New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC — November 9, 2009 Federal By-Election
New Westminster—Coquitlam — November 9, 2009 By-election Results
Poll-by-poll results for New Westminster—Coquitlam in the November 9, 2009 Canadian federal by-election. Explore detailed voting data, candidate results, and turnout statistics at the poll level.
Riding information
Auto generated. Flag an issue.New Westminster—Coquitlam
New Westminster—Coquitlam is a federal riding in Metro Vancouver comprising the eastern part of New Westminster, the southwestern portion of Coquitlam, and the southern part of Port Moody. The by-election was called after Dawn Black, the NDP MP who had held the seat since 2006, resigned on April 13, 2009, to run for the BC NDP in the May 2009 provincial election in the riding of New Westminster.
Candidates
Fin Donnelly (NDP) — Donnelly was a Coquitlam city councillor who had served on council since 2002. Before entering municipal politics, he was a marathon swimmer known for swimming the entire length of the Fraser River in 1995 and again in 2000, as well as crossing the Strait of Georgia and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to raise awareness about river conservation. He held a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Victoria.
Diana Dilworth (Conservative) — Dilworth was a three-term Port Moody city councillor who ran as the Conservative candidate in the by-election.
Ken Beck Lee (Liberal) — Lee carried the Liberal Party banner in the riding.
Rebecca Helps (Green Party) — Helps represented the Green Party in the by-election.
About the Riding
The riding sits approximately 19 kilometres southeast of downtown Vancouver, straddling the communities of New Westminster, Coquitlam, and Port Moody along the north bank of the Fraser River and the shores of Burrard Inlet. The area is well-connected to the regional transit network through the SkyTrain Expo Line, which passes through New Westminster, and the Millennium Line serving Coquitlam and Port Moody.
New Westminster, British Columbia's original colonial capital, is a compact city with a mix of heritage neighbourhoods and newer condominium development along the waterfront. The Royal Columbian Hospital, one of the province's busiest trauma centres, is a major employer in the Sapperton neighbourhood. Coquitlam's portion of the riding includes the historic francophone community of Maillardville as well as newer suburban developments.
The riding's population was ethnically diverse, with significant Chinese, South Asian, Korean, and Filipino communities alongside a majority of European-origin residents. The NDP historically drew strong support from New Westminster and Port Moody as well as the Maillardville area of Coquitlam, while Conservatives were stronger in the more suburban parts of Coquitlam.