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B.C. election at a glance: NDP talks nursing ratios, Conservatives tout Surrey plan
B.C. election at a glance: Nursing, Surrey, arts
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
The British Columbia election campaign is in its closing stages, with advance voting wrapping up ahead of final voting day on Saturday.
Here are some of the latest developments on the campaign trail.
ADVANCE VOTING DROPS SHARPLY
Six days of advance voting have ended, with Elections BC data showing numbers are down more than 11 per cent compared to 2024, bucking a two-decade upward trend.
There were 891,348 advance votes cast from Friday to Wednesday, representing about 24 per cent of all registered voters.
That compares to more than one million advance votes cast in 2024, when numbers spiked 49 per cent over the previous election.
This year's advance voting period overlapped with the municipal election that had its final voting day last Saturday.
EBY AND DOERKSON FOCUS ON SURREY
Interim B.C. Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson has unveiled what he calls the "Surrey success plan" for B.C.'s second-largest city.
Both Doerkson and NDP leader Eby have been concentrating on vote-rich Surrey in the final week of the campaign.
Doerkson says his party's plan has three pillars, health care, transit and transportation.
Both parties have pledged new hospitals and to extend the SkyTrain to Surrey's Newton neighbourhood, but differ on how to handle traffic problems, with the Conservatoves vowing to scrap an upgrade of the Massey tunnel in favour of a 10-lane bridge.
Doerkson is scheduled to hold a rally in the city that has 10 ridings later Thursday, while Eby was in Surrey on Wednesday and held a rally near city hall that drew hundreds of supporters.
The NDP leader, campaigning in Vancouver on Thursday, called Surrey "a vitally important city in the province."
NDP VOWS TO PUT NURSE-PATIENT RATIOS INTO LAW
Eby says the NDP would put minimum nurse-to-patient ratios into law.
He says in a campaign stop outside Vancouver General Hospital, where he was surrounded by nurses and other health care workers that establishing the ratios is "technical work" and they will vary depending on what type of care is being provided.
Eby says that work is already underway, and putting the ratios into legislation will ensure "nurses are not diverted to other purposes."
The NDP says in a statement that Eby has committed to adding 1,000 training places for nurses, nurse practitioners, allied health workers and care aides.
GREENS ROLL OUT RED CARPET FOR THE ARTS
The BC Greens have announced the party's plan to support the arts, from the movie industry to local performing spaces.
Leader Emily Lowan says the party would make it easier to film, perform and create in B.C.
She says underinvestment in the arts and the "cost-of-living crisis" have meant the closure of community arts spaces and put "downward pressure" on artists who make the province vibrant.
The party says it will make B.C. the easiest place in North America for film permitting, bring in simpler zoning and lower fees for smaller venues booking local artists, and increase the BC Arts Council budget by more than 50 per cent to $65 million.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2026.
By Canadian Press Staff | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Quebec Conservative leader says his newly elected members will make mistakes
Quebec Conservatives will make mistakes: leader
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
Quebec Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime says Quebecers should expect the newly elected members of his caucus to make some mistakes.
Duhaime made the comments as members of his team were sworn in at Quebec's national assembly.
His party had no seats before the Oct. 5 election, but now have the second-largest opposition caucus in the legislature.
The vast majority of the elected Quebec Conservatives are newcomers and several have already caused confusion and controversy.
The party's new whip, Renaud Labrecque, has called on his colleagues to exercise greater discipline.
This is the first time the Quebec Conservatives have had members elected to the Quebec legislature since a previous iteration of the party had members in the legislature in 1935.
Duhaime's Conservatives made a breakthrough by securing close to 21 per cent of the votes and winning 19 seats.
The leader called on English-speaking Quebecers during the swearing-in ceremony, placing himself as an alternative to the Quebec Liberal party.
"They've been taking you for granted for ages. You don't need to be hostages of those Liberals anymore," he said.
"They don't deserve your support. Our doors are open at the Conservative Party of Quebec, and we're welcoming you for the next blue wave."
Duhaime faces many challenges ahead, notably managing a largely inexperienced team.
Only former Coalition Avenir Québec member Maïté Blanchette Vézina, who joined the Conservatives in 2025, and Caroline Simard, a Liberal member of the national assembly from 2014 to 2018, have prior legislative experience.
But the Conservatives hold part of the balance of power in this new legislature, where the Parti Québécois government is in a minority with 60 of 127 seats.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2026.
By Patrice Bergeron | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Calgary fire officials share home safety tips during school drills
Calgary officials recommend two escape routes per room and twice-yearly home drills.
With students now settled into the new year, Calgary fire officials have reminded residents that safety doesn’t end at the schoolyard line.
Members of the Calgary Fire Department (CFD) held a media availability on Oct. 22 at St. Elizabeth Seton School, located in the city’s northwest, to demonstrate the behind-the-scenes of fire drills.
Chief Steve Dongworth said each school must complete at least six fire drills each year, and that fire officials must attend at least one. He said this ensures staff, students, and the broader community know what to do.
“Firefighters attend the drill to support school staff, check access points, fire safety systems, evacuation procedures, and assembly areas — all critical parts of a fire escape plan,” said Dongworth.
“We also connect teachers with important fire safety educational resources, so that students and parents can learn what to do in emergency situations.”
He said that, over the years, the fire department has become more involved in spreading this awareness, including partnering with school boards. The basic principle remains the same, however: getting everyone out fast and efficiently.
“To get out quickly, to check that everyone’s accounted for by assembling in a position or a place where it’s agreed that’s what’s going to happen,” said Dongworth.
“So that we can, when we come, take care of whatever situation there is that needs to be taken care of.”
Kean Hallisey, this year’s junior fire chief, is a Grade 8 student who said he wants to become a fireman. He said that it’s important to take fire plans seriously not only at school, but at home, too.
Hallisey recommended that every home have an escape plan with two exit options for each room and a predetermined meeting location far from the home.
“You should practice it twice a year so you remember what to do and stay safe in a real emergency,” he said.
“If you have a pet or something, and you are out, stay out — you can ask the [firefighters] to get them. Hopefully, they can get it for you.”
For more information about home fire safety, visit the City of Calgary’s website.
Copyright 2026, LiveWire Calgary. All rights reserved.
Sarah Palmer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, LiveWire Calgary.
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