Vancouver Quadra

Vancouver Quadra is a federal riding covering the western flank of the City of Vancouver, from Kitsilano and Arbutus Ridge in the east to the University of British Columbia campus in the west. The by-election was called after Stephen Owen, the Liberal MP since 2000, resigned his seat effective July 27, 2007, to become Vice-President of External, Legal and Community Relations at the University of British Columbia.

Candidates

Joyce Murray (Liberal) — Murray was a former British Columbia provincial cabinet minister who had served as Minister of Water, Land, and Air Protection from 2001 to 2004 and Minister of Management Services until 2005 in the Gordon Campbell government. She was a businesswoman involved in the reforestation industry before entering politics.

Deborah Meredith (Conservative) — Meredith had taught commercial law at UBC's Sauder School of Business for over 30 years. She was a lifelong Vancouver Quadra resident and active community volunteer who was running for federal office for the first time.

Rebecca Coad (NDP) — Coad was a 24-year-old UBC graduate who ran as the NDP candidate, focusing her campaign on environmental issues and criticizing the Liberal government's environmental record.

Dan Grice (Green Party) — Grice was a 27-year-old UBC archaeology graduate working as a business-technology consultant. His campaign made notable use of online platforms and social media to connect with voters.

Other candidates included John Turner (neorhino.ca) and Psamuel Frank (Canadian Action Party).

About the Riding

Vancouver Quadra stretches from portions of Kitsilano and Arbutus Ridge in the east to the University of British Columbia campus and the University Endowment Lands in the west, and from Burrard Inlet south to roughly 75th Avenue. The riding encompasses the affluent neighbourhoods of West Point Grey, Dunbar–Southlands, and Kerrisdale, as well as Pacific Spirit Regional Park — a 763-hectare urban forest — and the Musqueam Indian Reserve.

The riding has the highest proportion of university-degree holders of any federal riding in Canada, at over 53 percent, reflecting the influence of UBC with its more than 40,000 students and thousands of faculty and staff. The university is the riding's dominant institution and largest employer, driving much of the area's economic and cultural life.

The residential character ranges from heritage homes and tree-lined streets in West Point Grey and Dunbar to denser rental and condominium developments in Kitsilano and along the Arbutus corridor. The riding's population is ethnically diverse, with significant Chinese, South Asian, Japanese, and other communities alongside a majority of European-origin residents. Vancouver Quadra had been a Liberal stronghold, with the party holding the seat since 1984.