The Tri-Cities has its first BC Green Party candidate for this fall’s provincial election.
And she is well-known as a previous political contender and social advocate.
Today, Aug. 20, BC Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau announced Nicola Spurling will run in Coquitlam–Maillardville, a seat currently held by independent MLA Selina Robinson, who is retiring from the Legislature.
On the Oct. 19 ballot, Spurling will face the NDP’s Jennifer Blatherwick, a School District 43 trustee, and Hamed Najafi, an electronics engineer representing the BC Conservatives; the BC United have yet to name their candidate for the constituency.
In the 2020 snap election, Spurling ran for the BC Greens against Robinson and the BC Liberals’ Will Davis, taking 11.69 per cent of the vote; she spent $3,326 versus Robinson’s $42,824.
In 2017, she challenged Robinson and the Grit’s Steve Kim — now a Coquitlam city councillor — for the provincial seat, winning 10.92 per cent compared with Robinson’s 50.5 per cent. The next year, Spurling ran for a city council position.
One of the first trans people to run for public office in B.C., Spurling successfully petitioned to include gender identity and gender expression in the BC Human Rights Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act, and she lobbied the City of Coquitlam to install the rainbow crosswalk.
In a news release, Furstenau praised Spurling for her powerful voice.
“Nicola’s tireless advocacy for social justice, from founding the Tri-Cities Pride Society to influencing key human rights legislation, shows her commitment to real, impactful change,” she stated.
If elected as MLA, Spurling said housing and climate change will be her focus, “championing policies that prioritize affordability, environmental responsibility, social justice and government accountability so that every family can live with dignity, security and the support they deserve.”
Who wants to be MLA?
Here’s who is running in the Tri-Cities’ five new constituencies in October:
- Coquitlam–Burke Mountain
- Jodie Wickens (NDP)
- Stephen Frolek (BC Conservative)
- Kash Tayal (BC United)
- Port Moody–Burquitlam
- MLA Rick Glumac (NDP)
- Kerry Van Aswegen (BC Conservative)
- New West–Coquitlam
- MLA Jennifer Whiteside (NDP)
- Ndelle Massey (BC Conservative)
- Coquitlam–Maillardville
- Jennifer Blatherwick (NDP)
- Hamed Najafi (BC Conservative)
- Nicola Spurling (BC Green)
- Port Coquitlam
- MLA Mike Farnworth (NDP)
- Keenan Adams (BC United)
Do you know what electoral district you live in for the October vote? Visit Elections BC's website and enter your address.
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