Wednesday September 12, 2024 | METCHOSIN, BC [Updated 3:13 pm]
Political analysis by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
A roomful of about 120 Green supporters showed up in Metchosin for David Evans last night as he continues to roll out his BC Green candidacy in Juan de Fuca-Malahat.
With a geographical footprint of 3,116 sq km, Juan de Fuca-Malahat is one of the largest ridings on Vancouver Island. The newly-boundaried riding encompasses a wide swath of the south to central island from west east, including from East Sooke to Port Renfrew to Cobble Hill and many points in between including Sooke and Otter Point.
That’s not just geography but a cobbled-together mixed bag of communities and neighbourhoods — mostly rural but not quite. Of note Sooke has had the goal of urbanizing since the forestry resource sector took a nosedive in the late 1990s into the early 2000s; Sooke has shifted to being part of the burgeoning tourism economy.
Evans signage and advertising includes a list of at least 10 communities, to hammer home the range and promote cohesion: Cobble Hill, East Sooke, Jordan River, Malahat, Metchosin, Mill Bay, Otter Point, Port Renfrew, Shawnigan Lake, Shirley and Sooke.
Tall in the room:
Evans himself is tall and clearly commanded the room himself by personality but also with a plethora of posters and signage at every angle. He chatted easily with every guest.
Well-known federal Green leaders like David Merner and Frances Litman were there.
Local on-the-ground supporters included Evans campaign manager Ebony Logins (a former District of Sooke municipal councillor and currently a Sooke School District 62 school trustee), District of Metchosin Councillor Jay Shukin, campaign writer Alan Dolan, and long-time Sooke-based community activists John Boquist, Carol and David Mallett, and Frederique and Sinclair Philip.
Also attending last night were Annemieke Holthuis (former BC Green candidate in Victoria-Swan Lake and former legal advisor to the Government of Canada on human rights who now serves on the board of Sooke Region Communities Health Network), Alison Leduc of Bilston Watershed Habitat Protection Association, Carol Brown of Citizens Environment Network in Colwood (CENIC), and Doug and Arlene of Poncho’s Cafe in Langford.
A pro-environment commentary was delivered by long-time District of Highlands Councillor Gord Baird at the microphone. Gord and his wife Ann run Eco-Sense which consults on regenerative design for water, food and energy. His remarks shed some light on why the Highlands area of Langford-Juan de Fuca was barely ever mentioned by former MLA John Horgan as Baird delivered some sharp commentary on the Mining Act in BC.
Former BC Greens provincial candidate and former District of Metchosin councillor Andy MacKinnon also delivered some remarks. A biologist by profession, he emphasized the environmental aspect of being Green.
By comparison, Frances Litman’s quick remarks at the podium were light and breezy, keeping the room afloat.
Who’s night?
A bit of campaign messaging mishap unfolded as Cammy Lockwood — candidate in Cowichan Valley, the next riding over — somewhat overdid her podium presence well-ahead of Evans as the candidate.
She not only endorsed Evans but waxed long about her own campaign and ‘sharing’ the riding of Juan de Fuca-Malahat as where she lives but not where she is running (she is the candidate in Cowichan Valley next door).
There was even a pre-collaborated push to try floating ‘north Sooke’ as a new label for part of the new Juan de Fuca-Malahat riding; that was a bit of a puzzle to follow. That sucked a bit of air out of the room, just the opposite as what organizers probably hoped for.
The riding camaraderie was very likely a party-directive to feature both Evans and Lockwood (and keep Furstenau’s work in Cowichan Valley still in the forefront), but it stole a bit of team-Evans thunder from the evening.
Together in a room plastered with Evans posters, at the microphone Evans and Lockwood did some auction-style fundraising apparently emulating the style of federal Green Party leader Elizabeth May. Given the older grassroots loyal crowd in attendance, a simple ‘drop some bucks in the hat’ approach may have gone over better both by tone and dollars.
Evans out front:
But no bad vibes. It was an upbeat evening for everyone including Evans’ family and friends.
Overall, it was basic and fun, and Evans himself — set apart from the crowd in a grey business suit — was clearly the story of the night.
Evans long-worked the mechanisms of community connection at his The Stick in the Mud coffee shop during 2007 to 2023, which now greatly supports his campaign. He continues operating a wholesale coffee business but clearly his sights are set on being an MLA in the next BC Legislative Assembly.
Family in the mix:
This realm of organized provincial politics seems new for David Evans’ family but they are clearly supportive.
Joining David Evans at his Metchosin fundraiser last night were two of his daughters (Aila and Xanthe), his father Stanley Evans, his brother Nick Evans, and Deborah Kennedy (ex-wife and mother of the Evans children). Daughter Zoe is currently in Australia.
Pushing a Green edge:
Earlier in the day yesterday, BC Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau said she “realistically” expects about seven BC Green candidates to claim seats in the upcoming October 19 election.
Evans is likely on Furstenau’s inside track. The party leader attended a small rally-style event in Sooke with David Evans last month and he attends at media events and meetings held at BC Greens office headquarters in Victoria.
Setting himself up to lead, last night Evans also listed off the names of candidates who he thinks will also claim victory on October 19 including Furstenau and Lockwood as well as:
- Camillle Currie (running in Esquimalt-Colwood) who ran in the 2023 by-election in Langford-juan de Fuca;
- new candidate Erin Cassels running in Langford-Highlands (while up against BC NDP candidate Ravi Parmar and BC Conservatives candidate Mike Harris she may edge out with the women’s and Indigenous vote); and
- Jeremy Valeriote who came very close to winning in West Vancouver-Sea-to-Sky in 2020.
Descriptives like ‘thoughtful’ and ‘practical’ came up about Evans through the evening’s speeches. It’s perhaps an unfortunate commentary on the state of political process today that fundamental things like analysis and problem-solving should be touted as highlights for an MLA. But Evans admirably highlights those qualifications in his profile as a candidate as those traits do stand out with him.
In his remarks at the podium last night Evans focused on environment and the electoral process. He didn’t delve into commentary on the health-care or education aspects of the BC Green campaign.
BC Greens leading up to October 19:
For a small party, the BC Greens influence has been impactful under Furstenau and fellow then-MLA Adam Olsen in the legislative assembly during the 2017-2024 BC NDP government run under Premier John Horgan and currently Premier David Eby.
In some ways the BC Greens have served as the conscience of the BC Legislative Assembly, pushing hard for things to change in key areas including Indigenous rights, climate action, and the child welfare system.
The BC Greens currently have 42 candidates across 93 provincial ridings. That now recently includes John Kidder (married to federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May) who is running in the BC Interior region (in the riding of Cariboo-Chilcotin).
Elizabeth May attended the BC Greens Party headquarters office opening in Victoria on August 1. May is helping out with three provincial elections this fall: in BC (October 19 election date), New Brunswick (October 21 election date), and Saskatchewan (October 28 election date).
===== RELATED:
- BC Greens pitch smart economy & robust safety net (September 10, 2024)
- Primary health-care requires community-based approach say BC Greens (September 9, 2024)
- David Evans BC Greens JDF-Malahat fundraiser in Metchosin (September 5, 2024)
- Digital Literacy Secretariat would be set up by BC Greens (September 3, 2024)
- Summertime Victoria office party for South Vancouver Island BC Greens (August 2, 2024)
- National & BC Greens undergoing political transition (July 9, 2024)
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