Sunday April 13, 2025 | SOOKE, BC [Posted 1 am / updated 11:53 am] [Check back for political news analysis this evening]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends | Also see: Federal Campaign LEADERS ITINERARIES & LOCAL EVENTS
EVENT REPORT (April 13, 2025): Lopsided federal candidates debate in Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke explores wide range of issues
An all candidates meeting will be held with Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke candidates today Sunday April 13.
The event will be held at Sooke Community Hall, 2037 Shields Rd, in Sooke, starting at 1 pm. A full house is expected in what has become a hotly contested federal riding.
The region is a firsthand crucible of current issues including housing affordability, population growth and transportation infrastructure. The region is coastal and forested. Food security is supported by regional farming. Since around 2007 the economy has relied heavily on tourism and outdoor recreation.
Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke is for voters in Esquimalt, Colwood, View Royal, Sooke, Metchosin, the Juan de Fuca areas (East Sooke, and west of Sooke up to Jordan River), and parts of Saanich, and the First Nations within those areas including T’So-uke, Sc’ianew, and Pacheedat.
Event hosts:
The event is being organized and hosted by the Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce and the Otter Point, Shirley and Jordan River Ratepayers Association (OPSRRA).
In the past OPSRRA has usually organized a debate-style format with detailed questions often trying to balance content with time for equal participation.
If you can’t make it:
- This evening, check out the Island Social Trends Federal Election News Section for political analysis of this event.
- There will also be an audio-visual compilation posted online in the days ahead (tba).
ESS Candidates:
The candidates on the ballot for Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke are:
- Conservative – Grant Cool
- Liberal – Stephanie McLean
- NDP – Maja Tait
- Green – Ben Homer-Dixon
- PPC – Nikita Heurtier
- Communist – Robert Crooks
The organizers invited all candidates to attend; participant list will be confirmed today.
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).
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. He presently does not live in the riding (he is a resident of Oak Bay, but election rules do not require residence in a riding in order to be a candidate). Cool has strong business connections in various sectors as a career engineer. 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. She participated in Liberal Leader Mark Carney’s visit to Victoria April 6 and 7.
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. The Greens held a fundraiser for Homer-Dixon at the Victoria Scottish Community Centre on April 11.
Island federal politics:
At dissolution in March 2025, the NDP held six of seven seats on Vancouver Island; that was 25% of the 24 MPs who formed the NDP caucus.
Here on south Vancouver Island, the NDP hope to keep two incumbents and also win where the Greens have been strong:
- NDP incumbent Alistair MacGregor is seeking re-election for a fourth term in Cowichan-Malahat-Langford
- NDP incumbent Laurel Collins is seeking re-election for a third term in Victoria
- NDP candidate Colin Plant is seeking election in Saanich-Gulf Islands.
Meanwhile, the Liberals feel it’s their time to serve Canadians on Vancouver Island while some consider the Vancouver Island battle to be orange-blue (NDP vs Conservative). They tried to upset the NDP apple cart in Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke in 2015 with David Merner as their candidate, Jamie Hammond as their candidate in 2019, and Doug Kobayashi as their candidate in 2021.
Certainly there is momentum for change in 2025, based on opinion polls thus far across Canada.
However, data-driven polls cannot always calibrate the impact of the popularity of local candidates in their regions and many voters think they are voting for a leader when it’s the local candidate’s name on the region in their area.
===== RELATED:
- Lopsided federal candidates debate in Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke explores wide range of issues (April 13, 2025)
- Coming up April 18 in Langford: coffee chat with NDP incumbent Alistair MacGregor (April 12, 2025)
- Victoria Chamber to host local federal issues session on April 16 (April 11, 2025)
- It’s time for Liberals on Vancouver Island says Victoria candidate Will Greaves (April 11, 2025)
- Seniors make an effort to vote because it matters (April 8, 2025)
- NDP Victoria incumbent Laurel Collins endorsed by former Conservative candidate (April 8, 2025)
- Liberal Leader Mark Carney rallies the party faithful in Victoria (April 6, 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)
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