Saturday September 7, 2024 | COLWOOD, BC
Political analysis by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
It’s somewhat late in the campaign preparation period, but today the BC NDP have acclaimed Esquimalt city councillor Darlene Rotchford as their new candidate for Esquimalt-Colwood.
A nomination meeting is being held today at the Juan de Fuca Rec Centre in Colwood, where Rotchford will be acclaimed. [Photos to come]
This is a last-minute shift. The previous candidate was Mitzi Dean, a two-term MLA and former cabinet minister, who on August 31 announced she would not be seeking re-election. Her reasons were health and family.
Rotchford profile:
Darlene Rotchford has a career background in mental health and addiction services — a key area of BC NDP health services policy. She has been an addictions worker with Island Health since 2007.
She ran for Esquimalt municipal council in October 2022 and won, now having served on council for less than two years.
In that time she has served as Esquimalt’s rep to Destination Greater Victoria, the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority AGM ((Alternate), and the Victoria Family Court & Youth Justice Committee. Her internal committee work included Esquimalt’s APC Design Review Committee, the Esquimalt Farmers Market Society, and the Environmental, Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee (Merged Committee)
As Acting Mayor for Esquimalt, she participated in a BC government announcement with BC Hydro this summer regarding electricity grid expansion in the south Vancouver Island area.
About the riding:
The Esquimalt-Colwood electoral area is new for this 2024 election cycle. The boundaries include Esquimalt, Colwood, View Royal and Vic West.
The largely urban riding covers only 53 sq km — the second-smallest riding on Vancouver Island area. The population is 58,356 (per Elections BC, April 2023). The riding is key within the Greater Victoria area, bornding on Metchosin, Langford, Saanich and Victoria.
Election scope:
- The other contender in Esquimalt-Colwood is Camille Currie as the candidate for the BC Greens.
- The BC Conservatives haven’t yet announced a candidate for Esquimalt-Colwood.
- There was a BC United candidate (Meagan Brame) but on August 28 that party’s leader cancelled the entire campaign for all BC United candidates.
The BC NDP will have 93 candidates across all 93 provincial ridings in the 2024 BC provincial election.
The campaign period began July 23, and the writ drops (government steps back and campaigns go fully active) on September 21. The general election day is on October 19, 2024.
===== RELATED:
- BC NDP candidate for Esquimalt-Colwood by Sept 9 (September 5, 2024)
- BC Conservatives are ‘untested’ says former BC United candidate Meagan Brame (September 1, 2024)
- Mitzi Dean pulls out of election 2024 (August 31, 2024)
- NEWS SECTIONS: BC ELECTION 2024