Victoria

Victoria is a federal electoral district on the southern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, encompassing the provincial capital city. The by-election was called after NDP MP Denise Savoie resigned her seat effective August 31, 2012, citing health reasons. Savoie, who was 68 at the time, said her doctor had given her a health warning in the spring and recommended she adopt a more balanced lifestyle without the extensive travel demands of serving as a Western Canadian MP. She had represented the riding since 2006.

Candidates

Murray Rankin (NDP) — Rankin was a prominent environmental and public law lawyer who held law degrees from the University of Toronto and Harvard Law School. He had served as a professor of law at the University of Victoria from 1977 to 1990, where he taught environmental law and helped build organizations such as the West Coast Environmental Law Association and the BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre. He returned to UVic in 2004 as an adjunct professor, donating his salary to charity.

Donald Galloway (Green Party) — Galloway was a University of Victoria law professor and an advocate of refugee and immigrant rights. He had served as a member of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada and was the Green Party's national critic on immigration and citizenship. His path to the nomination was unusual — the Green nomination vote was split exactly 50-50 between Galloway and Trevor Moat, with a coin toss deciding in Moat's favour before Moat voluntarily stepped aside in Galloway's favour.

Dale Gann (Conservative) — Gann served as President of the Vancouver Island Technology Park, a facility owned by the University of Victoria that supports technology companies and research.

Paul Summerville (Liberal) — Summerville was a former chief economist at RBC Capital Markets and head of equity research at Lehman Brothers who was serving as an adjunct professor at the University of Victoria's Peter B. Gustavson School of Business at the time of the by-election. He had previously run as an NDP candidate in the Toronto riding of St. Paul's in 2006.

About the Riding

The Victoria federal riding covers the entire City of Victoria, the municipality of Oak Bay, and the southeastern portion of the District of Saanich, including the University of Victoria campus. The riding encompasses British Columbia's capital city and the seat of the provincial legislature.

Victoria is known for its mild climate, heritage architecture, and significant public sector employment tied to the provincial government. The University of Victoria and the Royal Roads University contribute to a well-educated population. The city has a vibrant arts and culture scene, a growing technology sector, and a substantial tourism industry. Major employers include the provincial government, the university, the Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt nearby, and the technology industry clustered around the Vancouver Island Technology Park.

The riding has a progressive political tradition, having been represented by the NDP since 2006. The population skews older and more educated than the national average, with a significant student population near the university. Oak Bay, a municipality within the riding, is known as one of the wealthiest communities in British Columbia, while other parts of the riding include more socioeconomically diverse neighbourhoods.