Candidates for the upcoming provincial election were finalized on Saturday (Sept. 28) with five options for Mission residents across the city’s two ridings.
Abbotsford-Mission will feature a two-candidate race between NDP incumbent Pam Alexis and Conservative Reann Gasper.
Choices for Maple Ridge East, which has changed its name from Maple Ridge-Mission ahead of the next trip to the polls, will include NDP incumbent Bob D’Eith, Conservative candidate Lawrence Mok and BC Greens candidate Kylee Williams.
Less of Mission will belong to the former Maple Ridge-Mission riding in the election, with more of the city allocated to the Abbotsford-Mission riding.
Abbotsford-Mission
Abbotsford-Mission will include more of Mission’s centre and less of Abbotsford in the riding, combining the core of Mission and the community of Hatzic with the northeast part of Abbotsford.
Incumbent MLA Alexis announced her intentions to run again in December 2023 and the party officially announced her as Abbotsford-Mission candidate in June.
The former Mission mayor was elected as MLA for the riding in 2020 and was named Minister of Agriculture and Food in December 2022.
In a previous news release, Alexis said people need action on housing, healthcare and affordability.
When announcing her intentions to run again in December, Alexis noted recovery from the 2021 atmospheric river, water infrastructure improvements, Mission Waterfront investments, Highway 1 widening and the commitment to replace Mission Secondary School as accomplishments from her current term.
Meanwhile, Gasper is a licensed real estate agent with the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board and holds a diploma in interior design from Lasalle College. She also has a bachelor of arts in Christian ministry, a diploma in worship and creative arts, and a certificate in pastoral counselling.
During the October 2022 municipal election, Gasper ran for an Abbotsford council seat, placing 17th out of 21 candidates.
The Conservative website states she is running for the Conservative Party because of “shared values of freedom, personal responsibility and promoting the growth of private enterprise.”
The BC Greens previously announced Aaron Bayes as a candidate for the Abbotsford-Mission riding, but an e-mail from Bayes’ campaign team confirmed he won’t be on the ballot this year.
“Unfortunately we weren't able to get enough signatures from the riding into Elections BC in time to get on the ballot,” the campaign manager told the Mission Record.
An All Candidates Forum for Abbotsford-Mission is scheduled for 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday (Oct. 3) at Clarke Theatre.
After previously stating she would not attend the forum, reports indicate Gasper will now participate
Maple Ridge East
The new Maple Ridge East riding will include the Stave Falls, Silverhill, Ruskin, Whonnock, Webster's Corners, Albion and Yennadon communities, with eastern boundaries following Stave Lake and Silverdale Creek.
The incumbent D'Eith was first elected as MLA in 2017 after he ran as an MP candidate in the 2015 Canadian federal election, where he lost to Dan Ruimy.
He was re-elected as MLA in the 2020 election, and has spent several years serving as the Parliamentary Secretary for Arts and Film.
On his campaign’s website, D’Eith names the Mission Waterfront Project and the expansion of healthcare and education services as things that require more work. During his time as MLA, the NDP website says D’Eith has helped implement affordable childcare, develop more healthcare services, create more school spaces, and build strong communities that are safe and inclusive.
Mok has been a resident of Maple Ridge for more than 30 years and is in possession of nine degrees from various Canadian and American universities, including degrees in electrical engineering, business administration, and many other areas of study.
While Mok has no prior political experience, he has worked in several different industries ranging from manufacturing to oil and gas and much more.
Mok’s page on the Conservative website lists homelessness, poverty, drugs, long wait times at hospital emergency departments, rising crime rates, and a lack of recreational facilities and employment opportunities as challenges for Mission and Maple Ridge.
Williams is originally from Alberta and, according to the BC Greens website, has been an active leader in grassroots organizing. She has a background in non-profit fundraising and professional communication, and spends her spare time volunteering with local environment groups.
Williams has advocated for stronger climate action, affordable housing, and better access to healthcare and education.
“Kylee is committed to fostering transparency, accountability, and collaboration in government, while pushing forward innovative policies that address the urgent need for climate action and social justice,” the website reads.
How to Vote
The provincial general election is Oct. 19, 2024.
Advance voting will take place from Thursday, Oct. 10 to Wednesday, Oct. 16, with the exception of the Oct. 14 Thanksgiving holiday.
Locations for Abbotsford-Mission include the Sikh Gurdwara Temple and St. Paul's Presbyterian Church and Silverdale Elementary School for Maple Ridge East.
The voting places will be open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.
