It appears the BC NDP will keep its stronghold in the Tri-Cities.
Elections BC, the province's independent elections administrator, completed its final count of all eligible votes from the 2024 provincial election on Monday, Oct. 28, confirming the orange party will have an MLA in all five districts that represent Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra.
The closest count was in Coquitlam-Burke Mountain with the NDP's Jodie Wickens winning by a 1.72 per cent margin over the Conservatives' Stephen Froleck (see list below).
The two were separated by 268 votes on election night, Oct. 19; 371 ballots after Monday.
"There's lots of work to be done," said Wickens in a social media video thanking the community for participating in the election.
"I take this position very seriously; I hope to make you all proud in the days, weeks and months ahead."
Wickens represented Coquitlam-Burke Mountain for 17 months after winning a by-election for the seat in February 2016. She lost the May 2017 general provincial election by 87 votes to Joan Isaacs of the former BC Liberal Party.
Thank you #Coquitlam Burke Mountain! I am honoured to be your next MLA. Big thanks to @stephenfrolek and his hard work on the campaign! We may disagree on some things but he worked tirelessly and I’m looking forward to working with him in community! #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/vSMmOKoZIO
— Jodie Wickens (@jbtwickens) October 28, 2024
Meanwhile, Jennifer Blatherwick is the new MLA for Coquitlam-Maillardville, taking over from now retired three-term MLA Selina Robinson.
Port Coquitlam MLA elect Mike Farnworth won a fourth consecutive term — the eighth time in his career that he's been sent to the Victoria legislature.
Rick Glumac (Port Moody-Burquitlam) and Jennifer Whiteside (New Westminster-Coquitlam) earned third and second terms respectively.
Who forms government?
Premier David Eby and the BC NDP appear to have won a slim majority government after all the votes were tallied, securing the 47-seat minimum as of this publication, Oct. 29.
The Conservative Party of BC would hold 44 seats under the current results with the BC Green Party winning two.
Elections BC said two seats — Kelowna Centre and Surrey-Guildford — were so close, there would be automatic recounts before the standings of the next legislature are confirmed.
In Kelowna Centre, the Conservatives led the NDP by 38 votes. In Surrey-Guildford, the New Democrats led the Conservatives by 27.
The Conservatives led in both districts before the last batch of votes were counted Monday and the Surrey seat flipped to the NDP.
Final counts in the Tri-Cities are as follows:
*indicates incumbent
Coquitlam-Burke Mountain
- Jodie Wickens, BC NDP - 11,022 votes (50.86 per cent)
- Previous total: 10,592 votes
- Stephen Frolek, BC Conservatives - 10,651 votes (49.14 per cent)
- Previous total: 10,324 votes
Coquitlam-Maillardville
- Jennifer Blatherwick, BC NDP - 11,963 votes (51.79 per cent)
- Previous total: 11,569 votes
- Hamed Najafi, BC Conservatives - 9,140 votes (39.57 per cent)
- Previous total: 8,939 votes
- Nicola Spurling, BC Greens - 1,462 votes (6.33 per cent)
- Previous total: 1,411 votes
- Ken Holowanky, Independent - 534 votes (2.31 per cent)
- Previous total: 520 votes
New Westminster-Coquitlam
- *Jennifer Whiteside, BC NDP - 12,754 votes (59.13 per cent)
- Previous total: 12,214 votes
- Ndellie Massey, BC Conservatives - 6,436 votes (29.84 per cent)
- Previous total: 6,225 votes
- Maureen Curran, BC Greens - 2,379 votes (11.03 per cent)
- Previous total: 2,292 votes
Port Coquitlam
- *Mike Farnworth, BC NDP - 13,837 votes (53.88 per cent)
- Previous total: 13,381 votes
- Keenan Adams, BC Conservatives - 9,960 votes (38.78 per cent)
- Previous total: 9,735 votes
- Adam Bremner-Akins, BC Greens - 1,641 votes (6.39 per cent)
- Previous total: 1,604 votes
- Lewis Dahlby, Libertarian - 244 votes (0.95 per cent)
- Previous total: 240 votes
Port Moody-Burquitlam
- *Rick Glumac, BC NDP - 13,475 votes (52.06 per cent)
- Previous total: 12,871 votes
- Kerry van Aswegen, BC Conservatives - 10,485 votes (40.50 per cent)
- Previous total: 10,143 votes
- Samantha Agtarap, BC Greens - 1,926 votes (7.44 per cent)
- Previous total: 1,857 votes
With files from Janis Cleugh, Tri-City News, and The Canadian Press
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