OneBC ‘overwhelmed’ with candidates but fails to get party status before B.C. vote

VANCOUVER — OneBC failed to gain official party status in the British Columbia legislature before the provincial election was called, but its leader says hundreds of people want to be their candidates in the Oct. 24 vote.

Dallas Brodie says in a video statement on social media that they’re overwhelmed with more than 300 people who have signed up to be candidates, donations are pouring in and members are joining.

The right-leaning party narrowly failed to achieve official status in the legislature after Conservative defector Brent Chapman didn’t submit papers on his switch to OneBC before the election was called on Tuesday.

While Chapman, the husband of former Conservative leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay, announced his move on social media about an hour before the election was called, the office of the clerk of the legislature says he did not advise the Speaker or the clerk’s office before dissolution, meaning there was no change to party standings.