BC United (BCU), known until 2023 as the British Columbia Liberal Party or BC Liberals, is a provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada. On August 28, 2024, they suspended their campaign for the upcoming provincial election, putting the future of their party status up for question. The party has been described as conservative, neoliberal, and being on the centre-right of the left–right political spectrum. The party commonly describes itself as a "free enterprise coalition" and draws support from members of both the federal Liberal and Conservative parties. Since the 1990s, BC United has been the main centre-right opposition to the centre-left New Democratic Party (NDP). Once affiliated with the Liberal Party of Canada, the British Columbia Liberal Party became independent in 1987. The party changed its name to BC United on April 12, 2023.
William Andrew Cecil Bennett was a Canadian politician who served as the 25th premier of British Columbia from 1952 to 1972. With just over 20 years in office, Bennett remains the longest-serving premier in British Columbia history. He was a member of the Social Credit Party (Socreds).
The British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing provincial political party of British Columbia, Canada, for all but three years between the 1952 provincial election and the 1991 election. For four decades, the party dominated the British Columbian political scene, with the only break occurring between the 1972 and 1975 elections when the British Columbia New Democratic Party governed.
The Christian Heritage Party of Canada, also referred to as CHP Canada, is a minor social conservative and Christian right federal political party in Canada; it was founded in 1987, the brainchild of two couples in British Columbia, namely Bill and Heather Stilwell who were Roman Catholics and Ed Vanwoudenberg and his wife, Reformed Protestants. CHP advocates for Canada to be governed according to Christian principles and ethics. The party's stated principle is that "the purpose of civil government is to ensure security, freedom, and justice for all its citizens from conception till natural death, by upholding just laws". CHP states that, if the party forms government, it hopes to "apply proven Judeo-Christian principles of justice and compassion to Canada's contemporary public policy needs".
The Conservative Party of British Columbia, commonly the BC Conservatives and colloquially known as the Tories, is a provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada. In the early half of the 20th century, the Conservatives competed with the British Columbia Liberal Party for power in the province. However, the party has had only a minor presence in the legislature since the 1950s, and last ran a full slate in 1960. The current party leader is Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad, who was originally elected as a BC Liberal.
Christina Joan Clark is a former Canadian politician who was the 35th premier of British Columbia (BC), from 2011 to 2017. Clark was the second woman to be premier of BC, after Rita Johnston in 1991, and the first female premier in Canada to lead her party to a plurality of seats in two consecutive general elections.
The BC Action Party is a minor political party in British Columbia that advocates for fiscal responsibility.
Democratic Reform British Columbia was a progressive–centrist political party in the Province of British Columbia, Canada.
Ronald D. E. Cannan is a Canadian politician who has served on the Kelowna City Council since 2022, a role he also held from 1996 to 2005. He also served as the member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Kelowna—Lake Country from 2006 to 2015.
Satinder Kaur "Sindi" Hawkins was a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia, representing Okanagan West from 1996 to 2001 and Kelowna-Mission from 2001 to 2009. A caucus member of the British Columbia Liberal Party, she served in the cabinet of Premier Gordon Campbell as Minister of Health Planning from 2001 to 2004, and Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations from 2004 to 2005. She was the first Punjabi woman elected to a Canadian legislature, and the first Indo-Canadian woman provincial cabinet minister.
West Kelowna, formerly known as Westside and colloquially known as Westbank, is a city in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley on the west shore of Okanagan Lake. The city encompasses several neighbourhoods, including Casa Loma, Gellatly, Glenrosa, Lakeview Heights, Shannon Lake, Smith Creek, Rose Valley, Westbank, and West Kelowna Estates. As of 2021, West Kelowna had an estimated population of 36,078.
Kelowna West, formerly Westside-Kelowna, is a provincial electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, established by the Electoral Districts Act, 2008. It was first contested in the 2009 general election. The riding was created out of parts of Okanagan-Westside, Kelowna-Lake Country and Kelowna-Mission. It was renamed Kelowna West in the 2015 electoral redistribution with only minor boundary changes.
Norm Letnick is a Canadian politician, who was first elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2009 provincial election and re-elected in 2013, 2017, and 2020. During his terms in office, Letnick served over four years as British Columbia's minister of Agriculture, the longest period in this portfolio of any BC Liberal. He was elected as a member of the BC Liberal Party in the riding of Kelowna-Lake Country. While his party formed a majority government in the 39th Parliament, Letnick was not initially included in the cabinet but was appointed to several committees, including the Select Standing Committee on Health where he was chair and tasked to report on the impacts of baby boomers and alternative strategies on the health care system. Prior to being appointed assistant deputy speaker he served as opposition health critic for three years. During that time he worked in close collaboration with health minister Adrian Dix on many files but none more important than the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic response.
Benjamin Richard Stewart is a Canadian politician, who has represented the riding of Kelowna West in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia since 2018 as a member of BC United. He previously represented the riding of Westside-Kelowna from 2009 to 2013.
The 2013 British Columbia general election took place on May 14, 2013, to elect the 85 members of the 40th Parliament of British Columbia to the Legislative Assembly in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The British Columbia Liberal Party formed the government during the 39th Parliament prior to this general election, initially under the leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell then after his resignation, Christy Clark. The British Columbia New Democratic Party under the leadership of Carole James, and then Adrian Dix, formed the Official Opposition. The BC Green Party under the leadership of Jane Sterk and the BC Conservative Party under John Cummins were also included in polling, although neither party had representation at the end of the 39th Parliament.
The 2017 British Columbia general election was held on May 9, 2017, to elect 87 members (MLAs) to the Legislative Assembly to serve in the 41st Parliament of the Canadian province of British Columbia. In the 40th Parliament prior to this general election, the British Columbia Liberal Party formed the government under the leadership of Christy Clark, while the British Columbia New Democratic Party (NDP), under the leadership of Adrian Dix and then John Horgan, formed the Official Opposition; the Green Party of British Columbia were also represented in the legislature with sole MLA and later leader Andrew Weaver.
The 2020 British Columbia general election was held on October 24, 2020, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly to serve in the 42nd parliament of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The incumbent New Democratic Party of British Columbia won a majority government, making John Horgan the first leader in the history of the BC NDP to win a second consecutive term as premier. The incoming Legislature marked the first time the NDP commanded an outright majority government in BC since the 1996 election, as well as the first province-wide popular vote win for the party since 1991.
The Rural BC Party is a defunct minor political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party was co-founded in 2018 by Houston councillor Jonathan Van Barneveld and then-mayor of Telkwa Darcy Repen. The party's stated objective was to provide representation and support to people living in rural areas of British Columbia, believing that the province's more major parties focus excessively on urban areas. The party voluntarily deregistered on August 15, 2023.
Tracy Gray is a Canadian politician who was elected to represent the riding of Kelowna—Lake Country in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2019 and 2021 Canadian federal elections. She served in both the 43rd and 44th Canadian Parliaments as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. As a Member of Parliament she introduced one bill, Bill C-283 An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act , which sought to utilize penitentiaries as addiction treatment facilities but it was defeated at second reading. Prior to her election in the House of Commons, she was a city councillor for Kelowna City Council.
The 2024 British Columbia general election will be held on or before October 19, 2024, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly to serve in the 43rd parliament of the Canadian province of British Columbia.
