FORT ST. JOHN, B.C - Voters in Peace River North and Peace River South now know who will be on their ballots when British Columbians head to the polls on October 24, after candidate nominations have officially closed.
The completion of the candidate list has sparked political attacks involving the Peace Reace between the BC Conservatives and the NDP.
In a statement, the Conservatives criticized the governing party for not fielding a full slate of candidates across the province.
The NDP, meanwhile, said the only riding it is not running a candidate is in Peace River North because of what leader David Eby described as “paperwork problems.” Eby also criticized some candidates on the Conservative slate, calling them “extremist” and alleging they hold hateful views.
The party also issued a statement touting the diversity of its candidates and said the Conservative slate has a dearth of women running.
In Peace River North, two candidates are running for the seat. Independent candidate Jordan Kealy will face Curtis Whitford of the Conservative Party.
Whitford is the party’s candidate after Kealy left the caucus and is now running as an independent candidate. Kealy is currently facing a sexual assault charge.
In Peace River South, voters will choose from three candidates. The riding’s confirmed candidates are Marsha Rose Dufresne of the BC NDP, incumbent Larry Neufeld of the Conservative Party, and unaffiliated candidate Helen Scott.
The final candidate list was released after nominations closed at 1 p.m. on October 3, setting the stage for a three-week campaign ahead of Election Day.
Province-wide, it will be the first general election featuring new political parties OneBC and CentreBC, which emerged following the 2024 election.
According to Elections BC information cited in party statements, OneBC is running 33 candidates while CentreBC has nominated 35 candidates across the province.
Final Voting Day for the 2026 Provincial General Election is set for October 24.
With files from Lisa Staecy