted the diversity of the party’s 87 candidates, which includes the highest percentage of women, 53 per cent, to ever run for one party in B.C.
"I could not be more proud of our B.C. NDP team that represents the breadth of British Columbia in all its forms,” said Horgan in a release Oct. 2. “I’m excited for our team to bring their ideas and experiences together to serve the people of this beautiful province."
Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson called his party’s 87-candidate field “a renewed team” – seven Liberal incumbents chose not to run again.
“I am proud of the team that we have put together and looking forward to working with them for the best interests of our province,” said Wilkinson.
So far two local groups have announced plans for all-candidates forums.
VoiceLab said its event, to be broadcast via Zoom, Facebook Live and YouTube on Oct. 15 from 7 to 9 p.m., will be “an evening to present and promote the needs and ideas of young people and to hear from candidates about their platforms for the future.”
There’s more information at: www.voicelab.ca
The Sechelt and District Chamber of Commerce has scheduled a hybrid-style event Oct. 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Blue Ocean Golf Club in Sechelt. Seating at Blue Ocean will be limited and the event will also be online.
The forum will also be recorded for re-broadcast on CoastTV at 5:50 p.m. Oct. 20 and 23, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 21 and 7 p.m. Oct. 22
For more information visit: www.secheltchamber.bc.ca/events
All three Powell River-Sunshine Coast candidates now have their websites up and running.
Nicholas Simons (NDP):
https://nicholassimons.bcndp.ca/
Sandra Stoddart-Hansen (Liberal):
https://www.bcliberals.com/team/sandra-stoddart-hansen
Kim Darwin (Green):
