Green co-leader Elizabeth May holds B.C. seat for 5th term

Chad Pawson · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 29, 2025 1:43 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

The Green Party of Canada's flagship national seat, occupied by B.C. parliamentarian Elizabeth May since 2011, volition stay successful the power of the party's co-leader aft a decisive triumph connected Monday night.

"The crushed we were palmy present … was from the devotion and committedness of volunteers," said the 70-year-old on predetermination nighttime astir the 250 volunteers connected her campaign.

"We are present … we are not going away," she said aboriginal astir the Greens, who different appeared to beryllium having a disappointing night, looking acceptable to suffer its lone different spot successful the House of Commons.

The party's different co-leader, Jonathan Pedneault, finished 3rd successful the Quebec riding of Outremont.

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On Monday, May was declared the victor successful Saanich-Gulf Islands with 40 per cent of the vote. The Conservatives' Cathie Ounsted won 28 per cent of the ballot and the Liberals' David Beckham got 27 per cent.

Over the people of the campaign, polling aggregators showed the riding was a toss-up betwixt the Greens and the Conservatives.

May maintained each on that it was her crushed game, including relentless door-knocking, that would transportation her to different victory, shunning aggregators arsenic being retired of interaction with what was happening successful neighbourhoods.

Green Party co-Leader Elizabeth May gives a triumph speech. Says she spoke to Mark Carney moments agone to congratulate him for being elected arsenic PM, and says helium congratulated her for being re-elected. <a href="https://t.co/eBSqgTfMml">pic.twitter.com/eBSqgTfMml</a>

In her triumph code she drew attraction to her quality arsenic an absorption enactment person to get re-elected, citing the nonaccomplishment of some the NDP's Jagmeet Singh and the Conservatives' Pierre Poilievre to bash so.

Singh conceded his Burnaby Central riding and resigned arsenic NDP enactment leader, portion Poilievre was trailing Liberal campaigner Bruce Fanjoy by 2,500 votes successful his Carleton riding with polls yet to report.

The hazard of being viewed arsenic a one-issue enactment — the situation — did not look to drawback up with her run arsenic it did crossed the state for different Green candidates in what turned retired to beryllium a two-party contention betwixt the Liberals and Conservatives implicit the U.S. menace of Canada's system and sovereignty.

Along with Pedneault's third-place finish in Quebec, Mike Morrice, the Green incumbent for Kitchener Centre successful Ontario, was trailing the Conservatives' Kelly DeRidder by astir 700 votes arsenic of 10:30 p.m. PT.

May said to supporters successful her triumph code that Pedneault's chances were wounded aft helium wasn't capable to execute during the televised leaders statement successful Quebec, which the Greens are challenging successful Federal Court.

She criticized the mainstream media for promoting a two-party race, which she said took connected a beingness of its ain successful her riding.

"It developed a momentum based connected a rumour and it became a precise hard happening to fight," she said.

The Greens' wide ballot stock successful the predetermination astir halved to astir 1.2 per cent, down from 2.33 per cent successful 2021.

Mark Carney call

May said she had spoken to Liberal Leader Mark Carney, who congratulated her connected her victory. She said helium told her helium looked guardant to moving with her successful the House of Commons.

Leading up to voting day, May said neither national New Democrats nor national Liberals are credible voices connected the situation and defended the Green Party arsenic being much than conscionable an biology party.

"If anyone looked astatine our level successful this predetermination … we person the astir innovative ideas for economical sovereignty," she said

"[We] actually wage attraction to wherever we find the authorities gross to wage for our programs. So, arsenic to whether there's a spot for the Green Party successful Canadian politics, absolutely."