Image: Zeeshan Khan / Chilliwack resident Zeeshan Khan.
Federal election

Update: Chilliwack-Hope Liberal Party candidate says he’s ‘humbled and honored’ to run

Apr 2, 2025 | 7:39 PM

UPDATE: Zeeshan Khan has issued a statement on Facebook about being acclaimed as the Liberal Party candidate for Chilliwack-Hope:

“Thirteen years ago in April, Gulrukh & I made one of the hardest decisions of our lives. We left behind our careers, our family, and our friends—all in search of a better future. With three small kids, we arrived in Canada with nothing but hope, determination, and the will to start from scratch.
“The journey was never easy. There were struggles, sacrifices, and moments of doubt. But through it all, the greatest gift has been the people we met along the way. From stepping into a community where we knew no one, today, we are surrounded by hundreds of incredible friends who have become our family.
“And now, after 13 years, I am humbled and honored to be running as a Member of Parliament candidate (Chilliwack-Hope) for the Liberal Party of Canada | Parti libéral du Canada under the Leadership of Mark Carney to represent this beautiful community. My community projects in Chilliwack stand as a testament to my vision of bringing people together, fostering inclusivity, and strengthening the bonds that make our community so special. I firmly believe that people need to know how much you care before they care how much you know. And those who know me, know that I genuinely care about others.
“Let’s run this campaign with dignity, kindness, empathy, and hard work. With my team I will be knocking thousands of doors in next couple of weeks and will be requesting your support!! Let’s show the real power of community coming together to make a change in Chilliwack!!”
Khan has since reached out to Fraser Valley Today to say he has been inundated with messages of support from people, following his announcement.
Original story below from 7:39 p.m. Thursday night: 

CHILLIWACK — With five days left until the nomination process closes, the Liberal Party of Canada has found someone local to represent the Chilliwack-Hope riding in the upcoming federal election.

According to an email of confirmation from Liberal Party spokesperson Youmy Han, Chilliwack resident Zeeshan Khan has been acclaimed as the Liberal candidate.

Canada Elections Tracker, an election tracking social media account on X/Twitter, pointed out that the Chilliwack-Hope riding was one of the 10 remaining electoral districts that had not yet nominated and acclaimed a candidate as of Tuesday morning, April 1.

Khan’s acclamation comes after the party wrongly selected Jake Sawatzky last weekend, only to rescind the nomination and apologize for the error.

Fraser Valley Today profiled Khan in a March 2024 story when he was selected as the keynote speaker at a civic function in Chilliwack. At the time, Khan, who is married with children, worked as a child and youth care worker at Vedder Middle School. He co-founded Streams Foundation Canada, a volunteer-based non-profit organization working in Chilliwack. Khan has also been a member of the City of Chilliwack Accessibility and Inclusion Committee.

More recently, Khan graduated with a degree in nonprofit management from Simon Fraser University.

Khan will be one of five candidates who intend to run in Chilliwack-Hope, along with longtime Chilliwack-Hope MP Mark Strahl, People’s Party of Canada candidate Jeff Galbraith, Green Party of Canada candidate Salina Derish and NDP candidate Teri Westerby.

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