Canadian Crossing

British Columbia might be going back to NDP and the Greens

The most contentious British Columbia election might bring us to back to recent elections. 2017 where the New Democratic Party formed a government with the 3 Green Party MLAs or 2013 where Christy Clark led a comeback for the BC Liberals yet lost her own seat.

There is a lot we don't know about the 2024 British Columbia election as the results are too close to call. We know that Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau lost the seat she was running for in the Victoria-Beacon Hill riding. Furstenau had represented the Cowichan Valley riding in Victoria.

The Greens won 2 seats: Rob Botterell won in Saanich North and Jeremy Valeriote took the West Vancouver-Sea to Sky riding. Botterell ran in the riding where the Greens had an incumbent, Adam Olsen, who chose not to run in 2024.

Pending recounts, the NDP under David Eby had 46 seats while the BC Conservative Party under John Rustad had 45 seats. The BC Green Party had 2 ridings. The seat count went up from 87 to 93 seats for the 2024 election.

There is also the tricky part (one I don't know) because Furstenau would negotiate a potential agreement with one of the other 2 parties. While Furstenau is the party leader, she won't have a seat in Victoria once the legislature is back in session. 

BC Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau has lost her race for re-election in the B.C. election — but her party may still elect two candidates. #bcelxn #bcpoli #bcelection

READ MORE: https://t.co/WIb5HmgJrghttps://t.co/WIb5HmgJrg

— Global BC (@GlobalBC) October 20, 2024

2024 British Columbia election preview

British Columbia fine tunes decriminalizing drug policy

British Columbia decriminalizes some drugs but at a really low threshold

Rustad vowed in his election night speech to try to bring down a minority government if his party wasn't involved.

Eby had been premier since 2022 and this was his first election as leader. The NDP was going to lose seats but may have been surprised as how bad the loss would be. Rustad came in very right of centre yet the Conservatives won in areas that had been NDP strongholds.

Brent Chapman is not "controversial" - he is a residential school denialist who, in the lead up to Orange Shirt Day, said on a podcast that "the residential school business" has been exposed as a "massive fraud." He is also now an MLA, having won in Surrey South handily. Wild. https://t.co/ew8TOrHb4E

— Sean Carleton (@SeanCarleton) October 20, 2024

There are people behind these parties. Someone such as this changes the tone of relationships with the Indigenous people of the province.

Rustad compared COVID-19 public health measures to "Nuremberg 2.0," how Nazi leaders were prosecuted after World War II. Later, Rustad said he "misunderstood the question."

In the televised debate, Rustad told a story about a "fatal overdose" that changed many times over time.

Rustad also told an anti-vax group that he regretted getting the "so-called" COVID-19 vaccination and accused Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer at the British Columbia Ministry of Health of using it for "control on the population."

This might seem unfair on one level to point out these matters from the BC Conservative Party. Some say we left out many more examples. Some could argue we aren't saying that about the NDP. This is to give a flavour of what is to come in the assembly in Victoria.

Yesterday 171,381 voters voted on the first day of advance voting. This is the most votes ever on an advance voting day in a BC election, beating the previous record of 126,491 in 2017. More details here https://t.co/Ztg2vaUDL4 #bcpoli

— Elections BC (@ElectionsBC) October 11, 2024

One positive from this election was a high voter turnout before Election Day. Elections BC says 1,001,331 people voted in advance, more than 28% of all registered electors. This was a record number of British Columbians for early voting.

About 223,000 people voted on the final day of advance voting, which was on Wednesday. The previous record came in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic with a mark of 670,000.

The irony came with flooding in areas around Vancouver on Election Day, which is a gentle reminder for vote early.

Despite the early election enthusiasm, the preliminary voter turnout is 57.39%. As a contrast, that mark is about in the middle of the 2020 election (53.86%) and 2017 election (61.18%). The 2017 and 2013 elections prove that every vote matters.

For the first time ever, there are more women than men in the legislature. 

David Eby to replace John Horgan as British Columbia premier

British Columbia looks like a NDP majority government

British Columbia Saturday, Saskatchewan on Monday: Election results likely to be delayed

2020 British Columbia election preview

British “Colombia” #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/RALSmr5Qv1

— Joseph Planta (@Planta) October 19, 2024

You would imagine people who live in British Columbia would be sensitive about this particular misspelling of the name of the province. It's always the same mistake. Copy editors should be valuable people in a time of Grammarly and AI.

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The NDP decriminalizing drug policy affected a tiny portion of British Columbia residents. Like Bill 21 in Quebec, politics can be used to scare people on a policy where they have little to no contact. If the decriminalization is cut back even further or eliminated, there will be lost lives. Those lives won't get as much notice in the news. They will die quietly. If Rustad does get power, soon or later, will his party be accountable for a lack of policy on fentanyl and opioids in British Columbia.

This isn't and shouldn't be about politics. This is a health crisis. As we have noted countless times, the provinces are in charge of this.

Kevin Falcon may not be doing interviews but we are really curious as to how Falcon feels about the 2024 election, once we get the recounts. Falcon imploded his BC United Party, leaving Rustad, whom Falcon kicked out of the BC United Party, to join the then fledgling BC Conservative Party. That party is no longer fledgling.

photo credit: CBC News
Twitter captures: @GlobalBC; @SeanCarleton; @ElectionsBC; @Planta

2024 British Columbia election preview

My name is David Eby, but I approve Kevin Falcon’s message. https://t.co/KddcerEHsc

— David Eby (@Dave_Eby) August 29, 2024

The original plan for covering the 2024 British Columbia election on October 19 was to explain the name change of the BC Liberal Party (not connected with the federal Liberals) to the BC United Party. We were also going to talk about the resurgence of the BC Conservative Party (not connected with the federal Conservatives).

Kevin Falcon, leader of the BC United Party (new name, formerly the BC Liberal Party), had been at odds with John Rustad, leader of the BC Conservative Party. Falcon kicked Rustad out of their party.   

Then Falcon self-imploded the BC United Party, sending its incumbents and new candidates scrambling to stay on the ballot or even dropping out of the race. The BC Conservative Party picked up a few BC United candidates. Some former BC United people will run as independents. Some just won't run.

Meanwhile, David Eby has been premier since 2022 and this is his first election as NDP leader and premier.

The writ dropped Saturday on what should be an intriguing election. Where do the "free enterprise" centrists in British Columbia go? The NDP that believes in addressing the climate crisis vs. the Conservatives, whose leader isn't that concerned with climate change. A centrist may like the fiscal policy of the Conservatives and also be pro-vaccine.

Let's start with the nuts and bolts of the 2024 election. The number of seats in Victoria jump from 87 to 93 seats, so 47 is needed for a majority. David Eby and the New Democratic Party won 57 seats in 2020 and currently have 55. The BC United, the opposition party that is no more, won 28 seats in 2020 and has 23 seats. The Conservatives won 0 seats in 2020 and currently have 5 MLAs, including Rustad.

Sonia Furstenau, leader of the BC Green Party, is one of 2 MLAs, a number that has not changed. There are 2 current independent MLAs.

British Columbia decriminalizes some drugs but at a really low threshold

The decriminalisation experiment in British Columbia has little to no impact in the majority of the British Columbia ridings. Outside Vancouver and Victoria, there may be consternation about the policy but not a direct impact. Still, this will be an issue for the BC voters.

Eby made adjustments to pacify centrists and perhaps even some in the NDP camp. Will that be enough to sway voters who care more about this issue than other pressing topics? Something to watch for on 

David Eby to replace John Horgan as British Columbia premier

David Eby is seemingly on the right side (left side?) politically on the climate crisis in this race. The centrists lose their party that cares about climate change. The Conservatives aren't that concerned.

So Eby comes out earlier this month with the announcement that the BC government would ditch the carbon tax if there wasn't  a federal requirement. Eby's announcement came on the heels of NDP federal leader Jagmeet Singh taking a position about the costs o the carbon tax to lower-income consumers.

The province became the first Canadian jurisdiction to introduce a carbon tax in 2008. This was done under the BC Liberal Party with centrists and conservatives. 

Both announcements are tied to the NDP getting out of the federal supply-and confidence agreement with the Liberal Party. Singh and Eby taking positions much more in line with opposition leader Pierre Poilievre and the federal Conservatives.   

The BC premier cited the need to shift the burden to "big polluters." You can do both.

We can understand the cynicism of Eby taking some positions to appease to centrists in British Columbia yet this move doesn't do this.

British Columbia looks like a NDP majority government

British Columbia Saturday, Saskatchewan on Monday: Election results likely to be delayed

2020 British Columbia election preview

2024 Canadian politics preview

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The 3 provinces with scheduled elections — British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan — had pandemic elections in the heart of the pandemic. They were seen more as keep the ship steady. The general thought is that the 2024 elections may be "throw out the baby and the bathwater."

We would argue that the situation in each province is very different. We watched the Canadian press take an odd interpretation in the 2 recent federal byelections almost as if they wrote the story before the results came out.

Twitter capture: @Dave_Eby
photo credit: BC United Party

Canadian film review: I'm Just Here For The Riot

"Captain Vancouver will now be your judge."

The 2024 Vancouver Canucks had an impressive playoffs run, which reminded fans of the 2011 team that should have won the Stanley Cup over the Boston Bruins. The disturbance that followed has been captured in a documentary I'm Just Here For The Riot.

The other 3 Canadian teams in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs had outdoor crowds gathered. Toronto, Winnipeg, and Edmonton but not Vancouver. Watching the documentary shows us why after all these years, the city doesn't trust its citizens to gather outside to watch a hockey game.

Directors Kathleen Jayme and Asia Youngman start out telling the story of Game 7 in 2011 and what led to the riot. They then focus on a few people who were caught, labeled, and a bit of both as social media discovered who some of these people were. The film delves into the aspect of being the first major incident where social media can track who is involved. The obsession on social media gets quite a bit of focus.

This side step deserves its own film about rioting and social media. There is a Vancouver unique story that is more compelling.

We learn about people who stood up and defended private property. We meet people who rescued the people who stood up. We all too briefly — and at the end of the film — learn about the people who came back the next day to clean up the mess from the riot.

The Vancouver Canucks have been in 3 Stanley Cup finals. The New York Islanders swept the 1982 team. The New York Rangers barely squeaked by in 1994 over the Canucks. Turns out there was a riot in 1994 after Vancouver lost Game 7.

The mention of the 1994 riot came rather late in the documentary. The 1994 riot was not on the scale of the 2011 riot but a significant detail that deserved more time in the documentary.

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Kathleen Jayme may seem familiar to our readers since Jayme also did a documentary about the NBA Vancouver Grizzlies. Jayme made that documentary more personal where I'm Just Here For The Riot was more about presenting the elements.

Would have been nice to have a bit more personal in this documentary. Vancouver seems like an anomaly to most Americans and even a lot of Canadians. What this riot meant to Vancouver deserves a documentary all its own.

I've walked those streets in downtown Vancouver. The city is a laid back, beautiful place. They celebrated well after the Golden Goal from Sidney Crosby at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The riots are the exception, not the rule.

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2023 Windsor International Film Festival preview

The fact that this documentary is part of the ESPN 30 for 30 series makes us wonder if that affected what was covered. Reportedly, every broadcaster in Canada turned down the filmmakers.

Jayme reportedly went downtown the following morning to interview cleanup volunteers. Very little of that is in the film.

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The 1994 series was tough but reasonably fair as NHL playoff series go. The 2011 series was a much different beast. If the officiating had been remotely fair — nothing close to reality — the Canucks would have won the Stanley Cup and the reaction would have been more joyous. 

In that world, 2011 would have been redemption for 1994. Then we might have had a different kind of documentary. 

This doesn't justify the anger after the Game 7 in 2011. Does explain it a tiny bit.

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The documentary premiered at the 2023 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. It also screened at the 42nd Vancouver International Film Festival and the 2023 Windsor International Film Festival.

I'm Just Here For The Riot is available in the 30 for 30 Series on ESPN+.

video credit: SIFF News
photo credit: I'm Just Here For The Riot

British Columbia fine tunes decriminalizing drug policy

We wrote about the plan in British Columbia for a 3-year experiment to decriminalize certain drugs for a healthier policy on overdoses. About halfway through the experiment, the province, with the help of the federal government, is making some adjustments, mostly in the area of where people can consume those drugs.

We were a bit surprised — from a naive standpoint — about the strength of the rhetoric involving terms such as "failure" and "recriminalize." Marijuana is legal coast to coast to coast in Canada and the provinces have restrictions on where you can consume marijuana.

The changes stem from making sure the drugs are not consumed in public and other areas of note. The parallel is that the drug use isn't as much of an issue as where the drug use is happening. One key difference is that with homelessness as a factor of opioids that, unlike marijuana use, there isn't an "inside space" for easy consumption. Since Canada waited a long time with making edibles legal, and many restrictions on smoking inside rental apartments, drug policy happens in stages.

The Eby Government last fall passed a bill banning drug use in public spaces, such as parks, beaches, and transit. A BC Supreme Court judge ruled that the law would have "irreparable harm" to people who use drugs.

There are political elements at work for the changes. Federal opposition leader Pierre Poilievre referred to Justin Trudeau's policy (not his policy) as "wacko" in Parliament. That is allowed yet Poilievre also used that word about the prime minister, which got Poilievre tossed out of the House of Commons. Needless to say, a lot of money was raised as the stunt felt like just that, a stunt.

The province will have an election on or before October 19. Premier David Eby (New Democratic Party) have 55 seats in the current 87-seat parliament. The BC United Party is in opposition at 26 seats. The Green Party have 2 seats, Conservative Party have 2 seats, and there are 2 independents. The number of seats in October or earlier will be 93 seats.

The BC United (BCU) may seem new but this is the new name for what was the British Columbia Liberal Party (BC Liberals), which has not connection to the federal Liberals. The name change came on April 12, 2023. I remember in past trips having BC people explain that the "Liberals" had a lot of conservatives.

Eby, who had served as the attorney general under Premier John Horgan, took over for Horgan on November 18, 2022, and hasn't run for election as premier.

British Columbia decriminalizes some drugs but at a really low threshold

Canadian film review: Love in the Time of Fentanyl

Canadian film review: Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy

Despite what Poilievre and/or BC United might think, the fentanyl problem, overdoses (fatal and otherwise), opioids are a problem bigger than decriminalization. Decriminalization without housing help won't be as effective a solution. The safe supply issue, which is helping with overdoses, is making more progress than say Alberta's recovery-based solutions.

Toronto and Montréal also are looking into federal help for their drug areas. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is willing to work out solutions on a provincial level with Vancouver getting help only after British Columbia participated on a provincial level.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, ironic given a number of drug-related allegations, won't agree to a safe supply position. Quebec Premier François Legault has not weighed in recently but has said "non" to the idea of decriminalization in the past.

This leaves British Columbia as the only option to learn what might be able to work. Needless to say, the experiment would be in jeopardy either in the 2024 provincial election or a 2025 federal election.

B.C. rolls back drug decriminalization (The Current on CBC Radio)

Backlash and walk backs: BC reverses drug policy (Front Burner)

We beg for political leadership to tackle difficult topics. We don't offer up that one solution will magically make the drug crisis in Canada go away. Those in the United States should praise what British Columbia is doing since they might benefit from the experiment in western Canada.

The other side has no solutions other than to stop this particular solution.

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Back in the days of the drive-in theatre where you could see 3 films in a row, we would recommend a triple feature of Love in the Time of Fentanyl, The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, and Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy.

The 2 documentaries (Love and Kímmapiiyipitssini) are about finding solutions for the opioids crisis while the other film takes place in the area in Vancouver known for its drug use. Your humble narrator learned a lot from these films and enough to know there is a lot I don't know. These people need help and we should do what we can.

video and photo credit: CBC News

Canadian film review: Love in the Time of Fentanyl

News will label something as "controversial" such as supervised injection facilities in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The average person might be frightened at the prospect of that type of facility. Love in the Time of Fentanyl shows us what that world is actually like and why it's unusual, but far better in the opioid battle.

The clinic is run by volunteers who are all too familiar with the opioid scene in that area in Vancouver, as in fellow users. The documentary takes us into the people mourning those who have been lost and saving people, so they are still around.

We don't get so close to the action to see actual drug injections but there is an intimacy to watching people do something highly personal that would never been shown on the late news. Safe injection sites have proven to be necessary in the time when opioids can easily be laced with fentanyl.

The film shows us Overdose Prevention Society (OPS) staff members administer Narcan for those who overdose and save their lives. Sometimes, the efforts are too late.

The unofficial narrator is Ronnie aka Narcan Jesus, a gentle giant who is one of the workers at the facility.

Director Colin Askey gives us the intimacy of startling moments without an all-knowing narrator. Sometimes the decisions you don't make are the smartest choices.

The intimacy can be a bit startling but Askey understands we need to see the reality of that world to see the importance of safe injection sites.

British Columbia decriminalizes some drugs but at a really low threshold

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The film reflected the reality in the time of filming. Now those in British Columbia can carry a small amount of drugs, including opioids, without fear of arrest. This includes opioids, which sadly may have fentanyl in them.

Reducing the stigma and the reality of being arrested gives these people a safer environment for themselves and others.

Love in the Time of Fentanyl is a play on the title Love in the Time of Cholera, a 1985 novel Colombian Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez. The book was later turned into a film that was released in 2007.

Canadian film review: Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy

We don't pair films together, like wine and food. If you want to learn more about opioids addiction, the Elle-Maija Tailfeathers documentary featuring her mother is an outstanding watch. While this is geared toward opioids in Indigenous communities, its solutions are just as relevant in the mountains of West Virginia in the United States.

Speaking of Tailfeathers, the part of Vancouver in this documentary is very close by where her earlier film, The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, was filmed.

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The beauty of documentaries, such as this one, is the way to see what is talked about in the news and show this to an audience who is curious.

Love in the Time of Fentanyl is a great example of showing us a "controversial" world and humanizing the experience. We suggest you watch the film with loved ones and compare notes after watching the film.

Love in the Time of Fentanyl has run in Canada and is available through Independent Lens on PBS. A reminder to our American readers that the PBS version has censored curse words from the documentary. As we have noted, Canadians are far less concerned over the impact of those words than in American society.

video credit: Independent Lens/PBS
photo credit: Love in the Time of Fentanyl

John Garrett retirement opens the door of opportunity for Vancouver Canucks TV colour analysis

Thank you for everything, John Garrett 💙💚@SNJohnGarrett | @Canucks pic.twitter.com/cxyZHrNqqd

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 24, 2023

John Garrett has been the stable force on Vancouver Canucks telecasts for a very long time. His retirement leaves a gigantic hole on the Canucks TV broadcast crew.

Garrett will do select broadcasts next season but otherwise will enjoy a well-deserved retirement. Maybe golf with former partner Jim Hughson. 

Garrett knew the nuance of local versus Hockey Night in Canada telecasts in ways that Louie DeBrusk will never get.

The primary colour Canucks TV analyst is a great position for those who want to make a move. John Shorthouse is a generous play by play person. Shorthouse and Garrett is shorthand for excellent hockey broadcasting. 

A few names in my head for a replacement:

Jennifer Botterill. Good chemistry with studio work for Rogers Sportsnet and gets to call a few games for TNT. Could see where this doesn't fit into her plans but an intriguing choice.

Patrick Sharp. Canadian NHL player who has done studio analysis for NBCSN and occasional analysis on Chicago TV games for NBC Sports Chicago. Does Sharp want to do that many games for any team?

Drew Remenda. Canadian NHL player back working San Jose games. He had worked Edmonton games for awhile and has Hockey Night in Canada experience.  

Corey Hirsch. Did Vancouver Canucks radio analysis and then left before this season. Has filled in for Garrett in the past on Canucks TV. Would Hirsch want to come back for this?

Jamal Mayers. Has been an occasional analyst on Hockey Night in Canada on Rogers Sportsnet. Might be a bit inexperienced for the Canucks job but should be in the mix. 

Cheryl Pounder. Done studio work for TSN. Don't know how much colour analysis she has done.

Anson Carter. He is more of a studio person for TNT and Sportsnet. Carter has a sharp mind that would do well with colour analysis. This won't happen but a name worth mentioning.

Shane Hnidy. Not saying he would leave Las Vegas and occasional TNT work for the Vancouver Canucks job. He did Winnipeg Jets games so he isn't afraid of Canada.  

Kevin Bieska. He is perfect on the surface. Well-known former Canucks player. Experience with analysis on Sportsnet, though not game analysis. He can be a bit irritating in the studio. A chance to reinvent himself in the Canucks booth could work out well.

Cammi Granato. So having an assistant general manager also serving as a colour analyst would be highly unusual. Granato certainly knows the players. Would also be amusing if ESPN then sent Ray Ferraro (Granato's husband) to cover a Vancouver Canucks game. That is not likely to happen because ESPN+ has only carried a single Vancouver game in the last 2 years (Seattle Kraken initial home opener) and may never cover a game in Vancouver. Ferraro cut back on Toronto Maple Leafs games on TSN4 this season for a lighter schedule. 

Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Greg Millen, and Daryl "Razor" Reaugh have career paths that likely don't include a job with the Canucks. 

NHL the month in preview March 2023

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The Winnipeg Jets did a really healthy search to replace Dennis Beyak, not an easy job. Dan Robertson was an excellent choice to call the Jets games on TSN3. Colour analysis is a different skill set.

If we missed someone, especially with BC or Vancouver roots, let us know in the comments section or tweet us @canadian_xing.

Twitter capture: @sportsnet

British Columbia decriminalizes some drugs but at a really low threshold

Decriminalize. A powerful word that we don't hear much about in North America. For example, the perception is that the Netherlands legalized marijuana for their coffee shops. In fact, marijuana is not legal but coffee shops are permitted to sell up to 5 grams of marijuana to customers for consumption on-site. No takeaway orders.

As of today, Canadians 18 years of age and older in British Columbia will be able to possess up to a cumulative 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA within the province.

Note that the total is half of what is the law in the Netherlands. British Columbia wanted a threshold of 4.5 grams but the federal government lowered the threshold to 2.5 grams.

We have noted that the marijuana threshold in Canada, where pot is legal coast to coast to coast, is 30 grams. So the threshold seems higher for the other drugs but that isn't a fair comparison.

The pilot program is in effect for 3 years. You still can't sell drugs though such a small possession marker would make that an odd charge.

The threshold may not matter too much in Kamloops, Prince Rupert, Abbotsford, Fort St. John, Kelowna, and Penticton. The limit may not be as much of a concern on Vancouver Island in places such as Victoria, Nanaimo, Tofino, and Ucluelet.

The key concern is opioids in Vancouver Downtown Eastside. Fentanyl and its analogues were detected in nearly 86% of drug toxicity deaths from 2019-2022, according to the latest report from the B.C. Coroners Service.

Experts say that some opioids users consume more than 2.5 grams in a day, citing the need for a higher threshold.

Your humble narrator is a bit surprised that the program is province-wide, given the significance of Vancouver Downtown Eastside. Then again, opioids use isn't limited to that area. 

Experiencing marijuana tourism in Canada

CanadianCrossing.com marijuana coverage

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While we promote the idea of marijuana tourism, we aren't as excited about the prospect of tourists taking too much advantage. An 18-year-old might find it unusual to be able to possess 2 grams of cocaine while marijuana is still illegal until they turn 19.

The help for opioids users is that they can have a safe supply and not overdose and die. That isn't the same as recreational use. There is also the theory that an American possessing a legal supply might be suspected of trafficking more than someone with a British Columbia drivers licence. 

We will be very curious to see how this pilot program goes and maybe a higher threshold within the 3 years.

photo credit: Victoria Police Department/CBC News

David Eby to replace John Horgan as British Columbia premier

The Alberta United Conservative Party just came off an extensive leadership contest. The British Columbia New Democratic Party had a much lower key, well, lack of battle.

Former provincial attorney general and housing minister David Eby is the premier-designate to replace John Horgan. The only other competitor for the job was Anjali Appadurai, who was rejected following a report found fraudulent memberships had been solicited on her behalf.

There was a voting period scheduled to be as early as November 13 with results around December 3. Like getting handed a present and finding out early what was in the box.

BC Premier John Horgan announced in late June that he would step down before the next provincial election, likely to be in October 2024.

Horgan had been dealing with throat cancer treatments. While Horgan is stepping down as premier, he will continue to be the MLA for the Langford-Juan de Fuca riding.

British Columbia looks like a NDP majority government

British Columbia Saturday, Saskatchewan on Monday: Election results likely to be delayed

2020 British Columbia election preview

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Horgan is the only BC premier from the NDP to be elected to 2 straight terms. You might recall that Horgan gambled to call an election in the middle of the pandemic. The previous government relied on the Green Party to keep the government in power.

For those unfamiliar with the parliamentary system, this type of transition is fairly normal. Most provinces don't require a new, unelected premier to run soon after winning the race to be the leader of the party in power. Newfoundland and Labrador is a grand exception.

photo credit: CTV News Vancouver

Canadian film review: Everything's Gone Green

Everything's Gone Green could be described as a slacker film and a love story. A film about meaning, money, happiness, marijuana, greed, and the co-star, Vancouver.

Ryan (Paulo Costanzo) is our slacker. Loses his job and girlfriend (Katherine Isabelle) on the same day. His parents think they won the lottery but they didn't. Ryan ends up working for the lottery.

They encourage him to take Mandarin classes "the language of the future" (this was 2006).

Ryan meets Ming (Steph Song) on the beach alongside a beached whale. Ming has a douchy boyfriend Bryce (JR Bourne). Ryan is interested in Ming yet goes to work for Bryce.

Imperfect characters willing to admit they are imperfect. The beauty of Everything's Gone Green is its kindness to the characters, showing their good and not-so-good traits.

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Douglas Coupland gives us a lot in the screenplay, a tapestry of themes throughout the story. The Generation X author has a more subdued story than that novel. Director Paul Fox keeps us engaged in the story.

Mandarin might not be too relevant in most of Canada but Vancouver is a grand exception. The transfer of Hong Kong to China in 1997 changed Vancouver considerably.

Ming's character works on movie sets to make Vancouver look like somewhat else. Everything's Gone Green shows the real Vancouver as Vancouver.

The film has moments of satire but the story turns to be more about Ryan, Ming, and Ming's grandmother. A nice film, not too sweet, that likes the people in the film.

A slacker film that gives you a lot to consider is worth the watch. An independent film that will never be mistaken for an American film. Saw this film years ago and made an impression. Did rewatch the film recently and the feeling hasn't changed.

Everything's Gone Green won the award for Best Canadian Feature Film at the 2006 Vancouver International Film Festival.

video credit: YouTube/stateofmind3471
photos credit: Everything's Gone Green film

British Columbia looks like a NDP majority government

Given the last 2 British Columbia elections, the pandemic election turned out to be relatively boring. The results are leaning in a direction but there are at least 500,000 mail-in ballots still to count and that won't happen soon.

The New Democratic Party was leading or elected in 55 of the BC ridings to 29 for the Liberals and 3 for the Green Party. If this pace continues after the full count, Premier John Horgan becomes the only 2-time NDP premier and the party gets its first majority government since 1996.

The NDP won seats in the Lower Mainland (Vancouver and suburbs) away from the Liberals on election night, based on the current results. The party only needed 44 seats for a majority.

The Liberals under Andrew Wilkinson ran under the idea of getting rid of the 7% provincial sales tax (PST) for a year. The BC HST consists of 5% federal and 7% provincial for a combined 12% rate. Wilkinson had to deal with issues over candidates. A prime example was when Liberal MLA Jane Thornthwaite was caught making sexist comments about NDP MLA Bowinn Ma on a Zoom call. Ma won her riding Saturday night while Thornthwaite lost her seat.

BC Liberal MLA Laurie Throness resigned from the party caucus after controversial statements. The action came too late to take his name off the ballot. Throness said if he wins, he will sit as an independent in the legislature.

Sonia Furstenau — who became Green Party leader just 7 days before the election was called — and Adam Olsen both won their seats. The Greens were at 2 when the election was called. Former Green Party leader Andrew Weaver had stepped down as leader and left the party to sit as an independent. The Greens have reportedly won a third seat, the first on the BC mainland. Jeremy Valeriote is expected to win the West Vancouver-Sea to Sky riding.

The Greens had 74 candidates in the 87 ridings.

Even with the Green Party adding a new MLA to Victoria, the huge loss is no longer being able to directly influence the NDP government as the Greens had done since 2017. This departure will be felt most significantly on environmental issues such as pipelines and other climate crisis concerns.

The 2017 election gave Christy Clark and the Liberals 43 seats versus 41 for the NDP and 3 for the Greens. Clark was unable to form government and the NDP and Greens formed an unofficial coalition. Clark ran an amazing come from behind election in 2013 to beat out then NDP leader Adrian Dix. Clark's Liberals won the election but Clark lost her seat and had to win a by-election to get into Parliament in Victoria.

Clark's 2017 election win is still the only time a female provincial premier won re-election in Canada, even if only for a short time.

British Columbia Saturday, Saskatchewan on Monday: Election results likely to be delayed

2020 British Columbia election preview

We won't know the proportion of vote count for the parties until all the votes are counted. The Green Party has argued for proportional representation as opposed to the current first-past-the-post system. A proposal to switch to proportional representation lost by a 61.3% vote in the 2018 referendum.

The Greens had at about 16% in the vote tabulated on Saturday night but only won 3 seats.

Elections BC is aiming for November 16 to have a complete count of the ballots.

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2020 Canadian politics preview

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We like to track female party leadership in Canadian provinces since sadly there aren't that many of them these days. Sonia Furstenau has been the Greens leader since September. The party's performance was quite solid so Furstenau should remain in leadership. The Liberals will wait until all the votes are counted for a possible change in party leadership.

photo credits: CBC News