Image: The Canadian Press / B.C. Green Leader Sonia Furstenau is pictured. With only five months to go until the writ is dropped for this year's election, the B.C. Green Party has yet to field a candidate in either the Chilliwack North or the Chilliwack-Cultus Lake riding. Meanwhile, the B.C. Conservatives have two candidates in place, B.C. United has one, and the B.C. NDP have two incumbents representing those two ridings. 

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Provincial election

B.C. Green Party has yet to field a candidate in two Chilliwack ridings

Apr 2, 2024 | 1:02 PM

CHILLIWACK — For a political party that once received nearly 17 per cent of the provincial vote seven years ago, the B.C. Green Party under leader Sonia Furstenau may have its work cut out for itself going into this year’s election.

With only five months left until the writ drops for the 43rd provincial general election, the Greens have fielded less than 12 candidates among 93 ridings and are polling at approximately 9.6 per cent in the latest Mainstreet Research survey. Another poll from Angus Reid in March had the Greens at 12 per cent.

Two of those ridings where the Greens have yet to field a candidate include Chilliwack North and Chilliwack-Cultus Lake. Attempts to reach the B.C. Green Party through media spokesperson JoJo Beattie were unsuccessful. Fraser Valley Today phoned and emailed Beattie in March but did not hear back.

Tim Cooper ran for the Greens in the Chilliwack riding in 2020, garnering nearly 11 per cent of the vote, while Jeff Hammersmark captured eight per cent of the vote in the Chilliwack-Kent riding in 2020.

Green leader Sonia Furstenau told The Canadian Press in a year-end interview in December 2023 that the approaching 2024 election was an opportunity for the Green Party to put forward issues that raise the bar for the province without worrying about wins and losses,

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“I’m looking forward to 2024 and I’m looking forward to the opportunity for all the parties to put their visions out to British Columbians,” said Furstenau, 53, in a year-end interview.

The B.C. Greens have two seats in the legislature after receiving 15 per cent of the popular vote in 2020.

Furstenau, who represents Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, said the campaign for the October election will see the Greens pushing for change on political, environmental, social, health and economic fronts, according to a story from The Canadian Press.

“I think our vision is rooted in reality,” she said. “It recognizes the challenges we face but it has effective, evidence-based solutions to get us to a much better place as a province. I’m really excited to talk about that all year long. I want us to talk about things in ways we are rising up, raising the bar,” Furstenau said.

Meanwhile, BC United has yet to field a candidate in the Chilliwack North riding. A spokesperson for the party, Adam Wilson, says the party has recruited high-quality candidates from throughout the province.

“BC United continues to attract high caliber candidates from across the province to represent BC United in the next election,” said Wilson, director of communications for B.C. United. “As the only party positioned to form government against the NDP, we continue to recruit candidates who are leaders in their sectors, including from healthcare, law, business and more. Our Team 2024 candidates can be found here: https://www.votebcunited.ca/team2024/ and will be updated as new candidates join our team, including the candidates for Chilliwack North and Abbotsford West.”

BC United has recruited 43 candidates to date, including Chilliwack Hospice Society executive director Sue Knott, who will run in the Chilliwack-Cultus Lake riding for the party.

The BC Conservatives received 34.2 per cent in the Mainstreet Research poll, putting them only 5.4 points behind the NDP (39.6 per cent). They have fielded over 50 candidates, including Chilliwack school trustee Heather Maahs in the Chilliwack North riding and Aaliya Warbus in the Chilliwack-Cultus Lake riding.