2005 Candidates (as received from Elections B.C.):

• Brian Downey, DR BC
• John-Henry Harter, New Democratic Party of B.C.
• Augustine Lee, BC Youth Coalition
• John Les, BC Liberal Party
• Norm Siefken, Green Party of BC
• Adam James Solheim, Moderates

Maps from Elections B.C. will open in a new window.

District Profile:

This Fraser Valley riding takes in the southwest part of the Chilliwack district and the southeast part of the Abbotsford district, with the Fraser River as its north border, Vedder and Young roads as part of its eastern edge, the U.S. border as its southern boundary, and Sumas Way and McMillan Road as its western limit. Communities include Barrowtown, Greendale, South Sumas, Yarrow and Kilgard. Agriculture and manufacturing are among the main industries, along with retail trade and health and social services. The average family income is $63,313 – just under the B.C. norm – but unemployment is a below-average 7.3 per cent. Immigrants make up just 15 per cent of the Chilliwack-Sumas population; among ethnicities, 14 per cent are German and 13 per cent are Dutch. The senior population is significant: 14 per cent.

Political History:

The incumbent in Chilliwack-Sumas is Liberal John Les, the minister of small business and economic development, who gained office in 2001 with a win by a landslide 5-10-1 margin over the NDP's Christine Muise. Preceding Les were a succession of one-term MLAs: Liberal Barry Penner (1996-2001), who won his seat after easily beating NDP candidate Rollie Keith; Liberal John Chisholm (1991-1996); and the Social Credit Party's John Jansen (1986-91), who lost his re-election bid to Chisholm by 982 votes. The Socred's Harvey Schroeder was the MLA here from 1972-86.

In 2001, voter turnout in Chilliwack-Sumas was 70.6 per cent – just under the provincial average.