Coquitlam residents will head to the polls in February to replace a school trustee who was elected to provincial office last month.
Officials with the city, which conducts civic and board of education votes, told the Tri-City News they received official notice from Michael Thomas, board chairperson of School District 43 (SD43), on Nov. 13 about Jennifer Blatherwick’s resignation as trustee.
Blatherwick, who was a Coquitlam trustee with Carol Brodie, Chuck Denison and Craig Woods, was elected on Oct. 19 as the NDP MLA for Coquitlam–Maillardville, a seat previously held by Independent MLA Selina Robinson, who did not run for re-election.
Under Section 36 of the School Act, the resignation notice triggers a timeline for a byelection. The municipal roll-out includes:
- appointment of a chief election officer
- confirmation of a general voting day
- the byelection must take place on a Saturday, no later than 80 days after the chief election officer is appointed
As a result, city officials say the byelection is expected to happen on Feb. 22, 2025; however, that date will be confirmed by city council on Dec. 9 at its regular meeting.
Blatherwick’s notice of resignation came to the city the same day she was sworn-in at the Legislature along with her fellow Tri-City NDP MLAs:
- Mike Farnworth (Port Coquitlam)
- Jodie Wickens (Coquitlam–Burke Mountain)
- Jennifer Whiteside (New Westminster–Coquitlam)
- Rick Glumac (Port Moody–Burquitlam)
According to the party, 31 out of 47 members (65 per cent) of the BC NDP caucus are women while 19 MLAs (40 per cent) identify as people of colour. And 10 MLAs (20 per cent) in the NDP caucus are under the age of 40.
In a statement on Facebook on Nov. 1, Blatherwick thanked her colleagues and the community during her six years on the SD43 board.
“I appreciate all the work that the board of SD43 does to support our students here in Coquitlam and I look forward to working with them in my new role,” she wrote.
The cost to run a byelection in Coquitlam in 2013 was $143,000 — on par with the previous two byelections in 2010 and 2007 — when a vote was held to replace former city councillors Robinson and Linda Reimer, who won provincial seats. Chris Wilson and Bonita Zarrillo, the latter now the MP for Port Moody–Coquitlam, won the roles.
📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected].
📲 Want to stay updated on Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra news? Sign up for our free daily newsletter.
💬 Words missing in an article? Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing.
