Abbotsford South

Abbotsford South encompasses the southern portion of the City of Abbotsford, including agricultural land in the Sumas Prairie and suburban residential areas. In 2013, criminologist Darryl Plecas won the seat for the BC Liberals in his first provincial campaign. During the 2013–2017 term, Plecas served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General for Crime Reduction, and later as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health for Seniors. For the 2017 election, boundary adjustments extended the riding westward to include the community of Aldergrove. Like the rest of the Abbotsford area, the riding had historically been difficult terrain for the NDP.

Candidates

Darryl Plecas (BC Liberal Party) — Plecas was the incumbent MLA seeking re-election. A Professor Emeritus in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of the Fraser Valley, he held two degrees in criminology from Simon Fraser University and a doctorate in higher education from the University of British Columbia. He had taught at the university since 1979 and served as the RCMP Senior University Research Chair. He was the author or co-author of more than 200 research reports on criminal justice topics, and was a recipient of numerous awards including UFV’s Teaching Excellence Award and the British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Public Safety.

Jasleen Arora (BC NDP) — Arora was a Burnaby resident who worked as a Senior Inclusion Facilitator at STEPS Forward, a BC initiative for inclusive post-secondary education that supports students with developmental disabilities. She held a Master of Science in Leadership and Organizations with a concentration in philanthropic leadership from the University of Denver. Like her NDP counterpart in Abbotsford-Mission, Arora drew attention for living outside the riding.

William Aird Flavelle (BC Green Party) — Flavelle was the founder of the information technology company MSA Computers Ltd. in Abbotsford. He had previously run for the Green Party in the 2013 provincial election in the neighbouring riding of Abbotsford-Mission, and had sought election to Abbotsford city council on multiple occasions. He was active in local community boards and volunteer organizations.

Ron Gray (Christian Heritage Party of B.C.) received a minor share of the vote.

Local Issues

The drug crisis and homelessness were among the primary concerns raised during the campaign. Abbotsford had been grappling with visible homelessness in its downtown core, and the opioid epidemic was claiming lives at an accelerating rate throughout the Fraser Valley. Candidates debated provincial responsibility for funding addiction treatment, mental health services, and supportive housing.

Education was another key topic, particularly school funding, class-size composition, and support for special-needs students. The BC Liberals’ protracted dispute with the BC Teachers’ Federation over class size and composition had culminated in a Supreme Court of Canada decision in November 2016 that ruled in favour of the teachers’ union, requiring the government to restore provisions it had stripped from the collective agreement in 2002. The implications of this ruling for classroom conditions and school budgets were felt acutely in suburban ridings like Abbotsford South.

Protection of the Agricultural Land Reserve was also a concern in a riding where farming remained an important economic activity. The fertile soils of the Sumas Prairie supported dairy farming, berry cultivation, and other agricultural enterprises, and residents were watchful of development pressures that could encroach on productive farmland.