Politics as usual or a serious problem? 'Extreme' candidates running in B.C. communities

Mainstream political leaders, unions and anti-racism activists are concerned about a slate of candidates in British Columbia's upcoming municipal elections that include candidates with far-right policies widely described as "extreme."

Mainstream political leaders, unions and anti-racism activists are concerned about a slate of candidates in British Columbia's upcoming municipal elections that include candidates with far-right policies widely described as "extreme."

At last week's Union of BC Municipalities conference, multiple elected mayors and councillors told CTV News they were increasingly anxious about anti-vaccine, anti-SOGI, and pro-Freedom Convoy candidates jockeying for positions in local government, with the purported goal of promoting those agendas.

But the sources, who would not speak publicly on the matter, are worried the overall goal may simply be disrupting the democratic system, which is already seeing politicians of various stripes harassed and threatened in an increasingly polarized and toxic political environment. 

Many of the aspiring municipal politicians are former candidates for the People’s Party of Canada, while others are supporters of the party or share similar views.

Some of them appear to have been galvanized when PPC leader Maxime Bernier was in Sooke, B.C., speaking to supporters in mid-August. At the time, he urged them to “engage at the municipal level, at the school board level” because he believed “the radical left is everywhere and we need to take their place.”

University of the Fraser Valley associate professor of political science Hamish Telford pointed out that B.C. has "always had fringe candidates, marginal candidates or extremist candidates," in part because only 25 signatures and a $100 deposit are required to run.

But the executive vice-president for the BC General Employees’ Union believes this time is different in the wake of social networks and links formed between supporters of the “Freedom Convoy,” as well as those who attended anti-vaccine, anti-mandate rallies.