West Vancouver - Politics

Politics

As of 2011, the mayor is Michael Smith having been elected by acclamation on November 19th, 2011.

West Vancouver ridings typically include Squamish and Whistler, and sometimes the Sunshine Coast.

Provincially, Joan McIntyre and Ralph Sultan of the BC Liberal Party were elected to the West Vancouver-Garibaldi and West Vancouver-Capilano ridings, respectively, in the 2005 Provincial election (West Vancouver-Garibaldi includes Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton).

Federally, West Vancouver-based ridings historically voted Liberal prior to 1974, then voted Conservative, electing John Reynolds of the Reform Party of Canada (later the Canadian Alliance) from 1997 to 2004. Reynolds declined to run for re-election in 2006, however, and Liberal Blair Wilson defeated Conservative John Weston to replace Reynolds as Member of Parliament from the West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country electoral district. Wilson left the Liberals in 2007 and joined the Green Party in 2008, becoming the first Green Member of Parliament. The re-election in 2008 saw a rematch between Weston and Wilson. This time Weston emerged as the victor, carrying nearly triple the vote of his incumbent opponent to handily return the riding to the Conservatives. Weston won again in 2011.