THE candidates for the major parties in the Surrey South byelection are Pauline Greaves (NDP), Elenore Sturko (BC Liberals) and Simran Sarai (BC Greens).

In the 2020 general election, BC Liberals’ Stephanie Cadieux (12,970 votes) won against NDP’s Pauline Greaves (11,794) by just 1,176 votes.

The BC Greens’ Tim Ibbotson got 2,623 votes.

PAULINE Greaves, community leader and educator, says she is running to be the next MLA for Surrey South to ensure that the progress made under BC NDP Premier John Horgan is not derailed by Kevin Falcon and the BC Liberals.

BC Liberal Leader Falcon opposes the new hospital and the Massey Tunnel replacement. Falcon has said Cloverdale “is not a great location” for a hospital and has promised the new toll-free tunnel “is going to get cancelled if [he] form[s] government.”

“John Horgan and the BC NDP have been making real progress for our community and it’s so important to keep moving forward with the projects that we’ve started,” said Greaves. “We’re building a new hospital in Cloverdale, replacing and expanding the Massey Tunnel, extending the Skytrain, and making record investments in schools across South Surrey.”

“In this by-election, people have a choice between moving these projects forward with the BC NDP or electing a BC Liberal MLA who is trying to stop them,” said Greaves. “As the MLA for Surrey South, I will work every day to get the new hospital built in Cloverdale and to fix the gridlock at the Massey Tunnel – without charging people tolls.”

Greaves says that since forming government, the BC NDP has made huge investments in schools, healthcare and infrastructure in Surrey, including:

• Eliminating Kevin Falcon’s bridge tolls, saving families $1,500 a year
• Extending the Skytrain and replacing the Massey Tunnel — without unfair tolls
• Two new urgent primary care centres, expanded Peace Arch Hospital and building Surrey’s new hospital in Cloverdale
• Making record investments in new schools for Surrey students
• Cutting childcare fees and creating more spaces

ELENORE Sturko says that with the byelection for Surrey South officially underway, she is already on the campaign trail and ready to hold the NDP to account for their many broken promises to Surrey residents.

“From the rising cost of living, to increased violent crime on our streets, to their repeated failure to deliver on much needed mental health services, life is worse off in Surrey under the NDP. The trail of broken promises in my community continues to grow each month under this NDP government and it is time for real change,” said Sturko. “I’m running to be the next MLA for Surrey South because I’m excited to bring fresh ideas and a new perspective to Victoria on behalf of the people of Surrey South.”

Together with her wife Melissa, Sturko is raising her three children in Surrey South. Sturko has spent years working as a front-line and media relations officer for the Surrey RCMP. Before joining the RCMP, she worked in media production and as a reservist with the Canadian Forces.

“Residents of Surrey South have been waiting months for the NDP to finally call a byelection, and now it’s time to hit the ground running and get to work to ensure Surrey is no longer ignored. Elenore Sturko is the only candidate who is up for the challenge, and I know she will do an incredible job representing the people of Surrey,” said Falcon. “With experience working on the front lines of the overdose crisis and tackling issues facing young families in Surrey, Elenore will be an outstanding advocate for her community.”

“I look forward to working hard to earn the support of Surrey South voters on September 10th so that I can join Kevin Falcon and our BC Liberal team in Victoria and deliver real solutions to the problems facing our community,” said Sturko.

SIMRAN Sarai, a Simon Fraser University (SFU) student, has been nominated by the B.C. Green Party as its candidate for the Surrey South by-election.

“It’s an honour to introduce such a talented and accomplished community leader as our candidate,” B.C. Green MLA Adam Olsen (Saanich North and the Islands) said. “Simran represents the future of our province, and we desperately need that voice in the legislature. Actively involved in her community, Simran has served as a spokesperson for BC Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society, and as a presenter at Radio-Canada (CBC French). I look forward to supporting her campaign and working with her in the future.”

“I am running for MLA because we are out of time to act on issues such as the climate crisis, housing affordability, healthcare and mental health,” Sarai added. “I’ve been an active volunteer in my community since I was six years old and I truly care about my community and the people in it. As a childhood cancer survivor, I know what our healthcare system can do when run well. Our government could be doing so much more to help those that need it most – and I truly believe that working with Sonia Furstenau and the B.C. Greens I can help improve the lives of British Columbians.”