April 29 - Liberals win federal election

Good morning !

Mark Carney will continue as prime minister after running a pro-Canada, anti-Trump campaign. The Liberals will form a minority government with the Conservatives in opposition.

Below, we look at the winners from each South Island riding—read on to see which regions flipped and which stayed the same.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

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Today: 🌤️ 14 / 6

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Thursday: ☀️ 14 / 9

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NEWS

Federal Election 2025: Liberals win nationally and flip the Victoria riding

Mark Carney can now say he’s a prime minister elected by the public. His Liberal Party will form a minority government with Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives in opposition. The Liberals are currently elected or leading in 168 seats (43.5%) and Conservatives are currently elected or leading in 144 seats (41.4%). 

Liberals won big in Victoria as well—Will Greaves took 52.9% of the vote count at 12am, unseating NDP incumbent Laurel Collins in an upset with more than double the votes. Collins trailed behind with 25.1%. Conservative candidate Angus Ross got 18.4%.

Another Liberal, Stephanie McLean, comfortably won her seat in Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke with 48.3%. Conservative Grant Cool got a cool 29.1% and NDP Maja Tait received 19%.

Elizabeth May held on to her seat—the Green Party’s lone spot in Parliament—in Saanich-Gulf Islands for the fifth time, by a significant margin, with 39.5%. Liberal candidate David Beckham got 30.3% and Conservative candidate Cathie Ounsted got 25.9%. 

Cowichan-Malahat-Langford turned blue with 37.5% of votes going to Conservative Jeff Kibble. NDP incumbent Alistair McGregor lost his seat with only 32.8%.

See the full breakdown of South Island winners here.

NEWS

Election takeaways: Island seats shaken up as NDP dip nationwide

The federal Liberals maintained enough seats to keep a minority government last night, while the NDP collapsed substantially including on the Island. The New Democrats were reduced to just 7 seats—one of them Courtenay - Alberni incumbent Gord Johns—and 6.3% of the vote share. However, the party may still end up holding the keys to a viable Liberal government because the LPC project to fall just short of the 172 majority. Seat tallies aren't yet finalized, with a handful of close races still awaiting final numbers as of 6am PT.

May retains Saanich–Gulf Islands

Green co-leader Elizabeth May will represent the peninsula for a fifth time—but once again as the lone member of her party, with a Green seat lost in Kitchener and none gained in Nanaimo or Ottawa.

After nearly two decades, Liberals retake Capital Region core

Most NDP support appears to have been siphoned by the nationwide Liberal wave under PM Carney. The Liberals flipped longtime NDP strongholds Victoria and Esquimalt–Saanich–Sooke, both by comfortable margins.

Conservatives win plurality of Island seats as Liberal rise cuts into NDP

But Island Conservatives may have ultimately been the biggest beneficiaries of the Liberal wave, despite its obvious blow to their hopes of forming government. The Liberal vote percentage climbing into the high 20s in many Island ridings proved to be enough to drop NDP incumbents back enough that they could not fend off Conservatives who managed vote counts in the high 30s.

Nanaimo Ladysmith was further complicated by Green Paul Manly, the MP unseated in 2021, re-entering the race. Tamara Kronis easily bested the other three major parties in one of Canada's few four-way races; her party had come close to winning in the previous three-way race.

Conservatives unseat incumbents, despite candidates' controversies

While Gord Johns fended off the Conservative and Liberal surges, fellow incumbents Alistair MacGregor and Tanille Johnston were unseated by Conservatives despite those candidates facing controversy during the race. Jeff Kibble in Cowichan–Malahat–Langford was criticized by the other candidates for holding private events rather than attending all-candidate debates—and for holding those events alongside local museum operator Jim Shockey, who has personal ties to Donald Trump Jr.

In the North Island, longtime right-wing activist Aaron Gunn unseated Johnston in a fairly close race after being widely criticized this past month, particularly by Indigenous leaders, for past comments including denial that residential schools were cultural genocide—a finding of the Truth & Reconciliation commission.

Island now has has MPs from 4 parties

Overall, the shakeup has left the Island with a mix of representation not seen in decades, with MPs from all four major English-language parties. How many of those parties end up with a place in government remains to be seen.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Book of condolences for victims of Lapu Lapu Festival attack open for signing at legislature. [8:30am-4:30pm through Fri.]

Lane reductions: Pandora to Fort for construction/painting roads all week.

Boil water advisory in East Sooke—Wilderness Mountain water system—since Fri. [CRD]

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NEWS

Future voters opt for Conservatives in nationwide student vote

It may not count for anything more than a positive sign of engagement in civics, but if young people had it their way, they would have elected a Conservative government. 

Coinciding with yesterday’s federal election, more than 900K elementary, intermediate, and high school students cast ballots in a faux election and voted the Conservative Party into an artificial minority government. 

The students spent time learning about democracy and elections, and they researched parties and their platforms before casting simulated ballots for the official candidates running in their school’s electoral district.

In this election, Pierre Poilievre won his Carleton, Ont. riding and became pseudo prime minister-elect as his party took 165 seats, on the strength of winning 36.4% of the popular vote. 

Mark Carney won his Nepean, Ont. riding, one of 145 seats to which the students assigned the Liberals. The Liberals took 31.7% of the popular vote and would form the Official Opposition in this scholarly scenario sponsored by Elections Canada. 

The Bloc Québécois won 18 seats, the NDP took 13, and the Greens came out with two.

Here in BC, students voted overwhelmingly for the Conservatives, who won 29 of the province’s 43 seats and 36% of the popular vote. The students voted to send nine Liberals, four New Democrats, and one Green candidate to Parliament.  

That was Elizabeth May, whom the students selected for Saanich-Gulf Islands—adult voters chose her too, for the fifth time.

The students aligned with adults in all South Island ridings, voting Liberals Stephanie McLean and Will Greaves to the Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke and Victoria ridings, respectively, and Conservative Jeff Kibble to the Cowichan-Malahat-Langford riding. 

Some 870,340 students—including 150K from BC—from 5,900 schools including 20+ from Victoria voted in the parallel election set up by CIVIX, a charity that champions civic education and offers free resources to teachers.

The group has been holding parallel elections since 2003.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🏒 Victoria Grizzlies at Chilliwack Chiefs in Coastal Conference Finals. Game 1 Fri in Chilliwack.

🐸 💐 Frogs & camas mark springtime at Thetis Lake. [Facebook photos]

🎫 Last week, the Belfry Theatre announced its 50th Anniversary Season - an all-Canadian lineup with pay-what-you-want Season Tickets. Learn more.*

⭐ Giant pink sea star seen on a Lantzville beach. [Facebook photos]

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

Driver charged with 8 counts of second-degree murder at Vancouver’s Lapu Lapu Day tragedy
Kai-ji Adam Lo, 30, was arrested Sat. after a car was driven into a crowd of festival goers, killing at least 11 and injuring 20. Lo has had multiple interactions with police related to mental health issues, but has no criminal record. Lo’s brother was murdered last year, and his mother attempted suicide. VPD searched Lo’s home Sun. and said more charges will likely be laid as the investigation continues. Some victims remain unidentified, but they include three members of a family of four; 17 people are still in the hospital. [Vancouver Sun]

Temporary fencing stolen from Langford baseball diamond
Usually, it’s the bases that are stolen. But sometime between Sat. night and Sun. morning, someone took down and took away 45 metres of outfield fencing temporarily set up at Centennial Park on Carlow for a U-13 softball tournament. A Langford Fastball spokesperson said the fence was hacked down, and three-quarters of it was carted away. The tourney went ahead with cones marking the outfield perimeter, but the fencing, worth $4K- $5K, will have to be replaced with a summer of ball still ahead. [CHEK]

Major crime unit investigating after body found off Gorge
The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit (VIIMCU) has been called in after the body of a man was discovered at a home near Gorge East and Carroll. Victoria firefighters were called to the scene at approximately 10am Sat. where they discovered the body. VicPD has called it a suspected homicide and offered no further details, other than that there is no risk to the public. [VicPD]

🗓️ Things to do

🧶 Learn to Crochet: Join this introductory crochet class hosted by Beehive Wool Shop tonight and May 6. 6:30pm. [Info]

🤣 Keithsonic and Friends Live: Catch Keithsonic as he tries everything he has to make you laugh at The Mint tonight. 7pm. [Info]

🎭 Rigoletto: See the Pacific Opera Victoria performance at the Royal Theatre tonight. 7:30pm. [Info]

🎉 Naturally Pacific Resort 1-Year Anniversary: Family-friendly festivities and an evening party at Naturally Pacific Resort in Campbell River. Sat. 11am. [Info] 

🎨 Design Victoria: Four-day celebration of creativity across multiple design disciplines at various venues. Thurs.-Sun. [Info]

🎸 Relics: Pink Floyd tribute concerts at Hermann’s. Thurs. & Fri. 7pm. [Info]

🎤 TED at Royal Roads University: Inspiring TEDx talks by thought leaders. Fri. 1pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Monday’s headlines: What you need to know for Election Day; Victoria vigil for Vancouver victims of Lapu Lapu Day tragedy; How liveable is Victoria? [April 28]

VIDEO: The moment last Sep. when the concrete floor gave way at a construction site on Government and Chatham. [CTV] 

Senior drivers: recent crashes raise questions about how they’re tested. [Times Colonist]

36th Times Colonist 10K attracts record 9K runners. [CHEK]

Fresh From the Farm: 11 produce box subscriptions in Victoria. [Tasting Victoria] 

Earth Day Repurposing Campaign, collecting hygiene products, continues at Soap For Hope.