Ridings to watch in B.C.

Polls have opened in B.C. for the 2025 federal election. It’s expected to be a tight race for leadership between the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC) and Conservative Party of Canada (CPC), with some close contests for seats in certain electoral districts.

Here are some key ridings to watch around the province:

Abbotsford-South Langley

Retiring Conservative MP Ed Fast made headlines this month when he endorsed an independent candidate for the new riding of Abbotsford-South Langley.

Mike de Jong, a former provincial Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), got a nod from Fast despite being dropped by the federal Conservatives in late March with “no explanation.”

He’ll be facing Kevin Gillies for the Liberals and businessman and community advocate Sukhman Singh Gill from the Conservatives.

North Island—Powell River

The riding, which geographically covers half of Vancouver Island and much of the province’s coast, became the subject of some controversy when Conservative candidate Aaron Gunn’s hateful statements about Indigenous people and the country’s history of residential schools came to light.

Despite several prominent groups repeatedly protesting Gunn’s candidacy, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has continued to back Gunn, and polls identify him as a frontrunner in the riding.

Saanich—Gulf Islands

Green Party Co-Leader Elizabeth May’s long-held seat in the riding is in contention, with polls predicting a toss-up between May and Conservative candidate Cathie Ounsted.

Vancouver Kingsway

The East Vancouver riding — not to be confused with Vancouver East — has been an NDP stronghold since 2008.

Incumbent Don Davies is fighting a wave of declining national enthusiasm for the New Democrats, with support gathering under Liberal candidate Amy Gill.

Burnaby Central

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is hoping to hold onto a seat in the House of Commons with the new riding of Burnaby Central, but early polls indicate the leader could be at risk of losing his seat to the Liberals.

Lawyer Wade Chang is running for the Liberal Party against Singh and businessman James Yan for the Conservatives.

Monday, April 28, is election day in Canada. Voting is open until 7 p.m. in B.C.

The Leader Spirit and 1130 NewsRadio are live this election day across Canada, including coverage from inside NDP headquarters in Burnaby Central. You can tune into the TV stream here and the radio stream here.