Federal Elections signs along Highway 97 South through Vernon, B.C. in the North Okanagan, one of 42 federal ridings in which British Columbians will elect Members of Parliament on Oct. 19.Jeff Bassett
There's plenty of drama in the 42 federal ridings – an increase of six from 2011 – in British Columbia. Here are a few worth watching closely on election night:
Burnaby North-Seymour
This is a new riding made up of pieces that previously leaned Conservative. But the Liberals and New Democrats have put up a fight for their candidate to be the first MP for the new riding. One of the most prominent candidates is Carol Baird Ellan, a former B.C. Provincial Court chief justice who is running for the NDP. Small-business owner Terry Beech is running for the Liberals and Mike Little, a three-term councillor in the District of North Vancouver, is the Conservative candidate. The campaign has featured feisty debate over the proposed expanded Kinder Morgan pipeline from Alberta that would come through the riding.
North Vancouver
Conservative Andrew Saxton, with 49 per cent of the vote, won over the Liberals, with 30 per cent, in 2011. In this election, the Liberals are running a strong campaign with businessman Jonathan Wilkinson. Since the riding was created in 1987, it has been held by the Progressive Conservatives, the Reform and Alliance parties, and the Conservatives save for a four-year stretch, when Don Bell was the Liberal MP. Conservative Leader Stephen Harper and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau have campaigned here. When Mr. Trudeau climbed the Grouse Grind in North Vancouver, Mr. Wilkinson was there. Mr. Harper has made two visits. The NDP candidate is Carleen Thomas, a former elected council member for the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. The Green candidate is former CBC meteorologist Claire Martin.
South Surrey-White Rock
The Conservatives won this riding in its 2011 configuration by 30 points over the NDP. Current Conservative candidate Dianne Watts, the former mayor of Surrey, is facing competition from veteran councillor Judy Higginbotham of the Liberals. The NDP candidate is lawyer Pixie Hobby.
Vancouver Centre
Liberal Hedy Fry has served as the riding's MP for 22 years, starting with her defeat of former Conservative prime minister Kim Campbell. In 2011, she won by five points over the NDP. However, the riding has been adjusted by redistribution, and it remains to be seen whether that shift will affect the outcome on Monday. Ms. Fry, 74, faces rivals that include former parks board member Constance Barnes, running for the NDP, and Conservative Elaine Allen, a former co-ordinator of a sex workers' drop-in centre in the Downtown Eastside, who has, more recently, worked as executive director of a business sector non-profit group.
Vancouver Granville
This new riding was carved out of four other ridings. Much of the attention has been focused on the Liberal and NDP candidates. Jody Wilson-Raybould, a former Crown prosecutor and regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations, is running for the Liberals, while Mira Oreck, a public engagement director with the Broadbent Institute, is the NDP candidate. But could this clash between two progressive candidates split the vote, allowing Conservative Erinn Broshko to come up the middle?
Vancouver South
Wai Young won here for the Conservatives in 2011 over Liberal Ujjal Dosanjh, a former B.C. premier and federal Liberal health minister. Her win ended 18 years of Liberal representation of the riding, starting with Herb Dhaliwal in 1993. The Liberals are trying to reclaim the riding with Harjit Sajjan, who has worked as a Vancouver police detective and also did a Canadian Forces deployment to Bosnia and three to Afghanistan. The NDP candidate is Amandeep Nijjar, who works in the finance office of the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union, Local 378.
Victoria
The Green Party came within about 1,100 votes of winning this riding in a 2012 by-election, but the NDP's Murray Rankin went to Ottawa instead. Now it's a rematch, with Mr. Rankin facing a challenge from Green candidate Jo-Ann Roberts, who has worked as a CBC radio host. Liberal candidate Cheryl Thomas dropped out of the race due to controversial social-media comments.