Election 2026: Campaign Roundup - Day 20

Welcome to Day 20 of our British Columbia 2026 Campaign Roundup!

We're bringing you daily updates on all the policy proclamations, platform promises, and political point-scoring from the campaign trail.

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Campaign Roundup - Day 20:

• The BC NDP announced a locals-first ferry reservation pilot that would reserve 12% of advance booking space for residents on two routes connecting the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island. The plan would set aside 10% of bookings up to four days before sailing and another 2% up to 24 hours before departure. The NDP says it would work with BC Ferries and other ferry-dependent communities to improve local access on additional routes.
  
  
• The BC NDP also announced a new environmental plan that includes $30 million annually for watershed protection, $50 million to protect old-growth forests, and a new fund for climate action. The plan also includes stricter water-use standards for AI data centres and a goal of protecting 30% of BC’s land by 2030.
  
  
• In an interview with CBC, CentreBC Leader Elenore Sturko outlined her party’s priorities ahead of the October 24th election, identifying the economy and health care as the biggest issues facing British Columbians. Sturko criticized the NDP’s financial management and pledged to expand resource development, support manufacturing and small businesses, and diversify the provincial economy. She also promised to increase the number of provincial RCMP officers by 500 over five years and said CentreBC would seek changes to DRIPA to address legal uncertainty while continuing to work with First Nations on treaties.
  
  
• Speaking of CentreBC, Leader Elenore Sturko has promised to double BC’s Manufacturing Jobs Fund to $60 million and increase job-training funding to $60 million. The plan would support prefabricated housing, mass timber and finished wood products, in-province food processing and storage, and manufacturing upgrades. Sturko said the goal is to diversify the provincial economy, create value-added products rather than simply exporting raw materials, and ensure British Columbians have access to new skilled jobs.
  
  
• OneBC has outlined its healthcare platform, proposing private healthcare alongside a fully funded public system, shifting administration and HR spending toward frontline staff and resources, and repealing the Health Professions and Occupations Act. The party also promises to phase out ICBC’s insurance monopoly and end no-fault insurance, and says it would use findings from the federal Parliament’s Allison Inquiry to help shape BC’s vaccine protocols.

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