Facts about the federal riding of Vancouver Granville

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This article was published 16/10/2019 (2209 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Vancouver Granville

Jody Wilson-Raybould, the former Liberal justice minister who was booted out of her party’s caucus after criticizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s handling of the SNC-Lavalin affair, will try to hang onto her seat as an Independent. As the scandal unfolded earlier this year, supporters in her riding praised her for standing up to the prime minister and showing what they saw as honesty and integrity. But the question remains whether her constituents will want an Independent MP representing them, as politicians outside of parties typically wield little influence in the House of Commons. The Liberals are also banking on her losing voters who are loyal to Trudeau and the party.

Population: 103,456 (Statistics Canada)

Incumbent: Jody Wilson-Raybould (Independent)

Main challengers: The Liberals have chosen technology executive Taleeb Noormohamed, who in 2011 ran unsuccessfully for the party in North Vancouver, while the Conservatives are banking on Zach Segal, who previously worked for the federal Conservative government. The NDP and Greens are competing to be the first choice for voters concerned about the climate. The New Democrats’ Yvonne Hanson is a climate activist who has previously volunteered for the group Extinction Rebellion Canada while the Greens’ Louise Boutin is an environmentalist who has campaigned to keep pipelines away from the Great Bear Rainforest and the Vancouver shoreline. The People’s Party has selected Naomi Chocyk, who describes herself as a mental-health advocate.

Election history: The riding was created in 2012 out of parts of Vancouver Centre, Vancouver Quadra, Vancouver Kingsway and Vancouver South. Wilson-Raybould won the 2015 election handily with 44 per cent of the vote. The New Democrats and Conservatives were neck and neck, receiving 27 and 26 per cent of the vote, respectively. At the time, Wilson-Raybould was viewed as a strong contender for a top cabinet post if the Liberals were to form a government.

Fun Fact: The riding is home to Vancouver City Hall, a building in the Art Deco and Moderne styles that opened in 1936 on Cambie Street and 12th Avenue. The city was the first in Canada to locate its city hall outside of its downtown core, and it chose the spot to strengthen ties with the recently annexed south Vancouver and Point Grey neighbourhoods.