SONIA FURSTENAU
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Political party: How long have you been a member?
BC Green Party, member since 2016
Do you live in the riding, and if so, for how long? If not, what is your connection to the riding?
I lived in Victoria for over two decades, from 1990 to 2011. I earned three degrees at UVic, worked as a small business owner, bookkeeper, and teacher in the Victoria School District. I moved with my family to Shawnigan Lake in 2011, and was pulled into politics through my work to protect the community’s drinking water. I moved back to our home in Fairfield this summer, and look forward to spending time with our new grandchild, who is arriving later this fall.
What is your occupation, and for how long?
MLA for Cowichan Valley from 2017 - 2024, Leader of the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Green Party since 2020. Cowichan Valley Regional District Area Director 2014-2017. Prior to entering politics, I was a teacher, national administrator for RESULTS ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½, and a bookkeeper.
Please include the URLs for any websites/social media you are using for your campaign. (For example: timescolonist.com, facebook.com/timescolonist)
What do you believe is the biggest issue facing your community and why?
Victoria has a lot of strengths, but many people feel the strain from not being able to find affordable housing, from not having a family doctor, and from rising costs. Too many of our community members are enduring homelessness and a lack of access to the supports they need.
People thrive when they feel secure, when there is a sense of predictability and certainty, and when they can count on governments to deliver reliable services and a robust social safety net. These outcomes need to be the priority of all levels of government.
What actions or efforts have you taken to learn the concerns of your constituents?
In the last six months, I and my team have knocked on thousands of doors, met with residents, seniors, students, parents and business owners, and attended community meetings and events. Effective representation starts with listening to people in order to understand not only their concerns, but to learn about the solutions they bring to the table.
As MLA, I will continue to work as I have for the last 7 years in Cowichan - across jurisdictions, across party lines, and with the goal first and foremost of working with and serving the people of Victoria-Beacon Hill.
What do you want to see improved in British Columbia in four, eight and 20 years?
We are transitioning away from subsidizing fossil fuels and moving rapidly to a distributed clean energy economy that creates reliable and affordable energy, jobs, and returns on investment back to communities and First Nations. Nature is being restored, led by a Youth Climate Corps, reducing the risks and costs to communities and people from climate-driven events. There are Community Health Centres in every region. Our social safety net is woven back together and all people have the security of a safe and affordable place to call home. This is the province we can build together.
How would you go about addressing contentious issues within your riding?
The starting place is to create the space for people to come together, focused on a positive vision for our city, and the solutions that will get us there. There are a lot of challenges, but there is also a lot of common ground, and when we build from the place of what unites us, we can get to work much more quickly and effectively. Politics does not have to be divisive - it can be about finding shared values and goals, and then working together to achieve the outcomes that make our communities stronger.
Would you vote against your party and leader if it were best for your constituents?
One of our policies is that BC Greens do not force MLAs to vote in a certain way, as we believe that the role of an elected MLA is to represent their constituents first and foremost. Our party has six core principles: sustainability, non-violence, respect for diversity, participatory democracy, social justice, and ecological wisdom. These principles guide our policy and decision-making.
Why do you think you are qualified to do this job?
I’ve been MLA for Cowichan Valley for the past 7 years, and Area B Director for Cowichan Valley Regional District before that. I began my political career successfully fighting to protect drinking water in Shawnigan Lake by building and strengthening community. As MLA I worked with other elected leaders to create the Cowichan Leadership Group. We advocated for positive outcomes and significant investments for a region that had been underserved by the provincial government for too long. I will continue to approach the work in this way - deepening the connections across the community to get the best results for Victoria.
Why are you running – what’s your motivation?
I find purpose and joy in serving my community and the people in it. I’m excited to bring all that I’ve learned in Cowichan back to my home in Victoria, and I am ready to be a fierce advocate for constituents, and a bridge-builder across the region. I have learned that when people are united in vision and purpose, we can accomplish so much together.
As the MLA for Victoria-Beacon Hill I will be hard-working and tireless, and committed to focus on getting action on the solutions we need for our city and for all of BC.
ABOUT VICTORIA-BEACON HILL
Two incumbent MLAs will be facing off in Victoria-Beacon Hill after Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau relocated from Cowichan Valley to the capital.
She faces New Democrat Grace Lore, who captured 54 per cent of the vote in 2020. (The Green candidate was about 7,400 votes back with 30 per cent.)
They’re joined by lawyer Tim Thielmann, the Conservative Party candidate.
With the exception of one Liberal MLA in 2001-2005, this riding has gone NDP since it was created in 1991.
THE CANDIDATES IN VICTORIA-BEACON HILL
The candidates this election are:
See the full list of Vancouver Island candidates here. We are posting the candidate questionnaires riding by riding.
ABOUT THE PROFILES
We asked readers what they wanted to ask candidates and used those answers to help shape our election coverage, including candidate questionnaires.
The answers are presented as submitted by the candidates, edited only for length if they exceeded the word limit they were given. We did not correct grammar, spelling or typos.
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