As went the country, so went Vancouver.
Before polls closed in B.C., observers declared a Liberal government. When Vancouver returns finally trickled in 40 minutes later, Liberal candidates were elected in four ridings, the NDP in two and the Tories shut out of the largest city in Western Canada.
The country swept the Liberal Party into power with a majority government and a title that will ring familiar to many: Prime Minister Trudeau.
Vancouver breakdown:
Vancouver Granville: Liberal Jody Wilson-Raybould elected in new riding
Vancouver Centre: Liberal incumbent Hedy Fry, re-elected
Vancouver East: NDP re-elected as Jenny Kwan replaces Libby Davies
Vancouver Kingsway: NDP Don Davies re-elected
Vancouver Quadra: Liberal incumbent Joyce Murray re-elected
Vancouver South: Liberal Harjit Sajjan unseated Conservative Wai Young
VANCOUVER GRANVILLE
One of the most contentious and closely watched ridings in the country, Vancouver Granville was considered a bellwether for Canada and it, too, went to the Liberals.
Jody Wilson-Raybould handily defeated Conservative candidate Erinn Broshko and NDPer Mira Oreck in what had the makings of a very close three-way race for the riding, one of the 30 across the country created before this record-setting 78-day campaign.
But Wilson-Raybould won a strong mandate with 45 per cent support, 5,000 more votes than both Broshko and Oreck who both brought in 26 per cent support.
VANCOUVER CENTRE
Liberal incumbent Hedy Fry garnered one of the highest mandates in the city with 57 per cent voter support in Vancouver Centre. West End and downtown voters re-elected the 74-year-old doctor who will continue her tenure as one of the country’s longest sitting MPs. She was first elected in 1993 when she unseated prime minister Kim Campbell.
VANCOUVER EAST
The NDP held the East Side riding with 47 per cent support. The party remains but with a new face -- kind of. The long-time B.C. NDP politician Jenny Kwan stepped in to the East Side riding in place of out-going Libby Davies.
Kwan defeated Liberal Edward Wong who brought in 29 per cent support. Tory James Low garnered 12 per cent support, and Green Party candidate Wes Regan followed closely at nine per cent.
VANCOUVER KINGSWAY
In the second Vancouver riding to remain NDP, Don Davies was re-elected with 42 per cent support in Vancouver Kingsway. Liberal Steven Kou followed with 30 per cent, and Tory Jojo Quimpo garnered 21 per cent.
VANCOUVER QUADRA
Joyce Murray was re-elected in Vancouver Quadra with a mandate as strong as Fry’s. She won 57 per cent of the West Side vote, beating conservative Blair Lockhart at 26 per cent and NDPer Scott Andrews at 10 per cent.
VANCOUVER SOUTH
The swing riding followed the national direction in electing Liberal Harjit Sajjan over Tory incumbent Wai Young.
Sajjan won 48 support to Young’s 35 per cent and 13 per cent for the NDP’s Amandeep Nijjar.
Trudeau looks ahead to ‘sunny days’
In his acceptance speech from a flag-draped stage in Montreal, Justin Trudeau labelled these “sunny days” and called for cooperation across the aisle.
“Conservatives are not our enemies, they are our neighbours,” he said, thanking Conservative leader Stephen Harper for his decade of service.
“A Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian,” added the Prime Minister elect.
Harper was re-elected in his Calgary riding but resigned from his post as Tory leader.
Tom Mulcair was re-elected in Outremont and will remain the leader of the NDP.
The Liberals needed 170 seats for a majority government, they earned 184. The Conservatives will form the official opposition with 99 seats and the NDP will hold a balance of power with 44 seats. The Bloc Quebecois will send 10 representatives to Ottawa, and Elizabeth May was re-elected as the Parliament’s lone Green Party representative. Voter turnout was 67 per cent.
