April 28 - It's election day

Good morning !

It's finally election day, and we've gathered together all the info you need—other than, of course, what your own choice at the ballot box will be.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌧 13 / 9

Tomorrow: ⛅ 16 / 9

Wednesday: ☀️ 17 / 7

NEWS

What you need to know for Election Day

How & where to vote

At this point, the way to vote is to go to your assigned polling station during the 12 hours it is open today. Your assigned polling station should be listed on your voter information card, or can be determined by entering your postal code on the Elections Canada site.

You can vote with one, two, or even zero pieces of ID. Check here to see what (or who) you need to bring with you.

If you are voting by mail, via a special ballot, the rules will differ depending on whether you are in your riding or outside it today. If you are in your riding and still have a mail ballot today, it will likely make more sense to drop it off than to try to mail it.

Get to know your local ridings & candidates

Victoria 

The core riding includes the City of Victoria, Oak Bay, and part of Saanich. If you live south of Harriet, Tolmie, North Dairy and Finnerty, or East of Shelbourne, this is your riding. It is held by Laurel Collins, and has been an NDP riding since 2006.

This year's candidates are:

• Laurel Collins, NDP

• Will Greaves, Liberal

• Angus Ross, Conservative

• Michael Doherty, Green

• Dave Mohr, PPC

• Steve Filipovic, Independent

• Mary Moreau, Christian Heritage

• Cody Fraser, Rhinoceros

You can read more about the riding and candidates here.

You can read candidates' Q&A responses here.

Saanich–Gulf Islands

The riding’s boundaries include the municipalities of Saanich, Central Saanich, North Saanich, Sidney, and several Southern Gulf Islands. It's home to approximately 113K people, according to the 2021 census.

The riding has been one of the few Green strongholds in the country—Elizabeth May has held the seat since 2011, and has consistently won a large majority during each election.

This year's candidates are:

• Elizabeth May, Green (incumbent)

• Cathie Ounsted, Conservative

• David Beckham, Liberal

• Colin Plant, NDP

You can read more about the riding and candidates here.

You can read candidates' Q&A responses here.

Cowichan–Malahat–Langford

This is a vast riding first contested in 2015. It has been held by the NDP's Alistair MacGregor since then. The riding is split fairly evenly between the Cowichan Valley and Langford portions of the riding. Candidates have been campaigning in both, and whoever is elected would likely maintain the current approach of having two different constituents' offices.

This year's candidates are:

• Alistair MacGregor, NDP (incumbent)

• Jeff Kibble, Conservative

• Blair Herbert, Liberal

• Kathleen Code, Green

• Dagmar Goeschick, PPC

You can read more about the riding and candidates here.

You can read candidates' Q&A responses here.

You can read responses organized candidate-by-candidate here.

Esquimalt–Saanich–Sooke

Like the other Westshore ridings, this is a descendant of Esquimalt Juan de Fuca—which changed hands through various parties in its day. Esquimalt–Saanich–Sooke skirts underneath the other Westshore riding, going along the coastline from Sooke at the edge through Metchosin and Colwood and then Esquimalt, and cuts inland to include View Royal and parts of Saanich.

Randall Garrison (NDP) won the riding multiple times before retiring late last year.

This year's candidates are:

• Maja Tait, NDP

• ‍Stephanie McLean, Liberal

• ‍Grant Cool, Conservative

• ‍Ben Homer-Dixon, Green

• Robert Crooks, Communist

• ‍David Schaafsma, Christian Heritage

• ‍Param Bhatti, Independent

You can read more about the riding and candidates here.

You can read candidates' Q&A responses here.

You can read responses organized candidate-by-candidate here.

Election Hub

You can read more election info, about both local candidates and federal parties, at our Election Hub. It includes our candidate surveys, which asked local contenders about 8 key issues:

1. Housing

2. Public Safety

3. Health

4. Transportation

5. Cost of Living

6. Environment

7. US Relations

8. Their Pitch to Voters

Finally, we will update the local results as they are confirmed tonight. They will be shared in tomorrow’s newsletter, but if you want a head start, you can check out our election results page later tonight.

Local ridings' narratives to watch

Victoria: NDP & Liberals battle for progressive-leaning seat

This riding has been NDP territory for some decades, but it now looks like a battleground as the Liberals have been pushing this election to try to flip it—including with a recent visit from party leader Mark Carney. Incumbent Laurel Collins took over from Murray Rankin in 2019 when he switched to provincial politics. Collins has become known as a prominent progressive voice in Parliament this decade, and the NDP keeping her seat could be key to the NDP retaining full party status amid a national dip in polling.

Saanich–Gulf Islands: Will May stay?

For well over a decade, the riding has been synonymous with Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May. She returned as party-co-leader after the Greens’ tumultuous 2021 campaign, and is running again after shaking off a health scare a few years ago.

But her seat may now be vulnerable, with the Liberals looking to make inroads and prominent Saanich councillor Colin Plant running for the NDP. If neither can upset May outright, a split among those contenders (and the riding's lack of a PPC candidate) could open the door for Conservative Cathie Ounsted to break through. May and Ounsted sparred at an all-candidates debate, with May accusing Ounsted of calling her a “cow.” 

Esquimalt–Saanich–Sooke: Will former Garrison seat change hands?

Randall Garrison held the riding comfortably for 17 years, with multiple landslide wins (including during the Liberal rise in 2015). Today will show whether his personal popularity or his party's was the driving factor there. Sooke mayor Maja Tait has been lined up as his successor for years. But she faces a wide field of major-party, minor-party, and independent candidates. The race is expected to be close between Tait, Conservative Grant Cool, and Liberal (formerly of the Alberta NDP) Stephanie McLean.

Cowichan–Malahat–Langford: Another NDP challenge

The NDP faces a similar challenge in keeping its seat in the face of a strong Conservative challenge and a nationwide Liberal rise. It also became one of several flashpoints regarding the Conservative party's preference of holding town halls rather than sending candidates to all-party forums. The other contenders criticized Jeff Kibble in particular for holding his private events with a local museum operator who is an acquaintance of Donald Trump Jr.

Nanaimo–Ladysmith: A true toss-up?

This is expected to be one of the few genuine four-way races in Canada, with the Greens and NDP both fielding recent MPs, the Liberals riding a national surge, and the Conservatives (who have come close in the recent past) hoping to take advantage of a vote split among the others.

Courtenay–Alberni: Will seat flip back to blue?

Incumbent Gordon Johns is trying to stave off a resurgence by the Conservatives, who previously held the region for decades.

North Island–Powell River: Frontrunner attracts heavy scrutiny

Conservative Aaron Gunn is widely seen as the frontrunner but his campaign has attracted national attention (and widespread condemnation) for many of his past comments including claiming that residential schools were not genocide. The contention in the riding culminated in a debacle last week with the candidate debate abruptly cancelled. 

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🗞️ In Other News

Victoria vigil honours victims hit by driver at Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver
On Sat., 11 people were killed and 17 still remain in hospital. Yesterday, a crowd gathered at the Legislature for an event organized by Anakbayan Victoria, a Filipino youth organization. A number of MLAs from across BC attended, and tributes are also being left at the Bayanihan Centre on Blanshard. [Times Colonist]

Home and vehicles burn in Esquimalt fire
Crews with Esquimalt Fire Fighters IAFF 4264 said that the 3am blaze was hard to fight due to damaged live power lines that could have fallen. The occupants made it out, they say, but had smoke inhalation and minor injuries and are now out of a home.

Olympic hopefuls shine at TC10K 
The men's fastest finishers were Liam Donnelly and Martin Sobey—Donnelly came in 14 seconds ahead to win the race. Both were recently named to the Team Canada longlist for Olympic triathlon, and will race in Japan next month. Olympian Dayna Pidhoresky won the women's race for the fourth time (2017, 18, 22). [Times Colonist]

$1.8B in dam upgrades continue near Campbell River
The John Hart, Ladore, and Strathcona dams are being upgraded such that by 2030 they will be able to handle a once-in-10,000-years 9.0 earthquake. [CHEK]

🗓️ Things to do

🍰 Cake Decoration Workshop: Visit Flourish BeauTea in Langford for a fun and creative evening learning new techniques, meeting fellow cake enthusiasts, and unleashing your inner artist. Today. 6:15pm. [Info]

🧠 Trivia at 5th Street Bar and Grill. Test your knowledge and grab a bite. Today. 7:30pm. [Info]

🚍 BC Transit public input sessions for route changes that could come later this year: Tues. at Langford Transit Exchange (7-8:30am), UVic Exchange (10-11:30am), and Mary Winspear (1-2:30pm). [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Sunday news: 11 produce delivery boxes in Victoria. CRD pursues AAP for SEAPARC. Grizzlies win hockey series. [April 27]

Body found during fire call at Gorge Rd. E & Washington. [Times Colonist]

Hundreds of Americans visit Nanaimo, drawn in by viral video. [NanaimoNewsNow]

Meet Tilley, the newest guinea pig at Beacon Hill. [Instagram photos]