PENTICTON — Nine days after the writ dropped, the provincial election campaign takes a bit of a pause for a statutory holiday.
Wednesday marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, closing Elections BC district offices across the province. Nominations officially close on October 3 at 1 p.m. Pacific, with final voting day scheduled for Saturday, October 24.still has a high-profile event on his itinerary.
Update — 8:45 a.m.
Another poll puts Conservatives ahead
New polling data provides the first snapshot of voter intentions nine days after the writ dropped.
A survey conducted September 24–28 by Leger for TrendingPolitics.ca places the Conservatives ahead at 39% among decided voters, followed by the NDP at 36%, the Greens at 13%, OneBC at 5%, and CentreBC at 5%. The three-point gap between the frontrunners sits within the survey's 3.1-point margin of error, representing an online sample of 1,003 adult British Columbians.
The polling highlights significant fluidity in the electorate, with 28% of respondents indicating they could still change their mind — a figure that rises to 41% among voters aged 18 to 34.
Overall public sentiment remains critical, with 58% stating the province is on the wrong track and 57% expressing disapproval of the early election call compared to 28% who approved.
Despite the Conservatives holding a narrow lead on the generic ballot, David Eby retains an edge on the leadership question. When asked who they preferred as premier, 39% of respondents chose Eby compared to 35% for interim Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson.
Addressing the poll results during a media availability in Vancouver, Doerkson sought to dispel suggestions that his party is unprepared to form government.
However, the data shows a close race as the campaign enters its second week, with Eby maintaining his lead as top choice for premier while both major parties work to solidify support before final voting day on October 24.
Campaign pauses for Truth and Reconciliation Day
While the campaign takes a bit of a break for the statutory holiday, NDP Leader David Eby still has a high-profile event on his itinerary.
Eby will spend Wednesday morning at Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc after receiving an invitation to mark the day at the Powwow Arbour following a weekend gathering on the reserve.
The Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak was scheduled for the same event, with political remarks set for noon for nation leadership and invited dignitaries.
The visit follows action from the First Nations Leadership Council, which condemned what it called "white nationalist" activity on the reserve on Tuesday.
On Sunday, Eby called the masked gathering “cowards” and “anti-British Columbia,” while Prime Minister Mark Carney described the act as “abhorrent” on Monday night.
Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson did not publish a public Wednesday itinerary. His final post on the authorized leader account on Tuesday afternoon pledged to eliminate the PST on Canadian beer, wine, and spirits.
CentreBC Leader Elenore Sturko released a statement Tuesday evening honoring residential school survivors, children who never came home, and their families.
“The truth of these schools cannot be separated from the work of reconciliation today,” Sturko wrote, adding that the work “requires more than words."
Green Leader Emily Lowan expressed support for Indigenous nations opposing LNG Canada Phase 2 on the eve of the statutory day, while OneBC Leader Dallas Brodie did not post a Wednesday itinerary.
Conservatives tap Carson Binda for Vancouver-Quilchena showdown
The Conservative Party machine continued its candidate rollouts late Tuesday, releasing a card for Vancouver-Quilchena.
Carson Binda, former British Columbia director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, was named as the party's candidate to challenge OneBC Leader Dallas Brodie. Binda previously advocated for lower taxes, accountable government, and responsible public spending, alongside work on municipal, provincial, and federal campaigns and service as a logistics officer in the army reserve.
Vancouver-Quilchena represents the sole Conservative riding win inside Vancouver from 2024, when Brodie secured the seat 11,464 to 8,649.
Conservative Leader John Rustad removed Brodie from caucus in March 2025. Brodie subsequently co-founded OneBC, survived a recall petition in July, and is seeking re-election under the OneBC banner.
The contest marks the first direct Conservative-on-OneBC fight inside Vancouver. While OneBC announced Sunday it would avoid contesting eight "principled" Conservatives.
Court stays DULF convictions, strikes down trafficking provision
In a major legal development Tuesday, BC Supreme Court Justice Catherine Murray stayed the convictions of Drug User Liberation Front co-founders Jeremy Kalicum and Eris Nyx and declared Section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act of no force or effect.
Justice Murray suspended the constitutional declaration for six months. The co-founders were previously found guilty on November 7, 2025, of three counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking after operating a Downtown Eastside storefront distributing tested heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
The storefront previously operated with a limited Section 56 exemption from Vancouver Coastal Health for storage and drug testing, supported by $200,000 in annual health authority funding.
The Ministry of Health directed VCH to terminate the lease and funding in October 2023 following public scrutiny.
Eby previously stated the operators were "breaking the law, which we will not tolerate."
Claire Rattée, Conservative candidate-designate in Skeena, posted a video response Tuesday night criticizing the decision.
“If that approach was working, why was it necessary for a publicly funded organization to turn to the dark web to buy and sell illicit drugs?” Rattée said, arguing that individuals struggling with addiction deserve compassion, treatment, and recovery.
Justice Murray noted in her ruling that an urgently needed non-medicalized "safer-supply" framework is required and referred legislative action to Parliament. The statute remains active during the six-month suspension, and the storefront remains closed.
Conservatives Finalize Ten-Candidate Slate in Surrey
The Conservative Party locked in its full slate of candidates across Surrey on Tuesday, releasing a ten-name roster under Leader Lorne Doerkson’s name.
The party’s Surrey ticket includes sitting MLAs Trevor Halford in Surrey-White Rock, Bryan Tepper in Surrey-Panorama, and Mandeep Dhaliwal in Surrey North. Joining them are Jessy Sahota in Surrey-Serpentine River, Nicholas Cartmell in Surrey-Cloverdale, Harj Dhaliwal in Surrey-Newton, Garry Purewal in Surrey-Fleetwood, Zeeshan Wahla in Surrey City Centre, and White Rock Mayor Megan Knight in Surrey South.
Knight was removed from the October 17 municipal mayoral ballot on Monday following approval from the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs.
Rounding out the slate in Surrey-Guildford is Gurpreet Gary Thind, setting up a high-stakes rematch against NDP incumbent Garry Begg, who won the seat by just 22 votes in 2024 following an automatic judicial recount.
LNG Canada Phase 2
On Tuesday morning, Carney and Eby gathered in Vancouver to mark the final investment decision on LNG Canada Phase 2.
The political roots of British Columbia's LNG industry remain a point of friction on the campaign trail. Former BC Liberal premier Christy Clark championed LNG expansion as early as 2011, establishing the provincial fiscal framework and environmental assessment certificate that made Kitimat bankable.
When pressed on Monday about Clark's foundational role in launching the industry, Eby dismissed her past strategy, characterizing her administration's approach as "let 'er rip" on environmental standards while noting it failed to deliver an operational facility during her tenure.
With Clark recently appearing on the Conservative campaign trail in Kelowna Centre alongside incumbent Kristina Loewen, the NDP's claim to the sector's success faces direct challenge from right-of-centre organizers. Loewen, who won her seat by 40 votes in 2024, provided a statement to the Western Standard regarding her campaign focus.
“British Columbians are looking for those right-of-centre to come together, put differences aside, and focus on the issues that matter most,” Loewen said. “David Eby called this self-serving election to try and hide from his record."
"There is too much at stake to allow anything else to distract from the work that needs to be done. My priority is bringing people together, earning the trust of the voters in Kelowna Centre, and making sure voters have a clear alternative to the decade of disaster under the NDP," Loewen continued.
The NDP has nominated Loyal Wooldridge for the Kelowna Centre rematch.
