The Hook

As if Vancouverites needed another fall election, Premier Gordon Campbell has called two provincial by-elections for October 29th in the Vancouver-Burrard and Vancouver-Fairview ridings.

Vancouver-Burrard became vacant in September after MLA Lorne Mayencourt, a B.C. Liberal, resigned to run for the Conservative Party in the Oct. 14 federal election.

Former Vancouver Canucks owner Arthur Griffiths is running for the B.C. Liberals in Burrard. Vancouver parks board commissioner Spencer Herbert is seeking the NDP nomination. And Drina Read has announced that she will run for the Green Party of B.C. in the West End riding.

"I'm ready to go," Griffiths said in a Wednesday afternoon press release.

Vancouver-Fairview became vacant in July after MLA Gregor Robertson, a B.C. New Democrat, resigned to run as Vision Vancouver’s mayoral candidate in the Nov. 15 civic election.

Family physician Margaret MacDiarmid is running for the B.C. Liberals in Fairview. Vancity account manager Jenn McGinn is running for the provincial NDP.

And late Wednesday, Green Party of B.C. leader Jane Sterk announced that she will also contest the Fairview riding.

"It is absolutely necessary to achieve a balance between a thriving economy and a sound environment," Sterk said in an email.

The B.C. Liberal government holds 45 seats to the New Democrats’ 32. The Greens hold no seats.

So while the by-elections won’t affect the balance of power in Victoria, they may provide a preview of how all three parties will run in the province-wide elections set for May 12 of next year.

Those elections are expected to be run using new riding boundaries that will add seats in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.

Monte Paulsen is editor of The Hook.