ELENORE Sturko, the BC Liberal candidate, convincingly won the Surrey South by-election, trouncing her closest rival, the NDP’s Pauline Greaves, by 2,347 votes.

Sturko garnered 5,568 votes (51.83%) as compared to Greaves’ 3,221 votes (29.99%).

Conservative candidate Harman Bhangu was third with 1,364 votes (12.70%).

Indeed, Bhangu did very well as a first-time candidate.

The valid votes cast were only 10,742 as compared to 27,387 in the 2020 general election.

STURKO — Sgt. Elenore (El) Sturko — had been the Surrey RCMP media spokesperson for some years and was a very familiar face.

After graduating from high school at Kamloops Senior Secondary, Sturko embarked on a professional journey that took her across the country where she had the opportunity to meet Canadians in every province and territory.

Her early career was in the television broadcasting industry, starting off at CFJC Television in Kamloops. Over the following 13 years, she enjoyed helping people share their stories as part of news production teams at home here in BC, Manitoba, and the Northwest Territories.

In 2007, Sturko decided to transition her career to public service and joined the Canadian Armed Forces as a reservist in the Royal Canadian Air Force. After completing training she began full-time service, first with the 440 Transport Squadron, and then with the 1 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, both located in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

In 2009 she joined the RCMP, and after successfully graduating from training at Depot Division, she was posted to Langley. In 2012 she transferred to Yellowknife, where she worked as a frontline police officer, and then as a community policing and media relations officer. Her roles gave her the opportunity to travel extensively in the north, working with Indigenous communities, creating community programs, and even participating in an Arctic Sovereignty Patrol. In 2016 after completing her tour of duty in the Northwest Territories, Sturko and her family moved to Ottawa where she joined the RCMP Musical Ride, participating in the 2017 cross-country tour celebrating Canada 150. Elenore transferred back home to BC in 2018, where she joined the Surrey RCMP. In Surrey, she served as a media relations officer and in frontline policing.

Throughout her career, Sturko has been recognized as a champion of human rights and has been an advisor on matters related to gender, sexual orientation, harassment, equity, and inclusivity. In 2019 she published a book in tribute to her Uncle Dave, a victim of Canada’s LGBT Purge, with all proceeds going to children in Nunavut and residential school survivors. In 2019 Elenore was selected to participate in the LBGT Purge Fund National Monument Visioning Committee 2019 and is a member of the Curation Advisory Counsel for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights LGBT Purge Exhibit.

Together with her wife Melissa, Sturko is raising her three children in Surrey South.