PENTICTON — Nine days after the writ dropped, the provincial election campaign takes a bit of a pause for a statutory holiday.
Wednesday marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, closing Elections BC district offices across the province. Nominations officially close on October 3 at 1 p.m. Pacific, with final voting day scheduled for Saturday, October 24.
Update — 3:49 p.m. PDT
OneBC retaliates and reopens contest in two seats set aside for 'principled conservatives'
OneBC has abandoned its non-aggression pact in two high-profile ridings, announcing plans to challenge sitting Conservative incumbents in North Island and Kelowna Centre.
In a video published Wednesday afternoon, OneBC Leader Dallas Brodie confirmed the party is fielding candidates against Conservative MLA Anna Kindy in North Island and incumbent Kristina Loewen in Kelowna Centre.
Loewen held her seat by just 40 votes following a judicial recount in 2024. Brodie did not disclose the names of the two OneBC designates.
Given the close margin of victory for the Conservatives in 2024, however, the insertion of a OneBC candidate in Kelowna Centre presents a very real threat of a right-of-centre vote split, resulting in the riding going to the NDP.
“As you know, OneBC has decided to optimize the conservative movement,” Brodie said. “In a gesture of good will we were willing to avoid running candidates against real conservatives in tight ridings. In response, not only was there no cooperation, but also the same corruption and backroom dealing that has derailed the province. This is not acceptable behaviour, and as a result, we will be running two amazing candidates in North Island and in Kelowna Centre."
The decision marks a direct reversal of the courtesy list circulating earlier this week, which identified eight Conservative candidates OneBC initially planned to leave unchallenged. That list included Loewen, Kindy, Heather Maahs in Chilliwack North, Sharon Hartwell in Bulkley Valley-Stikine, Macklin McCall in West Kelowna-Peachland, Sheldon Clare in Prince George-North Cariboo, David Williams in Salmon Arm-Shuswap, and Lawrence Mok in Maple Ridge East.
While OneBC previously adjusted its strategy in Prince George-North Cariboo and Salmon Arm-Shuswap due to low NDP ceilings, North Island and Kelowna Centre represent a direct expansion of Conservative-on-OneBC contests.
The move follows the Conservatives' nomination of Carson Binda in Vancouver-Quilchena on Tuesday night to run directly against Brodie.
Despite the escalating friction between the two right-of-centre parties, Brodie maintained that OneBC remains committed to "defeating the NDP."
Update — 2:22 p.m. PDT
Eby comments on Tsawwassen Mills parking lot crash
BC NDP Leader David Eby has commented on the fact that two people are dead and two others were hospitalized after a vehicle struck four pedestrians in the Tsawwassen Mills parking lot on Wednesday morning.
"On a day already set aside for solemn reflection, a tragedy during the Tsawwassen First Nation Truth and Reconciliation event has shocked and saddened us all,” Eby posted to X.
Platform users subsequently added a Community Note to Eby's post highlighting police statements that confirmed the collision was unrelated to the reconciliation walk itself.
The incident occurred around 10:25 a.m. in South Delta on Tsawwassen First Nation land. Emergency responders treated two victims at the scene before transporting them to hospital, while preliminary police reports indicate the driver may have suffered a medical emergency. Delta Police have not released names or laid charges as the investigation remains ongoing.
Eby has not yet amended his original post, provided additional context, or offered an explanation for why he felt it appropriate to tie his comments to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Update — 9:40 a.m. PDT
Green Leader Emily Lowan targets renters with housing push
BC Green Leader Emily Lowan spent the statutory morning focusing on housing, unveiling key party commitments and taking direct aim at the NDP's record on tenant protections.
In media clips published Wednesday by Sitka Media, Lowan pledged to immediately restart the Community Housing Fund and the Indigenous Housing Fund, build and protect 26,000 affordable units annually, introduce vacancy control to tie rent increases to the unit rather than the tenant, and ban "no pet" clauses in rental agreements.
The proposed restart references $1.4 billion in housing-strategy funding reallocated over three years in Budget 2026, which included a pause on new intakes for the $3.3 billion Community Housing Fund launched in 2018.
The Union of BC Municipalities voted earlier this month in Vancouver to request Victoria restore the program.
Lowan, who rents her home alongside roughly 33% of British Columbians, criticized the governing party's handling of the housing crisis.
“British Columbians deserve a government that's willing to stand up for them, that's willing to deliver affordability, and protect renters from the people trying to squeeze profits out of them,” Lowan said Wednesday.
“That's why BC Greens are pledging to immediately restart the $1.4 billion community housing fund, and the Indigenous Housing Fund, with a goal of building and protecting 26,000 units of affordable housing every year. We will pass vacancy control, which ties rent increases to a unit, not a tenant so landlords can't look at an eviction as an easy way to hike grants."
Lowan went further: "We'll ban no pet clauses, which drive 25% of cats and dogs being handed over to shelters away from their owners. British Columbians are done being forced into impossible decisions over something as vital as shelter, and the BC Greens have the grassroots support to deliver better for BC," Lowan continued.
According to a Green Party brief released Tuesday, implementing vacancy control would keep annual rent increase decisions with the Residential Tenancy Branch, removing financial incentives for landlords to evict tenants for market rate resets.
Update — 8:45 a.m.
Another poll puts Conservatives ahead
New polling data provides the first snapshot of voter intentions nine days after the writ dropped.
A survey conducted September 24–28 by Leger for TrendingPolitics.ca places the Conservatives ahead at 39% among decided voters, followed by the NDP at 36%, the Greens at 13%, OneBC at 5%, and CentreBC at 5%. The three-point gap between the frontrunners sits within the survey's 3.1-point margin of error, representing an online sample of 1,003 adult British Columbians.
The polling highlights significant fluidity in the electorate, with 28% of respondents indicating they could still change their mind — a figure that rises to 41% among voters aged 18 to 34.
Overall public sentiment remains critical, with 58% stating the province is on the wrong track and 57% expressing disapproval of the early election call compared to 28% who approved.
Despite the Conservatives holding a narrow lead on the generic ballot, David Eby retains an edge on the leadership question. When asked who they preferred as premier, 39% of respondents chose Eby compared to 35% for interim Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson.
Addressing the poll results during a media availability in Vancouver, Doerkson sought to dispel suggestions that his party is unprepared to form government.
However, the data shows a close race as the campaign enters its second week, with Eby maintaining his lead as top choice for premier while both major parties work to solidify support before final voting day on October 24.
Campaign pauses for Truth and Reconciliation Day
While the campaign takes a bit of a break for the statutory holiday, NDP Leader David Eby still has a high-profile event on his itinerary.
Eby will spend Wednesday morning at Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc after receiving an invitation to mark the day at the Powwow Arbour following a weekend gathering on the reserve.
The Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak was scheduled for the same event, with political remarks set for noon for nation leadership and invited dignitaries.
The visit follows action from the First Nations Leadership Council, which condemned what it called "white nationalist" activity on the reserve on Tuesday.
On Sunday, Eby called the masked gathering “cowards” and “anti-British Columbia,” while Prime Minister Mark Carney described the act as “abhorrent” on Monday night.
Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson did not publish a public Wednesday itinerary. His final post on the authorized leader account on Tuesday afternoon pledged to eliminate the PST on Canadian beer, wine, and spirits.
CentreBC Leader Elenore Sturko released a statement Tuesday evening honoring residential school survivors, children who never came home, and their families.
“The truth of these schools cannot be separated from the work of reconciliation today,” Sturko wrote, adding that the work “requires more than words."
Green Leader Emily Lowan expressed support for Indigenous nations opposing LNG Canada Phase 2 on the eve of the statutory day, while OneBC Leader Dallas Brodie did not post a Wednesday itinerary.
Conservatives tap Carson Binda for Vancouver-Quilchena showdown
The Conservative Party machine continued its candidate rollouts late Tuesday, releasing a card for Vancouver-Quilchena.
Carson Binda, former British Columbia director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, was named as the party's candidate to challenge OneBC Leader Dallas Brodie. Binda previously advocated for lower taxes, accountable government, and responsible public spending, alongside work on municipal, provincial, and federal campaigns and service as a logistics officer in the army reserve.
Vancouver-Quilchena represents the sole Conservative riding win inside Vancouver from 2024, when Brodie secured the seat 11,464 to 8,649.
Conservative Leader John Rustad removed Brodie from caucus in March 2025. Brodie subsequently co-founded OneBC, survived a recall petition in July, and is seeking re-election under the OneBC banner.
The contest marks the first direct Conservative-on-OneBC fight inside Vancouver. While OneBC announced Sunday it would avoid contesting eight "principled" Conservatives.
Court stays DULF convictions, strikes down trafficking provision
In a major legal development Tuesday, BC Supreme Court Justice Catherine Murray stayed the convictions of Drug User Liberation Front co-founders Jeremy Kalicum and Eris Nyx and declared Section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act of no force or effect.
Justice Murray suspended the constitutional declaration for six months. The co-founders were previously found guilty on November 7, 2025, of three counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking after operating a Downtown Eastside storefront distributing tested heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
The storefront previously operated with a limited Section 56 exemption from Vancouver Coastal Health for storage and drug testing, supported by $200,000 in annual health authority funding.
The Ministry of Health directed VCH to terminate the lease and funding in October 2023 following public scrutiny.
Eby previously stated the operators were "breaking the law, which we will not tolerate."
Claire Rattée, Conservative candidate-designate in Skeena, posted a video response Tuesday night criticizing the decision.
“If that approach was working, why was it necessary for a publicly funded organization to turn to the dark web to buy and sell illicit drugs?” Rattée said, arguing that individuals struggling with addiction deserve compassion, treatment, and recovery.
Justice Murray noted in her ruling that an urgently needed non-medicalized "safer-supply" framework is required and referred legislative action to Parliament. The statute remains active during the six-month suspension, and the storefront remains closed.
Conservatives Finalize Ten-Candidate Slate in Surrey
The Conservative Party locked in its full slate of candidates across Surrey on Tuesday, releasing a ten-name roster under Leader Lorne Doerkson’s name.
The party’s Surrey ticket includes sitting MLAs Trevor Halford in Surrey-White Rock, Bryan Tepper in Surrey-Panorama, and Mandeep Dhaliwal in Surrey North. Joining them are Jessy Sahota in Surrey-Serpentine River, Nicholas Cartmell in Surrey-Cloverdale, Harj Dhaliwal in Surrey-Newton, Garry Purewal in Surrey-Fleetwood, Zeeshan Wahla in Surrey City Centre, and White Rock Mayor Megan Knight in Surrey South.
Knight was removed from the October 17 municipal mayoral ballot on Monday following approval from the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs.
Rounding out the slate in Surrey-Guildford is Gurpreet Gary Thind, setting up a high-stakes rematch against NDP incumbent Garry Begg, who won the seat by just 22 votes in 2024 following an automatic judicial recount.
LNG Canada Phase 2
On Tuesday morning, Carney and Eby gathered in Vancouver to mark the final investment decision on LNG Canada Phase 2.
The political roots of British Columbia's LNG industry remain a point of friction on the campaign trail. Former BC Liberal premier Christy Clark championed LNG expansion as early as 2011, establishing the provincial fiscal framework and environmental assessment certificate that made Kitimat bankable.
When pressed on Monday about Clark's foundational role in launching the industry, Eby dismissed her past strategy, characterizing her administration's approach as "let 'er rip" on environmental standards while noting it failed to deliver an operational facility during her tenure.
With Clark recently appearing on the Conservative campaign trail in Kelowna Centre alongside incumbent Kristina Loewen, the NDP's claim to the sector's success faces direct challenge from right-of-centre organizers. Loewen, who won her seat by 40 votes in 2024, provided a statement to the Western Standard regarding her campaign focus.
“British Columbians are looking for those right-of-centre to come together, put differences aside, and focus on the issues that matter most,” Loewen said. “David Eby called this self-serving election to try and hide from his record."
"There is too much at stake to allow anything else to distract from the work that needs to be done. My priority is bringing people together, earning the trust of the voters in Kelowna Centre, and making sure voters have a clear alternative to the decade of disaster under the NDP," Loewen continued.
The NDP has nominated Loyal Wooldridge for the Kelowna Centre rematch.
