Current, former Vancouver councillors seek BC NDP nomination in city

It’s shaping up to be a battle of the councillors in a Vancouver riding for the upcoming provincial election.

Current Vancouver city councillor Christine Boyle has announced she is seeking the New Democratic nod for the riding of Vancouver-Little Mountain, formerly Vancouver-Fairview.

Her bid comes after former city councillor Andrea Reimer announced she, too, was vying for the NDP nomination in the riding.

The seat is being vacated by incumbent MLA George Heyman, who said Monday he would not be seeking re-election this fall. In a social media post, he didn’t specify what was behind his reason. However, he endorsed Reimer, saying she “brings invaluable experience with three terms on Vancouver city council, and as deputy mayor.”

In her announcement, Boyle commends her “friend” Premier David Eby, who she says “has been taking big swings to solve BC’s intractable problems.”

“Housing, transit, affordability, they’ve been leading on important issues Vancouverites care about,” she wrote on X.

“I’ve spent many years working on issues that matter to residents in Little Mountain, and across Vancouver and BC. I’m grateful to the many folks who have encouraged me to put my name forward. I look forward to connecting with even more folks in the weeks and months to come.”

Meanwhile, Reimer said in her announcement that she was “stepping up” for her community.

“Little Mountain is where I’ve lived and worked for years. I love this community but I know things can be better here,” she said in a video announcement Monday.

“Maybe I see the gaps, as well as the strengths, because I’ve lived them. Being fostered and then adopted out of my community, seeing the challenges my working-class parents faced, living on the streets in my youth, and everything that comes from raising a kid in Vancouver.”

The provincial election is slated for Oct. 19.