Kamloops B.C. election guide

In this Kamloops B.C. election guide you’ll find all the information you need on the candidates, parties and how to vote. 

The next provincial election is on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. Candidates will be finalized on Sept. 28 and advanced voting begins on Oct. 10. 

This election guide will be updated with more links, stories and information as it becomes available, leading up to Oct. 19.

Fill out the survey! What should top the B.C. election agenda?

What are the electoral districts or ridings in Kamloops?

Kamloops has two different electoral areas or ridings — Kamloops-North Thompson riding and Kamloops Centre.

The electoral area boundaries changed this year, as per recommendations made by the BC Electoral Boundaries Commission. Boundaries are periodically reassessed to account for population changes.

What does this mean for you? You may not be in the same riding you were in last year. You can double-check which electoral district you’re in by inputting your address into this Elections BC tool online.

The new Kamloops Centre riding straddles both sides of the river.

The new Kamloops – North Thompson electoral district covers the neighbourhoods of Valleyview, Juniper Ridge, Barnhartvale, Dallas, Batchelor Heights, Westsyde, Rayleigh, a portion of Sahali and Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc reserves, including the community of Sun Rivers. It also includes the communities of Barriere, Clearwater, Sun Peaks, Chu Cua and Simpcw.

Still not sure which district is yours? Enter your address into this map to find your electoral district or riding. 

Who are the Candidates?

Kamloops – North Thompson

Tristan Cavers, BC Green Party (Website, Facebook)

Maddi Genn, BC NDP (Website, Facebook)

Ward Stamer, Conservative Party of BC (Website, X, Facebook, Castanet profile)

Kamloops Centre

Kamal Grewal, BC NDP (website, Instagram, Castanet profile)

Peter Milobar, Conservative Party of BC (Website, X, Facebook, Castanet profile)

Randy Sunderman, BC Green Party (Website, X, Facebook, Castanet profile)

What’s going on with BC United and the Conservative Party of BC?

At the end of August, BC United (formerly BC Liberal Party) leader Kevin Falcon announced he was suspending the party’s campaign and withdrawing candidate nominations. He encouraged people to support the Conservative Party of BC instead to avoid a split vote and prevent a BC New Democratic Party government. Some former BC United candidates, like incumbent Peter Milobar, are now running on the Conservative ticket.

However, you might still see candidates from the BC United party on your ballot. The party is still running a select number of candidates in the election to ensure the party is still registered should its membership wish to rebuild it in the future, CBC News reports.

Your election questions, answered

The Wren asked Kamloops B.C. election candidates your questions. Here are their responses:

Involuntary addictions treatment: What experts want you to know before you vote

Advocates call for better cardiac care in Kamloops ahead of elections

Candidates answer The Wren’s questions on housing and affordability

Candidates answer The Wren’s questions on health care and the toxic drug crisis

Candidates answer The Wren’s questions on climate change

You can also review the following Kamloops candidate forums:

Forum hosted by the Kamloops Farmers’ Market and Thompson Rivers University political science: At the all-candidates forum held at the Sept. 28 Saturday farmers’ market, community members raised concerns about the rise of polarizing rhetoric, Castanet reports. A recording of the event was not made available, so read Castanet’s story to find out what candidates in both Kamloops Centre and Kamloops-North Thompson electoral districts had to say.

Forum hosted by CFJC, Castanet Kamloops, Radio NL, Kamloops and District Chamber of Commerce and local business associations : Various local organizations hosted an online all-candidates forum on Oct. 1. The livestream of what they discussed can be watched on YouTube.

Forum hosted by Transition Kamloops and the BC Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society: Transition Kamloops and the BC Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society hosted an all-candidates forum on the environment for Kamloops Centre and Kamloops–North Thompson at Thompson Rivers University Oct, 2. Read Castanet’s story on the forum.

Where can I find more information about the parties?

• Conservative Party of BC (party platform)
• BC Green Party (party platform)
• BC New Democratic Party (party platform)
• BC United (campaign currently suspended)

How do I vote?

• If you are at least 18 years old, a Canadian citizen and a resident of British Columbia since April 18, 2024, you are eligible to vote.
• You don’t need a voter card to vote or a photo ID, but you do need to prove your identity and address. You can vote at any district electoral office or voting place in the province. That means if you’re out of town, you’re still eligible to vote.
• You can vote by mail if you request a vote by mail package by 4 p.m. Oct. 19. but Elections BC must receive your vote by mail package no earlier than Sept. 21 and no later than 8 p.m. on Oct. 19.
• Voting day is on Oct. 19, 2024. Advanced voting will be from Oct. 10 to 13 and Oct. 15 to 16, 2024 at various locations. You can vote at any voting place in the province. Advance voting polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. More information on how to vote can be found on Elections BC’s website.
• Voters are entitled to four consecutive hours free from work to vote during advance polls or on election day. This doesn’t mean you’ll receive four hours off work, but that voters must have a four-hour period free from work during voting hours. Voting hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Where do I vote?

Preliminary voting places for the 2024 provincial election are available online. You can find a list of advance voting places and election day voting places on the Elections BC website.

Resources for fact-checking:

The Elections BC website has resources for voters, including links to tools for fact-checking information, how to spot fraudulent websites and social media accounts and how to counter disinformation. Find those resources here.

The website also addresses false information about elections and the electoral process in the province.

Want more information in this election guide? Fill out the survey! What should top the B.C. election agenda?

Editor’s Note Sept. 23, 2024: A previous version of this guide incorrectly captioned the Kamloops Centre map as Kamloops-North Thompson. The guide was also updated to add upcoming candidates forums.

Editor’s Note Oct. 1, 2024: This story was updated to include the addition of BC Green candidate Tristan Cavers for Kamloops-North Thompson.

Editor’s Note Oct. 7, 2024: This story was updated to add links to news coverage of all-candidates forums and links to candidate profiles.