B.C., and Canadian politics in general, often get painted as being a bit dull. Of course, when you live in the shadow of the U.S. and its potent cocktail of TV-ready political sensationalism and aggressive mudslinging, anything that doesn’t quite hit that level of crazy pales in comparison.
But this B.C. election cycle has been anything but boring. You had the spurned former Liberal minister, John Rustad, leave the party where he cut his teeth to, eventually, join the upstart BC Conservatives, which he now leads. You had the spectacular crumbling of the newly minted BC United Party, helping turn the provincial race into what will likely be a two-horse affair against the incumbent NDP come Oct. 19.
The West Vancouver-Sea to Sky riding that Whistler calls home has been injected with some long overdue excitement as well. A Liberal stronghold for decades, a boundary rejigging cut nearly 4,000 voters from the riding, lopping off sections of the North Shore that have traditionally favoured red over NDP orange.
This injected new hope into the BC Greens, who won nearly every poll north of Horseshoe Bay in the 2020 election, and who were initially declared the winners before a judicial recount gave it to the Liberals.
Needless to say, things have picked up in the riding, and the first all-candidates meeting, hosted Oct. 1 to a nearly packed Whistler crowd, was proof of that. It was, arguably, the most compelling B.C. election debate the resort has seen in years, with each candidate showcasing their strong connections to the corridor.
But don’t take it from us. As Pique has done each election season for a long time now, we offered each political hopeful the opportunity to speak to you, the voters, in their own words. Arranged in the order we received each submission, the three candidates were asked four broad questions, and given up to 1,000 words total to answer those questions how they saw fit.
The following responses have been fact-checked, and lightly edited for grammar and spelling.
General voting takes place Oct. 19, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Myrtle Philip Community School and Whistler Secondary School. Advance voting opens from Oct. 10 to 13, and again on Oct. 15 and 16, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Whistler Conference Centre.
Yuri Fulmer
The Conservative Party of British Columbia
Please share a brief personal bio.
My heart is in serving this community. For over two decades, I have been deeply involved with United Way, dedicating my time and resources to drive positive change and uplift those in need. I currently serve as the first Canadian chairman of United Way Worldwide in the organization’s 137-year history. United Way Worldwide is a $5-billion charity and one of the world’s largest.
I am a proud volunteer and co-chair of the Honda Celebration of Light, bringing joy and excitement to communities through this iconic Vancouver event. In 2020, I was installed as chancellor of Capilano University, at the time the youngest university chancellor in Canada. I was reappointed in 2023 to a second term. Additionally, I was previously the chair of the BC Ferry Authority and chair of the Surrey Food Bank. Citing my “dynamic entrepreneurship and committed volunteerism,” in 2011, I have received the Order of British Columbia, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, and was named a Living Legend by Business in Vancouver.
Among my business interests are many of the world’s most innovative and sustainable businesses. I am an investor in and chair of the board of Intelligent City, building Canada’s greenest buildings. I am an investor and was the board chair of ChopValue, making climate-positive wood furniture locally on a global scale. I have made other investments in hospitality, payment processing, community solar, energy reduction and many others.
I am most proud of being the co-founder, chair and investor in Goodly Foods, which has upcycled and repurposed millions of pounds of produce and employs people with multiple barriers to employment.
If elected, what are the top three issues you will focus on?
1) AFFORDABILITY: Affordability is one of the top issues I hear when I have spoken to Whistler residents. The cost of everything has gone up under David Eby’s NDP. If we want to prosper as a province, we have to ensure that British Columbians can afford to live here. For 30 years, I have worked as an entrepreneur dedicated to giving back to my province. On Day 1, I will work hard to reduce the cost of groceries, gas, and housing by instituting the “Rustad Rebate” to exempt renters and homeowners up to $3,000 a month in housing costs from provincial income taxes. [Editor’s Note: Under the Conservatives’ proposal, the tax rebate would start in 2026 at $1,500, increasing $500 every year, until hitting $3,000 in 2029.] Responsible financial management has been sorely missed in Victoria. I will bring it back.
2) HEALTH-CARE: After almost half a decade of NDP rule, our health-care system is worse than ever before. Nurses are overworked, family doctors are in short supply, and waiting times are longer than ever. As your MLA, I will implement the patients-first wait-time guarantee so that if select diagnostics or medical procedures exceed medically recommended waiting times, you have the opportunity to access the care you need at pre-approved facilities out of province and be reimbursed according to a set fee schedule. Additionally, to ensure family doctors can see more patients, we will stop tying up their time with incessant paperwork and red tape.
3) ECONOMIC GROWTH: Our beautiful part of the province has many things going for it, but the one thing that has persistently bogged us down is the congestion. It disrupts our social life, it hurts small businesses, and it’s a nuisance to everyone. As your MLA, I will be best situated to advocate for a strong regional transit system connecting all areas of our riding in a BC Conservative majority government. Robust regional transit, paired with the “Rustad Rebate” and responsible tax relief, will ensure that small businesses can prosper and that you can bring home more of what you earn.
If elected, how will you make life better for Whistler residents?
My whole career has been dedicated to being a problem solver, not a complainer. When I see an issue that needs fixing, I get to work on it as soon as I can. Life in Whistler and British Columbia at large can be prohibitively expensive. Job 1 will be to bring costs down. With my track record in business and in the community, I am ideally situated to be your problem solver in Victoria in a BC Conservative government.
One of the main problems that Whistler residents have spoken to me about is the over regulation of small businesses and housing construction, inflating the price of doing business and building housing, and killing families’ dreams of becoming homeowners and building prosperous futures for themselves. I will work hard to amend the Local Government Act, and other over-regulatory pieces of legislation, to tear down the unnecessary red tape and make homebuilding and business more affordable.
Environmental responsibility is key to maintaining Whistler’s beauty. I will not compromise on maintaining B.C.’s high environmental standards. Conservation is inherently Conservative. Today, biodiversity loss is of particular concern for many British Columbians. As your MLA, I will be your problem solver in Victoria by working hard to ensure that Whistler will be prioritized to meet its biodiversity goals and will help create plans for long-term water sustainability that include climate resilience measures and put the needs of Whistler residents first.
If elected, how will you help Whistler businesses?
Whistler is driven by small business owners, who work hard to support their families and ensure Whistler remains the lovely and inviting community that it is. Any approach to rebuilding the economy after half a decade of stagnation and mismanagement must centre around small businesses. As your MLA, I will expand the Buy BC program to prioritize B.C.-made products, which will put our small businesses first, ensuring that big transnational corporations don’t drive British Columbians out of the market. I will also advocate for the improvement of transportation infrastructure, including the development of regional transit along the Sea to Sky corridor. I recognize the importance of building strong and enduring relationships with Indigenous communities. A BC Conservative government will strengthen partnerships with Indigenous communities to build strong, mutually beneficial partnerships that support Indigenous-owner businesses and Indigenous-led development.
Jen Ford
The New Democratic Party of British Columbia
Please share a brief personal bio.
Whistler is home. It’s where I live, it’s where I work, and it’s where I’m raising my kids. I’ve spent two decades in service to my community—first, bolstering our economy working in tourism, and then in public office as a municipal councillor. I’ve been president of the Union of BC Municipalities and chair of the board for the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District. I know the difference that good government can make in people’s lives. People I know have had their lives transformed by good government—whether it’s being connected to a family doctor, or by securing a lower-cost childcare spot. The BC NDP has taken action on the issues that matter to people in Whistler and to all the communities in our region, and that’s why I am running with this team. Like people across Canada and across North America, our communities are facing tough challenges and I, and the whole BC NDP team, are ready to take them on. I hope to earn the trust of the people of our region and serve all our communities as the MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky.
If elected, what are the top three issues you will focus on?
People in our communities are facing tough challenges. Housing is too expensive. Too many people don’t have a family doctor. And the costs of daily life just seem to climb. We need a government that is ready to take on those tough challenges—and that’s the BC NDP. We’ve built homes for seniors, we’ve connected thousands of people to a family doctor, and we’ve cut the cost of childcare in half. But we also know we’ve got so much more to do. Our leader, David Eby, gets up every morning focused on solving people’s problems and on making life better. And the same thing is true of every member of this team.
When it comes to John Rustad and his team, with their record of cuts, costs and cancellations, with their promise of—more—cuts, and with the weird conspiracy theories and climate science denial coming from not just some of his candidates, but also their leader, you have to ask yourself: are Rustad’s BC Conservatives up to the job? From my perspective, Rustad and his team are just too big a risk.
We’re ready to roll up our sleeves to help people in B.C. build good lives in the communities they love, and we won’t stop until the job is done.
If elected, how will you make life better for Whistler residents?
I’ve spent my time in public service laser-focused on tackling our community’s housing, health-care and other challenges—and that’s what I plan to do if I earn the trust of my neighbours and am elected MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky.
David Eby’s Housing Action Plan is a set of bold reforms that experts say will create 300,000 more homes that middle-class people can actually afford. It’s going to do this by eliminating the local government regulations causing the housing shortage, enabling the construction of small, multi-unit developments like townhouses, duplexes and triplexes. Our housing reforms are showing good results, and we need to keep pushing.
We’ve had tremendous success connecting people to family doctors, not just in Whistler, but throughout the province. According to Doctors of BC, in Whistler, more than 10,000 patients have a family doctor—up from roughly 6,000 a year ago, thanks to the Whistler 360 Health Collaborative, which has brought on new family doctors thanks to our new family doctor payment model.
And we’re creating childcare spaces at the fastest pace in the province’s history, while cutting fees in half.
We know there’s more to do. People are still facing big challenges. And I am determined to take them on as part of a BC NDP team that is single-mindedly focused on making people’s lives better.
If elected, how will you help Whistler businesses?
Small businesses have been through a lot—including in Whistler. They’re facing global challenges like a slower economy, high interest rates and inflation right here at home. At the BC NDP, we want a province where small businesses have the opportunity to thrive and prosper. And we’re taking action to make it happen. We’ve given small businesses a big tax break by doubling the exemption threshold for the Employer Health Tax—meaning 90 per cent of businesses don’t pay it. We’ve given small businesses a break on their power bills by keeping electricity rates low, and by delivering an average of $400 in savings to small businesses through the BC Electricity Affordability Credit. And we cut the small business tax rate, keeping it 25 per cent lower than when Rustad was in government. [Editor’s Note: It was actually a 20-per-cent drop. The rate decreased from 2.5 per cent to two after the NDP took office in 2017.] This is in addition to all the action we’ve taken to make B.C. a better place to live. Small businesses need customers, and they need workers. By acting on the housing crisis, by connecting people to family doctors, by providing skills training and lower-cost childcare, we’re making B.C. a more attractive place to live and work—helping small businesses get the skilled workers they need.
Jeremy Valeriote
The Green Party of British Columbia
Please share a brief personal bio.
I live in Whistler with my spouse Ginny and our twin 10-year-old daughters, Nina and Rose. I am a skier through and through, and have been skiing at Whistler Blackcomb since 1992. I studied geological engineering at UBC and went on to a 25-year career in engineering design and construction monitoring, environmental consulting, and local government. I was elected to the Town of Gibsons council in 2014 and ran for the BC Greens in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky in 2020, coming within 60 votes (out of nearly 25,000) of being elected as the first-ever, mainland BC Green MLA. I am passionate about innovative, evidence-based solutions, a non-partisan, collaborative approach to politics, and working towards the ultimate goal of healthy people living on a healthy planet.
If elected, what are the top three issues you will focus on?
If elected, my No. 1 issue will be regional transit. It’s a tragedy and a failure that this basic service hasn’t been provided yet. Every government over the past 20 years has had opportunities, but lacked the courage or will to make it happen. I will not rest until we have reliable, frequent, affordable public transit from Mount Currie to Vancouver. The BC Green platform calls for hourly services on key regional routes, of which ours is one. It makes sense for the cost of living, economic development, highway safety and congestion, and carbon emissions.
No. 2 is affordable housing. Rental and social housing construction all but ground to a halt in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Successive governments have asked the market to solve this problem, and it has spectacularly failed, so we must invest in non-market housing models like the Whistler Housing Authority. Housing must be treated as a human right, not a commodity for investors to make profits through investment vehicles such as real estate investment trusts.
One consequence of the growing gap between demand and supply is the huge rise in rents. While property owners need to be able to raise rents to cover costs, we’ve seen gouging, with prices even doubling between tenancies. B.C. has the highest eviction rate in the country, double that of any other province, with the vast majority no-fault. [Editor’s Note: While it’s true B.C.’s estimated eviction rate of 10.5 per cent towers over other provinces, it’s not quite double in all cases. Ontario’s rate, for instance, is 6.1 per cent.] That’s why we need to implement vacancy control, with rent increases tied to units not tenants.
My third issue is a smooth transition to a clean, green economy that we all know we need to make for the future of our life on this planet. B.C. and Canada risk getting left behind as the U.S., Europe and China make huge investments in clean tech jobs for the future. If we continue to subsidize sunset fossil-fuel industries, and projects like Woodfibre LNG, instead of building up our innovative green tech sector, we’re missing out on big economic opportunities for years to come.
If elected, how will you make life better for Whistler residents?
I will make life better for Whistler residents by fighting to protect our winters and our spectacular natural environment. As a Green, I understand the value that our forests, waters and landscapes, bring to our community. I’m also acutely aware of how these assets—taken for granted by mainstream parties—need protecting because of their critical role in our tourism and outdoor adventure economy.
In this election, the party that will form government is a toss-up, so there is a good chance that the BC Green party will have leverage, as we did from 2017 to 2020. But even as a minority party MLA, I am confident I can make life better for residents in Whistler, Pemberton, and the whole riding, through effective, hardworking advocacy, just as Sonia Furstenau and Adam Olsen have done for constituents in their ridings. I’ve heard it suggested by some candidates that only electoral districts with a government MLA get treated well. This is what we find in corrupt states, and is not how our government works. We already have a problem with disengaged voters; suggesting that they must vote a certain way to get services from the government further undermines faith in our democracy.
If elected, how will you help Whistler businesses?
The mainstream parties continue to promise huge subsidies to corporations (often overseas), in return for very few jobs, limited economic benefits, and considerable environmental and climate risks. In contrast, the BC Greens support evidence-based, fiscally prudent public spending, including help for small businesses—a key part of our local economy, culture and identity. Our plan is to reform the marginal tax rate paid by small businesses—which jumps from two per cent to 12 per cent when they get to half a million dollars in revenue, stifling growth and development. This is a structural flaw that the BC Greens have identified by talking to business owners, and looking at their experience, not politics or ideology.
We also know that for Whistler’s businesses to flourish, we must build a society around them that works, so that owners and staff have everything they need to thrive: secure, affordable housing; dependable transit so we have less expensive options for moving around; access to primary care and mental health services; access to affordable childcare; excellent education; access to appropriate supports for our seniors. That’s why we’ve put well-being at the centre of our platform, valuing human capital as the key driver for an entrepreneurial, innovative, and sustainable economy.
