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Sonia Furstenau

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Sonia Furstenau
BC Member of Legislative Assembly official photo
Furstenau in 2024
Leader of the Green Party of British Columbia
Incumbent
Assumed office
September 14, 2020
Preceded byAdam Olsen (interim)
Deputy Leader of the Green Party of British Columbia
In office
November 2, 2016 – September 14, 2020
Serving with Jonina Campbell
LeaderAndrew Weaver
Preceded byAdam Olsen
Succeeded byJonina Campbell[1]
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly
for Cowichan Valley
In office
May 9, 2017 – September 21, 2024
Preceded byBill Routley
Succeeded byDebra Toporowski
Personal details
Born (1970-06-08) June 8, 1970 (age 54)
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Political partyGreen Party of British Columbia
SpouseBlaise Salmon
Children1
ResidenceVictoria, British Columbia
Alma materUniversity of Victoria
ProfessionHigh school teacher

Sonia Furstenau (born June 8, 1970) is a Canadian politician who is currently the leader of the Green Party of British Columbia. Furstenau served as the MLA for Cowichan Valley from 2017 until 2024, when she unsuccessfully attempted to switch constituencies.

Early life and career

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Furstenau was raised in Edmonton, the child of German immigrants. She attended McKernan Elementary/Junior-High School, where she was in Grade 2 in 1977–78. She went on a trip to Germany with her father, including his native East Germany, where she learned to appreciate the value of democracy by observing the lack of it. She later helped her mother protest against dumping in the vicinity of Elk Island National Park in the early 1990s.[2]

Furstenau attended the University of Victoria starting at age 20, attaining an MA in History and a Bachelor of Education. After teaching in Victoria-area schools, her work took her to Shawnigan Lake in 2011. Here she encountered the dumping of toxic soil close to the water supply, which led her to citizen involvement and to becoming a director of the Cowichan Valley Regional District (see below).[3]

Prior to holding elected office, Furstenau was a high school teacher in Victoria and Shawnigan Lake.

Political career

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In 2014, Furstenau started her political career when she was elected to serve as a director of Electoral Area B within the Cowichan Valley Regional District. This was after two years working with the Shawnigan Resident's Association to protest and appeal a British Columbia Provincial permit that allowed the siting of a landfill on the banks of the community's source of drinking water, Shawnigan Lake.

Furstenau was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2017 provincial election to represent the electoral district of Cowichan Valley.[4] On November 2, 2016, Green Party leader Andrew Weaver announced that Furstenau would replace Adam Olsen as one of the deputy leaders of the party. After Weaver stepped down as party leader, Furstenau announced her candidacy for the leadership of the party;[5][6] she was elected leader on September 14, 2020.[7]

On January 31, 2024, Furstenau announced that she will run in Victoria-Beacon Hill during the 2024 provincial general election.[8]

2024 provincial election campaign

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The 2024 provincial election campaign had its first highlight in the Oct 8 televised All-Candidates' Meeting.[9] In a 90-minute exchange with Premier Eby and Conservative MLA Rustad, MLA Furstenau confronted the two party leaders with questions on affordable housing, healthcare, the environment and natural disaster and increasing extreme-weather events.[10] Furstenau expressed her disagreement with her opponents in the statement: "I feel like I live in a different place from John Rustad — his vision of B.C. is one that is dark and gloomy," while reminding Premier Eby of some NDP promises since 2020 (from 2017 to 2020 the Greens were supporting an NDP minority government) that came short,[11] especially the government's response to the toxic drug overdose crisis.

In the election, Furstenau was defeated in the riding of Victoria-Beacon Hill, a long-time NDP strong hold,[12] by NDP incumbent Grace Lore.[13][14] On 23 October in a press conference with the two Green MLAs elect, Furstenau declared that she will stay on a BC Green leader and assist in the preparations of the new Green 2-person caucus she is no longer a member of since her defeat.[15]

Personal life

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Furstenau is married to Blaise Salmon[16] who works as a financial planner and has been elected as the local director for the Mill Bay/Malahat district of the Cowichan Valley Regional District.[17] She raised a child as a single mother while at university, taking on book-keeping jobs to support herself and her child.[18]

Electoral record

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2024 British Columbia general election: Victoria-Beacon Hill
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Grace Lore 13,350 47.34 -7.27
Green Sonia Furstenau 9,441 33.48 +3.55
Conservative Tim Thielmann 5,410 19.18 new
Total valid votes 28,201 –
Total rejected ballots
Turnout
Registered voters
Source: Elections BC[19]
2020 British Columbia general election: Cowichan Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Green Sonia Furstenau 13,059 44.21 +6.97 $64,313.52
New Democratic Rob Douglas 11,875 40.20 +8.57 $55,431.43
Liberal Tanya Kaul 4,606 15.59 –12.07 $15,360.48
Total valid votes 29,540 100.00 –
Total rejected ballots 150 0.51 +0.18
Turnout 29,690 59.85 –7.73
Registered voters 49,606
Green hold Swing –0.80
Source: Elections BC[20][21]
2017 British Columbia general election: Cowichan Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Green Sonia Furstenau 11,449 37.24 +18.09 $35,322
New Democratic Lori Lynn Iannidinardo 9,723 31.63 −8.51 $54,416
Liberal Steve Housser 8,502 27.66 −7.24 $70,112
Independent Ian Morrison 502 1.63 – $8,140
Libertarian James Robert Anderson 302 0.98 – $398
Independent Samuel Lockhart 145 0.47 – $0
Independent Eden Haythornthwaite 119 0.39 – $996
Total valid votes 30,742 100.00 –
Total rejected ballots 100 0.33 +0.01
Turnout 30,842 67.58 +5.68
Registered voters 45,641
Source: Elections BC[22][23]

References

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  1. ^ "Jonina Campbell".
  2. ^ "About – Re-Elect Sonia Furstenau for Cowichan Valley". Archived from the original on April 30, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  3. ^ "About – Re-Elect Sonia Furstenau for Cowichan Valley". Archived from the original on April 30, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  4. ^ "Greens celebrate 'historic' B.C. wins amid minority uncertainty" Archived 10 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine. CBC News British Columbia, May 10, 2017.
  5. ^ CBC News (January 27, 2020). "Sonia Furstenau announces she's running for leader of B.C. Green Party". CBC News. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  6. ^ CTV News (January 27, 2020). "Sonia Furstenau to run for BC Green Party leadership". CTV News. Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  7. ^ "Sonia Furstenau elected new B.C. Green Party leader". CBC News. September 14, 2020. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  8. ^ The Canadian Press (January 31, 2024). "B.C. Greens leader plans to run in different riding for next election". CBC News. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  9. ^ "DCHP-3 | all-candidates meeting". dchp.arts.ubc.ca. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  10. ^ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-televised-debate-election-2024-wrap-1.7346905
  11. ^ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-televised-debate-election-2024-wrap-1.7346905
  12. ^ Sidaway, Kori (October 15, 2024). "'Extremely tight race': Battle for Victoria-Beacon Hill heats up". CHEK. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  13. ^ "CP NewsAlert: B.C. Green Leader Sonia Furstenau loses seat after changing ridings". Nanaimo News Now. October 19, 2024. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  14. ^ Carey, Charlie (October 20, 2024). "Election BC: Greens Leader Sonia Furstenau loses seat". CityNews Vancouver. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  15. ^ https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6544358
  16. ^ "Shaking up the status quo: Sonia Furstenau aims high". Northern Beat. January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  17. ^ CIVICINFOBC https://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/election-results-v3/index.php?select-year=2018&select-view-by=regionaldistrict&localgovernmentid=160?select-year=2018&select-view-by=regionaldistrict&localgovernmentid=160. Retrieved January 15, 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. ^ https://bcgreens2024.ca/sonia-furstenau-profile/
  19. ^ https://globalnews.ca/news/10779140/bc-election-2024-results-victoria-beacon-hill/
  20. ^ "Statement of Votes — 42nd Provincial General Election" (PDF). Elections BC. July 27, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  21. ^ "Search Results: 2020 General Elections Financing Reports". Elections BC. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  22. ^ "2017 Provincial General Election - Statement of Votes" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  23. ^ "Election Financing Reports". Elections BC. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
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