Powell River-Sunshine Coast

Powell River-Sunshine Coast

British Columbia electoral district
Provincial electoral district
Legislature	Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
MLA	Randene Neill New Democratic
District created	1991
First contested	1991
Last contested	2024
Demographics
Population (2001)	45,406
Area (km²)	39,009
Pop. density (per km²)	1.2
Census division(s)	Powell River, Sunshine Coast
Census subdivision(s)	Gibsons, Powell River, Sechelt

Powell River-Sunshine Coast is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada.

Demographics

Population, 2001	45,406
Population change, 1996–2001	1.1%
Area (km2)	39,009
Population density (people per km2)	1.16

Member of the Legislative Assembly

Powell River-Sunshine Coast
Assembly	Years	Member		Party
Riding created from Mackenzie
35th	1991–1993		Gordon Wilson	Liberal
	1993–1996			Progressive Democrat
36th	1996–1999
	1999–2001			New Democratic
37th	2001–2005		Harold Long	Liberal
38th	2005–2009		Nicholas Simons	New Democratic
39th	2009–2013
40th	2013–2017
41st	2017–2020
42nd	2020–2024
43rd	2024–present		Randene Neill

Current MLA

Randene Neill was elected to represent the riding during the 2024 BC election. She is a member of the BC NDP. Neill won the BC NDP nomination after a hotly contested nomination race. Four other candidates ran against her for the nomination, Amanda Amaral, Darnelda Siegers, Jacquie Shields and Jäger Rosenberg. Prior to entering politics she was a television news journalist for Global BC for over 20 years, until her departure in 2017. ^[1] She was appointed Minister of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship on November 18th 2024. ^[2]

Former MLA's

The first MLA to represent the riding was Gordon Wilson. Wilson was the leader of the BC Liberal party from 1987-1993. During a 1991 leaders debate he had a great performance, catapulting his party in the polls. The BC Liberals went from 0 seats in the 1986 BC election, to 17, becoming the Official Opposition. In 1993 he was caught having an affair with a fellow MLA, Judi Tyabji, and lost the Liberal leadership. Him and Tyabji left the Liberal party and went on to form the Progressive Democratic Alliance, with Wilson as leader. Wilson won re-election under the party banner, but Tybaji did not. He dissolved the party in 1999 and joined the BC NDP. As a member of the BC NDP he served in several cabinet positions and ran for its leadership in 2000, but dropped out before the vote. He lost re-election in 2001 to Harold Long. ^[3]

Harold Long was the former Social Credit MLA for Mackenzie, from 1986-1991, until he lost re-election to Wilson. He returned to office as a BC Liberal in 2001. He announced he would not run for re-election in 2005. He died in a plane crash in 2013. ^[4]

Nicholas Simons, a member of the BC NDP, won the seat in 2005. He worked as a social worker before entering politics. Simons was also one of the first openly gay men to serve in the legislature. He served for over 19 years before announcing his retirement prior to the 2024 BC election. ^[5] He endorsed Randene Neill to succeed him, and she went on to win the seat. During his time in office he also served as Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction from 2020-2022 ^[6] and ran for the BC NDP leadership in 2011, but dropped out before voting took place. ^[7]

Election results

v t e 2024 British Columbia general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	New Democratic	Randene Neill	14,473	49.6%	-1.28
	Conservative	Chris Moore	10,410	35.7%
	Green	Chris Hergesheimer	3,930	13.5%	-18.97
	Independent	Greg Reid	356	1.2%
Total valid votes			29,169	–
Total rejected ballots
Turnout
Registered voters
Source: Elections BC [8]

v t e 2020 British Columbia general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	New Democratic	Nicholas Simons	12,701	50.88	+0.18	$36,504.80
	Green	Kim Darwin	8,104	32.47	+8.30	$18,011.22
	Liberal	Sandra Stoddart-Hansen	4,156	16.65	−7.88	$15,266.38
Total valid votes			24,961	99.28	–
Total rejected ballots			182	0.72	+0.43
Turnout			25,143	59.98	–9.63
Registered voters			41,921
	New Democratic hold		Swing		–4.06
Source: Elections BC [9] [10]

v t e 2017 British Columbia general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	New Democratic	Nicholas Simons	13,646	50.70	−4.50	$42,438
	Liberal	Mathew Wilson	6,602	24.53	−8.25	$65,433
	Green	Kim Darwin	6,505	24.17	+12.15	$20,298
	Cascadia	Reuben Richards	160	0.60	–	$125
Total valid votes			26,913	100.00	–
Total rejected ballots			78	0.29	−0.10
Turnout			26,991	69.60	+6.36
Registered voters			38,778
Source: Elections BC [11] [12]

v t e 2013 British Columbia general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	New Democratic	Nicholas Simons	13,120	55.20	-3.08	$66,335
	Liberal	Patrick Muncaster	7,792	32.78	-1.54	$41,207
	Green	Richard Carl Till	2,856	12.02	+5.72	$4,537
Total valid votes			23,768	100.00
Total rejected ballots			92	0.39
Turnout			23,860	63.24
Source: Elections BC [13]

v t e 2009 British Columbia general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	New Democratic	Nicholas Simons	13,276	58.28	+14.83	$66,566
	Liberal	Dawn Miller	7,818	34.32	+4.17	$102,008
	Green	Jeff Chilton	1,436	6.30	-19.48	$350
	Refederation	Allen McIntyre	249	1.10	+0.48	$1,110
Total valid votes			22,779	100	–
Total rejected ballots			102	0.45
Turnout			22,881	63.02
Registered voters

v t e 2005 British Columbia general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	New Democratic	Nicholas Simons	11,099	43.45	+26.30	$108,403
	Liberal	Maureen Clayton	7,702	30.15	-12.21	$102,008
	Green	Adriane Carr	6,585	25.78	-1.23	$350
	Refederation	Allen McIntyre	249	0.62	New	$1,110
Total valid votes			25,542	100	–
Total rejected ballots			109	0.43
Turnout			25,651	72.43
Registered voters

v t e 2001 British Columbia general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Liberal	Harold Long	9,904	42.36	+24.65	$63,954
	New Democratic	Gordon Wilson	6,349	27.15	-0.42	$50,409
	Green	Adriane Carr	6,316	27.01	+24.66	$24,821
	Marijuana	Dana Albert Larsen	812	3.48	New	$4,499
Total valid votes			23,381	100	–
Total rejected ballots			99	0.43
Turnout			23,480	72.43
Registered voters

v t e 1996 British Columbia general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Progressive Democrat	Gordon Wilson	10,833	49.05	New	$18,579
	New Democratic	Bill Forst	6,088	27.57	-6.31	$30,942
	Liberal	Cameron Reid	3,911	17.71	-36.98	$31,957
	Reform	Don Atkinson	677	3.07	New	$10,560
	Green	D. Wendy Young	518	2.35	+1.58	$834
	Common Sense	Roslyn Griston	57	0.26	New	$272
Total valid votes			22,084	100	–
Total rejected ballots			66	0.30
Turnout			22,150	75.37
Registered voters

v t e 1991 British Columbia general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	Expenditures
	Liberal	Gordon Wilson	11,486	54.69	$42,914
	New Democratic	Howard White	7,117	33.88	$56,523
	Social Credit	Harold Long	2,174	10.35	$26,527
	Green	Janet E. Calder	161	0.77	$439
	Common Sense	Roslyn Griston	66	0.31	$200
Total valid votes			21,004	100
Total rejected ballots			300	1.41
Turnout			21,304	82.61
Registered voters

References

1. "'We have to reach out to everybody, be inclusive': BC NDP's Neill gives victory speech". Coast Reporter. October 20, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
2. "Cabinet position 'a privilege': Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA". Coast Reporter. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
3. "Gordon Wilson rejoins Liberal camp, backing Clark". The Globe and Mail. May 5, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
4. "Long leaves legacy of generosity and public service". The Peak. June 4, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
5. "After nearly two decades, MLA Simons gives his final address in BC Legislature". Coast Reporter. May 28, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
6. Landreville, Troy (November 27, 2020). "Simons named B.C.'s Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction". My Powell River Now. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
7. "NDP hopefuls both forthright and funny". The Globe and Mail. April 7, 2011. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
8. https://globalnews.ca/news/10779068/bc-election-2024-results-powell-river-sunshine-coast/
9. Boegman, Anton (July 27, 2021). "42nd General Election Statement of Votes" (PDF). Elections BC. pp. 261–263. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
10. "Election Financing Reports". Elections BC. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
11. "2017 Provincial General Election - Statement of Votes" (PDF). Elections BC . Retrieved January 17, 2021.
12. "Election Financing Reports". Elections BC. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
13. "Statement of Votes - 40th Provincial General Election" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved May 17, 2017.

Sources:

1. Elections BC

2. SUMMARIES OF PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS AND BY-ELECTIONS, BRITISH COLUMBIA 1928 TO 1969.By: BRITISH COLUMBIA. CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER, Published: 1969, McMaster University Government Publications.

External links

• BC Stats Profile - 2001
• Results of 2001 election (pdf)
• 2001 Expenditures
• Results of 1996 election
• 1996 Expenditures
• Results of 1991 election
• 1991 Expenditures
• Website of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia