B.C. Greens leader plans to switch ridings in provincial election

VICTORIA — B.C. Greens Leader Sonia Furstenau says she’ll be switching ridings when the province goes to the polls in October.

Furstenau says she will run in NDP-held Victoria-Beacon Hill, which includes the province’s capital, after representing the Cowichan Valley since 2017.

She says returning to the capital is a “full circle moment” after having spent two decades there, including attending university and raising her first son.

The 2024 election will be the first with new boundaries for the Cowichan Valley riding, with some of its eastern communities now in a different riding. 

Furstenau says she was “surprised” by the boundary changes but the decision to run in Victoria is rooted in her desire to be closer to her family.

Victoria-Beacon Hill is currently represented by B.C.’s Minister of Children and Family Development Grace Lore, who won the seat in 2020 with 54 per cent of the vote.

In a post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Lore welcomed Furstenau to the community.

“Looking forward to discussing the issues that people in the community care about — housing, the climate crisis, reconciliation, health care, and more,” she said.

“I hope that even when we disagree on exactly how to reach a goal, we can remember the common values we have on so many issues.”

The Greens have two seats in the legislature after receiving 15 per cent of the popular vote in 2020, with Adam Olsen representing Saanich North and the Islands.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2024

The Canadian Press