Saturday April 5, 2025 | COLWOOD, BC [Updated 7:13 pm]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
An all candidates meeting will be held for Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke candidates on Sunday April 13.
Starting at 1 pm, the event will be held at Sooke Community Hall, 2037 Shields Rd, in Sooke.
The candidates are:
- Conservative – Grant Cool
- Liberal – Stephanie McLean
- NDP – Maja Tait
- Green – Ben Homer-Dixon
- PPC – Nikita Heurtier
- Communist – Robert Crooks
Riding footprint:
The large federal riding includes Esquimalt, Colwood, Metchosin, Sooke and the Juan de Fuca areas, View Royal, and parts of Saanich. As of the 2021 census, the population of the riding was 128,644 (a 6.5% population increase in the five years 2016-2021).
Organizers:
The meeting is being coordinated by the Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce and OPSRRA (Otter Point, Shirley and Jordan River Ratepayers Association).
In the past ORPRRA has usually organized a debate-style format with detailed questions often trying to balance content with time for equal participation.
Political context:
The federal Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke riding has been held by the NDP since 2011. The riding was formerly called Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca until being renamed in 2013; NDP MP Randall Garrison served from 2011 until he retired at the end of 2024.
As the NDP candidate for this 2025 election, Maja Tait brings her in-depth knowledge of the Sooke region having been District of Sooke mayor since 2014 (and before that served six years on Sooke council as a municipal councillor). She made a footprint in the political work required to improve health care services in the Sooke region. She served on the Victoria Regional Transit Commission and as a CRD director. Tait was president of the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) in 2020.
The Conservatives have chosen aerospace engineer Grant Cool as their candidate, who does not know the riding as a resident but has strong business connections in various sectors as a lifelong engineer; he and his wife have lived in Victoria for the last five years. His academic profile highlights a PhD in Aerospace Engineering (U of T Institute for Aerospace Studies), B.A.Sc. in Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering (U of T), and P.Eng. Ontario. He has operated businesses in the materials science, mining, transportation and aerospace industry sectors.
The Liberal candidate in Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke is Stephanie McLean, a labour lawyer who as an Alberta NDP MLA served as Minister of Status of Women and Minister of Service Alberta. McLean is a graduate of the University of Calgary’s law school. She has been a resident of Colwood with her husband since 2019 where she has continued her law practice.
The Greens have struggled to find candidates in ridings where they know there’s not much chance of winning. In Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke they’ve chosen Ben Homer-Dixon who is well-spoken and enthusiastic. Homer-Dixon is a first year Geography student at the University of Victoria.
NDP on the island:
At dissolution, the NDP held six of seven seats on Vancouver Island; that was 25% of the 24 NDP caucus.
NDP incumbent Alistair MacGregor is seeking re-election for a fourth term in Cowichan-Malahat-Langford and NDP incumbent Laurel Collins is seeking re-election for a third term in Victoria.
===== RELATED:
- Seniors make an effort to vote because it matters (April 8, 2025)
- Second federal campaign visit by NDP Leader on south Vancouver Island (March 31, 2025)
- Tait vs Cool: NDP Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke candidate challenges ‘parachute’ choice by Conservatives (March 24, 2025)
- NEWS SECTIONS: CANADA-NATIONAL | CANADA-USA | TARIFFS & TRADE | CANADIAN FEDERAL ELECTION 2025
- CALENDAR of ELECTION NEWS & DATES