In 2013: BC Liberal incumbent Ralph Sultan won his fourth straight election, defeating NDP challenger Terry Platt 67 per cent to 22 per cent.
In 2009: Sultan won his third straight election, defeating NDP candidate Terry Platt by 13,001 votes, 67-15 per cent—the largest margin in the province.
History & Geography: Created in in 1966 as North Vancouver-Capilano, and shifting to the west in the 1991 election, the riding consists of all of West Vancouver east of 28th Street, and a small section of northwest North Vancouver. It may have the longest lineage with the BC Liberal Party, having elected the party in 10 of the 13 elections the riding has existed.
By most metrics, this is the wealthiest riding in the province, and is a reliable seat for the Liberals.
Candidates
Liberals-Ralph Sultan: Sultan was first elected in 2001. Prior to politics, he served as a senior office for many financial and natural resource companies, and was a Senior Vice President and Chief Economist for the Royal Bank of Canada. He has a PhD, MBA and Master’s degree from Harvard, and a Bachelor of Science from UBC. Sultan is now 81 years old, making him the province’s oldest sitting MLA.
NDP – Mehdi Russel: An MD and pharmaceutical consultant, Russel was born in Iran, and fought for his country in the Iran-Iraq war. He and his family immigrated to Canada in 2008. A musician, in 2016 he released an album called “The Last Point in the World.”
Green: Michael Markwick: A Capilano University communications professor, Marwick previously served as the president of the B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association.
2017 Stats: West Vancouver-Capilano
Population (2014): 57,173 (44th)
Population Deviation from Average: 7.6 per cent
Area: 80 sq km (55th)
Pop Density: 714.7 (33rd)
Average Age: 47.6 years (10th)
English as Second Language: 34.37 per cent (28th)
Top 3 Second Languages:
Persian (Farsi) – 10.96 per cent
Chinese, n.o.s. – 3.00 per cent
Korean – 2.70 per cent
Comments