National

B.C. election: NDP takes lead in key riding, putting Eby on track for majority

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 28 Oct, 2024 12:20 PM

The NDP has overtaken the B.C. Conservatives in the ongoing count of absentee votes in a crucial Metro Vancouver riding, putting Premier David Eby on course to win government with a razor-thin majority.

Final count continues today. We have updated results on our website and will update results hourly until final count is complete. Find the updates here: https://t.co/m9nVXkpnMa
— Elections BC (@ElectionsBC) October 28, 2024

The NDP now leads Surrey-Guildford by 14 votes and if it hangs on there and in other races, it would have a one-seat majority in the 93-riding legislature.

Elections BC officials are counting more than 22,000 absentee and special ballots provincewide today, nine days after the province’s election.

We knew this was going to be a close election, but we’ve been here before. BCers support our fair election process and the people at Elections BC making sure every vote gets counted.

Thanks to candidates, volunteers & election workers who make democracy work.
— David Eby (@Dave_Eby) October 27, 2024

The Conservatives had been ahead in the closest race of Surrey-Guildford by 12 votes going into the tally, but there were an estimated 226 votes still to count and each hourly update saw that lead whittled away.

Our movement is only beginning. #bcpoli https://t.co/y8yOGNwS1m pic.twitter.com/svFI9XeUYU
— Conservative Party of BC (@Conservative_BC) October 27, 2024

In a noon update by the elections authority, the NDP was elected or leading in 47 seats, while John Rustad’s B.C. Conservatives were leading or elected in 44 and the Greens had won two seats.

A count of more than 43,000 mail-in and assisted telephone votes over the weekend put the NDP within range of victory in Surrey-Guildford, sending the race down to the absentee ballots.

While today’s absentee vote could finally produce a winner in the election, there could still be judicial recounts in any riding where the margin is less than 1/500th of all votes cast.

In Surrey-Guildford, where an estimated 19,306 votes were cast, the margin for a judicial recount is about 38 votes or fewer.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. government to set out housing targets for 20 more communities

The British Columbia government has named another 20 cities and towns as priority communities for housing targets over the next five years. The government says in a statement the communities are in high-growth, high-need regions of B.C.

B.C. government to set out housing targets for 20 more communities

B.C. government sets November date for Surrey police transition

British Columbia's government has set Nov. 29 as the date when the Surrey Police Service will take over from the RCMP as the city's force of jurisdiction. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth says Surrey RCMP will continue to operate and provide support after the official transition, although the Mounties will determine what type of support will be offered.

B.C. government sets November date for Surrey police transition

U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers have found a body: RCMP

Police in British Columbia say United States authorities searching for a pair of missing kayakers have found a body in the San Juan Islands of Washington state. RCMP spokesman Cpl. James Grandy says searchers south of the border have not yet identified the person as one of the missing kayakers.

U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers have found a body: RCMP

Stabbing near White Rock Pier

Police in White Rock are looking for witnesses after a stabbing put a person in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. R-C-M-P say the stabbing happened late Sunday near WhiteRock Pier, and initial investigations indicate there was no confrontation before the attack.

Stabbing near White Rock Pier

B.C. to increase local milk production with $25-million factory investment

The British Columbia government is spending up to $25 million toward the construction of a milk production plant aimed at boosting the supply of locally sourced food products. The province says in a statement that the expansion to Vitalus Nutrition's plant in Abbotsford, B.C., will begin construction this summer and will increase local milk production by 50 per cent, to 1.4 billion litres annually.

B.C. to increase local milk production with $25-million factory investment

Trudeau announces $5B-loan guarantee program for Indigenous communities

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is offering $5 billion in loan guarantees to support Indigenous communities seeking ownership stakes in natural resource and energy projects. Trudeau says the program will help Indigenous peoples receive a fair share in Canada's economic growth.