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Vancouver Sun
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Federal election results show an urban-rural divide in B.C. Here's why some political scientists are worried
Article content Hamish Telford, a political scientist at the University of the Fraser Valley, said some generalizations can be made. Article content Rural voters tend to be 'older and whiter,' while those in urban areas are more cosmopolitan and have more education, he said. Rural voters 'might feel like they're losing their place in the country. Or when they go to the city, they might feel out of place. They want to hold on to a version of Canada that they understand.' Article content Telford said economic differences play a role, with people in agriculture and resource industries feeling 'under attack' by environmentalists who live in cities, where more people are employed in public sector or retail jobs. Article content Lucas said people in cities have different and often greater needs than those in rural areas, giving the example or transit and highway networks. As a consequence, urban voters may be more pro-spending. Article content But Lucas, an expert on Canada's urban-rural divide, also hesitated to draw a hard line between urban and rural B.C. There are different types of urban areas, including urban suburbs and more distant suburbs, while there are also different types of rural areas, like agriculture-based regions, remote Indigenous communities and towns built around a mill or mine. Voter concerns and identity in different places are not always neatly contained by definitions. Article content Article content Why are some political scientists worried? Article content In some ways, the divide is just an extension of the normal disagreements that characterize politics, said Lucas. People have competing preference and priorities and some of that is manifest in where they live. Article content 'What is concerning is that we have a geographically based system of representation at both the federal and provincial level,' he said. 'The worry is that a government will end up with a caucus that doesn't represent the place diversity of Canada.' Article content Lucas said he fears it is getting 'harder and harder' for the Liberals to get rural representation in cabinet. The same might be true for a Conservative government trying to gain meaningful urban representation. Article content When government only cares about the concerns of people who vote for them, it can lead to bigger problems, said Prince. Article content Article content Article content In the recent federal election, the collapse of the NDP — from 13 seats to three — reinforced the urban-rural divide in B.C. In the same way, the fall of B.C. United led to a two-party contest and stronger regional divisions in the last provincial election. Article content Part of that is a result of the first-past-the-post electoral system, which steers democracies toward a two-party system, said Telford. He believes the federal NDP has a 'long road back' and may struggle to win back rural ridings in the Interior and on Vancouver Island, where many blue-collar workers now lean toward the Conservatives. Article content 'The NDP used to transcend the urban-rural divide,' said Johnston. That may not be the case anymore, as support in mill towns has declined with the workforce and the union movement has become more 'university educated, public sector.' Article content Article content Johnston said he wouldn't rule out the return of the federal NDP, particularly as the provincial brand remains strong. 'But they won't come back in Smithers, they'll come back in Coquitlam.' Article content Article content Article content
Global News
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Ex-MLA's independent run opens door to ‘3-way race' in Abbotsford-South Langley
A longtime Conservative stronghold in B.C.'s Fraser Valley has become a key riding to watch in Monday's federal election, thanks to a former MLA's independent run. Abbotsford-South Langley is a new riding, but the area has gone to the Conservatives or their predecessors for decades. 'Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley generally historically has been a very conservative place,' said University of the Fraser Valley political scientist Hamish Telford. 1:23 Longtime B.C. politician Mike de Jong to run as independent 'I think everyone would have considered that this newly configured riding of Abbotsford-South Langley would be an easy Conservative pickup, but because of this botched nomination process and Mike de Jong running as an independent, I think it's possibly a three-way race now.' Story continues below advertisement De Jong served as MLA for the area for three decades and held multiple cabinet portfolios, including finance and health. He had sought to run for the Conservatives, but said his candidacy was rejected because the party deemed him to be 'unqualified.' The party instead nominated 25-year-old blueberry farmer Sukhman Gill in the riding. Global News made multiple attempts to contact Gill for an interview, but were told by his staff he was busy campaigning and not available. De Jong told Global News he has been campaigning on a variety of issues affecting the riding, including the effects of tariffs and perennial concerns about flood mitigation, following the destructive 2021 atmospheric river. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy But he's focused heavily on Gill's reticence to appear at public events as well. 'One of the candidates, ironically the candidate for the party that has represented this area for over half a century, has refused to participate in any public discussions, any all-candidates' gatherings. We've had eight of them so far,' he said. 'If a candidate is not prepared to stand up with the people and in front of the people before an election campaign, they are sure as heck not going to stand up for the people after.' De Jong said he still subscribes to the values and principles espoused by the Conservative Party, but that over and above them, he believes locals should be the ones to decide who represents them, not 'someone in Ottawa who decided they knew better than the people here in Abbotsford.' Story continues below advertisement 1:45 Canada Election 2025: Poilievre, Singh, and Carney make their pitch to voters De Jong has secured the backing of Ed Fast, the area's outgoing MP. But while de Jong has major name recognition in the area, Telford said he'll face an uphill battle given that independent candidates have historically fared poorly in federal campaigns. He could, ironically, play spoiler to the Conservatives' fortunes, however. 'The Liberal candidate, though, is out there campaigning hard,' he said. 'The Liberals are hoping the Conservative candidate and Mike de Jong will split the vote and they can come up in the middle. It would be a shock if they did that, but it's not implausible in this scenario.' Kevin Gillies, a former local journalist and special needs support worker, is carrying the Liberal banner in the riding. Story continues below advertisement Like party leader Mark Carney, he painted the election in terms of Canada's response to U.S. President Donald Trump and his tariff and annexation threats. 'It's really impacting people here. The local newspaper recently said 700 jobs were lost in this town due to U.S. tariffs,' he said. 'I really buy into Mark Carney, and I believe he is an excellent person for this crisis. He is educated and experienced.' 1:47 Which Canadian NHL team are the main party leaders cheering for? Gillies also touted his candidacy as a chance for voters to have a seat at the table in government, noting residents have been represented by an opposition MP since the last Conservative government. 'Having a strong voice as part of the Carney government is in this riding's best interest and will help with issues like securing flood mitigation from the Nooksack River,' he said. Story continues below advertisement Several other candidates are also vying for the seat, including the NDP's Dharmasena Yakandawela, the Greens' Melissa Snazell and the PPC's Aeriol Alderking. Telford said if history is a guide, the Conservatives will have the edge going into Monday's vote. But he said de Jong's candidacy could come back to haunt the party in the end. 'Why the Conservative Party declined his offer to serve is still a mystery, but I think it was a big mistake on their part,' he said.
USA Today
05-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Defending WM Phoenix Open champ Nick Taylor as a college golf coach? Maybe down the road
Defending WM Phoenix Open champ Nick Taylor as a college golf coach? Maybe down the road Nick Taylor is a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, and his week, he's defending his title at the WM Phoenix Open. However, when his professional days are over, it seems like he has his eyes set on another career: coaching college golf. "I think when I've answered that question, I had such an amazing experience when I went to University of Washington with Matt Thurmond as my golf coach and just how he impacted everyone on our team, how we became more mature on the golf course, off the golf course," Taylor said. "We had so much fun when we were there, that my experience was so good that I think I always thought if playing didn't turn out, that was something that I wanted to do and try to have that impact on younger generation players that he did on me." Thurmond, now the coach at Arizona State, has one of his current players in the field this week, Josele Ballester, the 2024 U.S. Amateur champion. For Taylor, he's already laying the groundwork for helping the next generation while competing on the PGA Tour. "I have a little involvement with the University of the Fraser Valley, which is back in my hometown of Abbotsford, throughout the year, but it's something I'd definitely be interested in," he said about coaching. "But right now, I'll keep playing as much as I can."
