Meet the candidates in New Westminster-Coquitlam

B.C. NDP incumbent Jennifer Whiteside is set to share the ballot with B.C. Green Party candidate Maureen Curran, Michele Lau of the Conservative Party, and independent candidate Gerry Lenoski.

Whiteside has served as Minister of Labour, Minister of Education, and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. She has also worked as the lead negotiator for the Hospital Employees’ Union

Curran is a scientist and educator who has worked with municipalities to develop policies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

A financial service executive, Lau has participated with the Vancouver Board of Trade and handled fundraising for the Vancouver College Parent Association.

History

NDP incumbent Jennifer Whiteside was elected in 2020 and 2024, garnering approximately 59 percent of the vote in the most recent election.

New Westminster also went for the NDP in 2017, as incumbent Judy Darcy was re-elected with nearly 52 percent of the vote, largely mirroring the results from 2013.

NDP candidate Dawn Black also won the riding in 2009 with 56 percent of the vote.

The riding boundaries were altered for the 2024 election, essentially chipping off a piece of Coquitlam and affixing it to the former New Westminster riding.

Geography

The top of the riding is wedged between North Road and Blue Mountain Street with Austin Avenue as the northernmost border.

The riding wraps around Blue Mountain Baptist Church and cuts along Brunette Avenue on the eastern side before meandering toward the Fraser River. The riding’s western border stretches into New Westminster up to Twentieth Street.