Change is inevitable, how we manage it is not

 A sweeping change in government in British Columbia. From a narrow NDP majority to an overwhelming Conservative majority. For progressives, this is a tragedy. An election that wasn't scheduled until 2028. What was the Premier thinking? A quick win against a dysfunctional opposition? The search for a bigger majority? A renewed mandate?

Whatever David Eby was looking for, he didn't find it. Most voters stayed home, with only 48.1% voting (more than 58% voted in 2024). The Conservatives took fewer votes this time than last. According to CBC, in 2024, the B.C. Conservatives received just over 900,000 votes, with preliminary figures showing they had received over 860,000 this time around. The NDP went from over 950,000 votes in 2024 to just under 670,000 votes. So a lot of people stayed home. 

With the Conservatives getting 48% of the popular vote (they won 48% of the actual votes cast, which was enough to decide the election out of a pool of 48% of eligible voters who showed up), they have received a supermajority with about 23% of the electorate's potential vote. While they earned a sweeping 64-seat majority in the legislature under the First-Past-The-Post system, nearly 77% of eligible BC voters either voted for a different party or did not participate in the election. This is the folly of the First Past the Post (FPTP) voting system.

Under a Proportional system, the results would have been closer to 45 Seats for the Conservatives, 35 for the NDP, and 12 for the Greens. 48% is not a majority, and so the Conservatives should not have a majority of the seats in the legislature.

There was a time when I would have been horrified by such an outcome. Still, having lived as many years as I have, and having lived through some of the worst governments, both federally and provincially, I know that however much I regret this election's choice, the government lasts only four years. Then the electorate gets to vote again. If they/we are satisfied, the government will continue, and if not, they will be tossed aside, and a new group will try.

A government can do a lot of good in four years; it can also do a lot of harm. I probably won't be at the pointed end of the harm, but that doesn't mean I have to accept it. It is incumbent on all progressives to watch, criticize, and act whenever harm is done. We must organize and work for a better outcome next time. We must call out injustice. We must form alliances with groups/individuals who may not have the voice that we as a collective do. 

As a green activist, I follow the Green Values: Ecological Wisdom, Social Justice, Non-Violence, Participatory Democracy, Respect for Diversity, and Sustainability. To this we add Personal Accountability, Active Participation, and Conscious Consumption. And for me as a labour activist, "an injury to one is an injury to all," the foundational labour slogan popularized by the Industrial Workers of the World.

Do not give in to hopelessness. Grieve the loss of what could have been, and then get active. While change is inevitable, how we manage it is not.

Big Change Comes with Big Expectations

Vancouver, like many communities in British Columbia, voted for change on October 17. In the local elections, Vancouver swept ABC out, North Saanich voted against party politics, and Langford, Saanich, Surrey and New Westminster all voted for a new direction.

In Vancouver, the first Green Party mayor in Canada was elected, with progressive (COPE, Green and One City) councillors taking all but one Councillor position.

In Surrey, Mayor Brenda Locke was defeated by previous Mayor Doug McCallum, whom she defeated last time, while Langford replaced the outgoing mayor with the one he had defeated last time as well. New Westminster elected a conservative slate that called themselves Progressives, and Saanich elected a slate called Save Our Saanich (SOS).

In North Saanich, I was elected along with 5 other 'independent' candidates for Council, along with an independent Mayor, defeating the North Saanich Strong slate, which included 3 incumbents and a former employee of the District; the previous Mayor received only 5% of the votes.

What all these community election results show is that the residents wanted change. But wholesale change usually comes with big expectations. Whether it is lower taxes, less development, reduced crime, or fewer bike lanes, change can take time. And while change is inevitable, it is not always what the voters expect.

I wish all the newly elected well. I hope they take time to learn, listen, and contemplate before making big changes. As one previous politician wisely said "you can appoint, but you can't disappoint".

Parks advocate, former teacher running on hope for more stability in North Saanich

 Thursday, September 24, 2026

By Bailey Seymour

After four years of instability in North Saanich’s council chambers, newcomer Stuart Mackinnon hopes to be part of a council that can stabilize the district through trust and dialogue.

“It’s been quite a tumultuous four years. It’s still going on. I think that it’s lacked a lot of trust between council and the community, and I want to bring that trust back,” he said. “I’ve sat on a lot of boards, both community boards and elected, and one of the strengths I have is bringing stability and governance expertise to those boards.”

He spent 11 years on the Vancouver Park Commission, served as a library trustee and sat on a number of environmental and conservation committees along with a 30-year teaching career.

“This particular council has taken a very adversarial position with the provincial government, and I don’t necessarily think that’s the right approach. Of course we want to have local decision-making, but my expression is you make a lot more honey with bees than you do with hornets,” he said. “When I was in governance in Vancouver, I worked with Christine Boyle, who’s the current housing minister. I had a good rapport; I could just call her up and have a conversation with her. I don’t know if she’s ever been to North Saanich and understands what our community is about. So I’d start there. Have the minister come out and try and understand what’s happening here, what our community is about.”

Over the next four years, he says he’d like to see more financial transparency, and more cash set aside in reserves as infrastructure continues to age.

With his background in parks advocacy, he also wants to work on safeguarding the district’s parks and forests, especially as climate change threatens shorelines and natural landscapes. “This is something that we would not be working on our own. This is something that has to be a regional, provincial, and federal partnership. We have to work with Sidney and Central Saanich as well. There’s limited ability at the local level because we just don’t have the funds. So working with the Departments of Natural Resources and Climate Change at both provincial and federal levels to protect our shorelines, to work in tandem on understanding exactly what that means for a community like ours. Again, it’s about dialogue and partnerships,” he said.

His background as a teacher, along with his extensive experience around governments, makes him someone who can help set North Saanich on the right path, he says. “I have worked on the park board before in governance, in civic governance, understanding how government works, how to work with staff, understanding that this is not just a job that you’ve got for a couple of hours a week. It takes a lot of time and effort and understanding, and getting out into the community and listening. I have that background to help me. Working
with others,” he said. “There’s nothing like being a teacher to learn how to work with others. I think I have the patience and understanding that’s necessary.”

With a provincial election recently called – especially with BC Greens leader Emily Lowan running in the riding – Mackinnon is worried about voter turnout, however he’s hoping residents will still take the time to learn about their options, and of course, go out and vote.

Mackinnon will be vying for a seat on North Saanich council on Oct. 17.

10/1/26 Parks advocate, former teacher running on hope for more stability in North Saanich | Peninsula News Review