West Vancouver - Sunshine Coast - Sea to Sky Country

This riding, bounded on the south by the Strait of Georgia, contains West Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast Regional District, most of the Powell River Regional District and the part of the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District encompassing Whistler and the District Municipality of Squamish. Also here are Sechelt, Gibson's and Squamish, as well as Texada, Gambier, Goat and Nelson islands.

The 2006 census shows an immigrant population of 26 per cent in this riding, and an aboriginal population of just under four per cent. Seventy-eight per cent of residents list English as their mother tongue, with Farsi next at 3.4 per cent and German at 2.8 per cent.

Economic activities in West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast include pulp and paper manufacturing and waterfront services. The biggest single source of jobs is the professional, scientific and technical service sector. Education levels are high – nearly 31 per cent of residents over age 25 hold a university certificate or degree. The average family income is $115,773 and the unemployment rate is 5.2 per cent.

West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast riding was created in 1996 by combining much of Capilano-Howe Sound with part of North Island-Powell River. In 2004, about 7,000 residents were added from the North Vancouver riding.

Population: 129,241 (2006 census; an increase of 3.7% since 2001)

Political History

The riding returned to Liberal hands in 2006 as Blair Wilson squeaked by Conservative hopeful John Weston, winning by less than 1,000 votes. In October of 2007 Wilson left the Liberal caucus pending investigation of alleged improper election expenses.

Conservative incumbent John Reynolds chose to retire before the 2006 election. Reynolds served three terms under a different banner each time; he won in 1997 as a Reform candidate, in 2000 with the Canadian Alliance and in 2004 with the Conservatives.

Reynolds was first elected as a Progressive Conservative in 1972 in Burnaby-Richmond-Delta, but left federal politics in 1977 after Joe Clark became PC leader. He came back in this riding as a Reformer and was interim leader of the official Opposition after Stockwell Day stepped down to contest the Canadian Alliance leadership.

From 1949 to 1974, Liberals won all but one election in this area. Then the Tories took over: Ron Huntington was MP from 1974 to 1984 and Mary Collins, a cabinet minister, served from 1984 to 1993. Reform's Herb Grubel won in 1993.

West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast:

• 1997 - REF
• 2000 - CA
• 2004 - CON
• 2006 - LIB (MP later left the Liberal caucus to sit as an Independent, and still later joined the Green Party)