B.C. New Democrats win both byelections, keep seats on Island and Vancouver

VICTORIA — British Columbia’s New Democrats posted victories in two byelections Saturday, keeping seats held earlier this year by a former premier and a cabinet minister.

Community activist Joan Phillip won by a large margin in the urban Vancouver-Mount Pleasant constituency, receiving almost 68 per cent of the vote, while Ravi Parmar was elected with 53 per cent of the vote in the southern Vancouver Island riding of Langford-Juan de Fuca.

Both ridings, with Langford previously being held by former premier John Horgan, and Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, represented by former cabinet minister Melanie Mark, were considered NDP strongholds.

Horgan attended the victory celebration at the NDP’s Langford-Juan de Fuca campaign headquarters, where he took pleasure in posting the election results on chalkboard at the front of the room.