In 2009: Longtime cabinet minister Barry Penner won this riding for the Liberals, defeating NDP candidate Gwen O’Mahony by over 3000 votes, 52-33%. After Penner decided to step down, O’Mahony won a byelection over Liberal Laurie Throness 41-31%, becoming the first NDP candidate to win in the Fraser Valley east of Surrey and south of the Fraser.
History & Geography: A riding created in 2009 to deal with population growth in between Chilliwack and Hope, Chilliwack-Hope starts in the southern suburbs and eastern farms of Chilliwack, before pushing through Harrison Hot Springs, Kent, Hope, and the small historic gold rush towns along the Fraser River, stopping just north of Boston Bar. The NDP are traditionally very strong in and around Hope, while the Liberals do very well in the Chilliwack suburbs.
Basic Stats:
Population: 50745 (62nd)
Size: 10833 km (20th)
Density: 4.7 people/km (65th)
Odds and Ends: In the last census, 1135 listed their mother tongue as Dutch, the largest number in the province. The riding includes the town of Yale, which for a brief period during the 1860s was the largest city west of Chicago and north of San Francisco in North America.
Candidates
Liberals-Laurie Throness: A former chief of staff the federal Conservative Chuck Strahl in the ministries of Agriculture, Aboriginal Affairs, and Transport, Throness ran for public office for the first time last year. A bureaucrat for decades, Throness started his career working for former Chilliwack MLA Harvey Schroeder, who served this area from 1972-1986. Before running for the Liberals last year, he was taking painting courses at Trinity Western.
NDP-Gwen O’Mahony: The critic for Skills Training, Deputy Critic for Advanced Education, Mahony lost in the 2009 provincial election, and the 2011 federal election, before her 2012 win. She was a health advocate for adults with developmental disabilities, and past president of a branch of the Rotary.
Conservatives-Michael Henshall: A small businessman, Henshall has worked in the commercial fishing, local contracting, and real-estate industries. He worked on the Fight HST campaign, and is a member of the BC Wildlife Federation.
Independent-Ryan McKinnon
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