The next provincial election is on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. Candidates will be finalized on Sept. 28 and advanced voting begins on Oct. 10.
Here you’ll find all the information you need on the candidates, the parties, and how to vote in the B.C. election if you live in the Cowichan Valley region. This voter guide will be updated with more links, stories and information as it becomes available, leading up to Oct. 19.
Which electoral districts or ridings cover Cowichan?
This election, Cowichan straddles three electoral areas — Cowichan Valley, Juan de Fuca-Malahat and Ladysmith-Oceanside.
The electoral area boundaries changed this year, as per recommendations made by the BC Electoral Boundaries Commission. Boundaries are periodically reassessed to account for population changes.
What does this mean for you? You may not be in the same riding you were in last year. You can double-check which electoral district you’re in by inputting your address into this Elections BC tool online.
What’s going on with BC United and the Conservative Party of BC?
At the end of August, BC United (formerly BC Liberal Party) Leader Kevin Falcon announced he was suspending the campaign and withdrawing candidate nominations from his party. He encouraged people to support the Conservative Party of BC instead to avoid a split vote and prevent a BC New Democratic Party government. Some former BC United candidates, like Dale Parker in Nanaimo-Gabriola, are now running on the Conservative ticket. Meanwhile, former Juan de Fuca-Malahat BC United candidate Herb Haldane has dropped out of the race, endorsing NDP candidate Dana Lajeunesse instead.
But you might still see candidates from BC United on your ballot. The party is still running a select number of candidates in the election to ensure the party is still registered should its membership wish to rebuild it in the future, CBC News reports.
Who are the Candidates?
Cowichan Valley
- Jonathan Coleman, Unaffiliated, formerly BC United* (Facebook)
- Eden Haythornthwaite, Independent, (Website, Facebook)
- John Koury, Conservative Party of BC, (Website, Facebook, X)
- Cammy Lockwood, BC Green Party, (Website, Facebook, Instagram)
- Debra Toporowski, BC NDP (Website, Facebook, Instagram)
*Editor’s note, Sept. 23, 2024: Candidate Jonathan Coleman was previously listed on the Elections BC website as running for BC United. It has since been updated to say he is running as “unaffiliated.” Not long after BC United party leader Kevin Falcon announced that he was suspending the party’s campaign, Coleman posted on Facebook to say he was discussing with his family and wife about what to do next. He said he would provide an update, but it doesn’t appear he has done so yet. We will update as more information becomes available.
According to Elections BC, an unaffiliated candidate is different from an independent candidate. Independent candidates have filed a nomination application with a signed statement saying they are acting independently, whereas unaffiliated candidates have filed a nomination application without a signed statement of independence or a valid party endorsement. If a candidate or party refuse a party endorsement, a candidate can become unaffiliated.
*Editor’s note, Oct. 8, 2024: The Chemainus Valley Courier recently reported that Jonathan Coleman still intends to run in the Cowichan Valley as an unaffiliated candidate. “I checked with BC Elections and my name was still officially on the ballot as an unaffiliated candidate, so I figured that it was fate that I run in the Cowichan Valley,” he said in the article. Read it here. The Discourse has made multiple attempts to contact Coleman but has yet to hear back. He does not have an official website or social media pages as of right now.
Juan de Fuca-Malahat
- David Evans, BC Green Party (Website, Facebook, Instagram)
- Dana Lajeunesse, BC NDP (Website, Facebook, Instagram)
- Marina Sapozhnikov, Conservative Party of BC (Website, Facebook)
Ladysmith-Oceanside
- Brett Fee, Conservative Party of BC, (Website, Facebook, X)
- Laura Ferreira, BC Green Party (Website)
- Stephanie Higginson, BC NDP (Website, Facebook, Instagram)
- Adam Walker, Independent (Website)
- Lehann Wallace, BC United* (campaign suspended)
*Editor’s note, Sept. 23, 2024: Former BC United candidate Lehann Wallace announced on Facebook on Sept. 19 that she will not be running as an independent candidate “to ensure Ladysmith-Oceanside has the best opportunity to unseat the NDP.” Wallace did not endorse any specific candidate but said she is hopeful that the independent candidates across the province, including former BC United candidates, will “offer a balance of power that has been sorely lacking.”
We have also updated the story with the website for Independent candidate Adam Walker’s campaign, linked above.
We have updated the story with Ladysmith-Oceanside BC Green Party candidate, Laura Ferreira.
All-candidates meetings in Cowichan
- Friday, Oct. 4, 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m: Hosted by the Cowichan Lake District Chamber of Commerce at Centennial Hall, 311 South Shore Rd., Lake Cowichan. Read coverage of this meeting from sixmountains.ca.
- Monday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m: The Downtown Duncan BIA is hosting a small business-focused all-candidates forum at Duncan United Church, 246 Ingram St., Duncan.
- Sunday, Oct. 13, noon: The Mill Bay Community League will host Juan de Fuca-Malahat candidates for an all-candidates debate at 1035 Shawnigan Lake-Mill Bay Rd.
Where can I find more information about the parties?
- Conservative Party of BC, find the platform here
- BC Green Party, find the platform here
- BC NDP, find the platform here
- BC United (campaign suspended)
Your election questions, answered
What are Cowichan Valley candidates saying about health care?
Involuntary addictions treatment: Here’s what experts want you to know before you vote
What are Cowichan Valley candidates saying about the environment?
What are Cowichan Valley candidates saying about homelessness and social supports?
Q&A: Cowichan Valley election candidates answer your questions on housing
What B.C. election issues are top of mind in the Cowichan Valley?
Cowichan candidates get down to business at Duncan forum – Cowichan Valley Citizen
Cowichan candidates talk affordability, health, environment – Cowichan Valley Citizen
How do British Columbia’s three main parties compare on these election issues? – CBC News
How do I vote?
- If you are at least 18 years old, a Canadian citizen and a resident of B.C. since April 18, 2024, you are eligible to vote. You don’t need photo ID to vote but you do need to prove your identity and address.
- You can vote at any district electoral office in the province, as long as you have proof of identity and address.
- You do not need a voter card to vote.
- You can vote by mail if you request a vote by mail package by 4 p.m., Oct. 19, but Elections BC must receive your vote by mail package no earlier than Sept. 21 and no later than 8 p.m. on Oct. 19.
- Voting day is on Oct. 19, 2024. Advanced voting will be from Oct. 10 to 13 and Oct. 15 and 16, 2024. Advanced voting polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. More information on how to vote can be found on Elections BC’s website.
- Voters are entitled to four consecutive hours free from work to vote during advance polls or on election day. This doesn’t mean you’ll receive four hours off work, but that voters must have a four-hour period free from work during voting hours. Voting hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where can I vote?
Preliminary voting places for the 2024 provincial election are available online. You can find a list of advance voting places and election day voting places on the Elections BC website.
Resources for fact-checking
The Elections BC website has resources for voters, including links to tools for fact-checking information, how to spot fraudulent websites and social media accounts and how to counter disinformation. Find those resources here.
The website also addresses false information about elections and the electoral process in the province.
