Burnaby—Deer Lake

Burnaby—Deer Lake is an urban riding in the heart of Burnaby, centred on the green expanse of Deer Lake Park and extending into the rapidly densifying Metrotown area, one of Metro Vancouver’s designated regional city centres. In the 2013 election, NDP incumbent Kathy Corrigan held the seat, edging out her BC Liberal challenger by just over 900 votes. Corrigan chose not to seek re-election in 2017, leaving the seat open. The riding’s diverse population and its proximity to the Metrotown SkyTrain station made it a focal point for debates over housing, densification, and the displacement of renters.

Candidates

Anne Kang (BC NDP) — Kang was a three-term Burnaby city councillor, first elected in 2008. Born in Changhua County, Taiwan, she had immigrated to Canada as a child and lived in Burnaby since 1986. She held a Bachelor of Music, a Bachelor of Education, and a Diploma in Special Education from the University of British Columbia. During her time on council, she served as the Council Liaison for the Public Library Board, Chair of the Environment Committee, and a member of the Public Safety Committee.

Karen Xiao Bao Wang (BC Liberal Party) — Wang was a businesswoman who operated three daycare centres in Burnaby. She had immigrated from mainland China approximately 17 years prior and was a mother of two. She brought private-sector experience in early childhood education and small business management to the campaign.

Rick McGowan (BC Green Party) — McGowan was the founder of the Metrotown Residents’ Association and taught chemistry and English at the Pearson Adult Learning Centre in New Westminster. He was a repeat Green candidate in the riding, having finished third with about eight per cent of the vote in 2013. His activism on behalf of Metrotown renters facing displacement gave him visibility on the housing issue.

Graham Bowers (Conservative) was a high school math teacher. Elias Ishak (Independent) had previously run for the Burnaby School Board. Both received minor shares of the vote.

Local Issues

The displacement of renters in the Metrotown area was the signature local issue. Burnaby’s official community plan designated Metrotown as a hub for transit-oriented densification, and developers had begun acquiring aging low-rise rental apartment buildings, evicting tenants, and demolishing the structures to build condominium towers. The process, which opponents called “demoviction,” uprooted low-income renters who depended on units renting for well below market rates. Burnaby had been losing a significant number of rental units each year as older buildings were demolished. Housing advocates argued that the provincial government needed to strengthen tenants’ rights and require developers to replace rental stock.

The broader housing affordability crisis in Metro Vancouver was felt acutely in Burnaby—Deer Lake. Rising property values and rents were making the area unaffordable for many long-time residents, and candidates debated the merits of demand-side measures like the foreign buyer tax, supply-side solutions like building more rental and co-operative housing, and the elimination of MSP premiums as a way to reduce household costs.

The geopolitics of the China–Taiwan relationship also surfaced in the campaign. The riding’s large population of residents with roots in both mainland China and Taiwan meant that candidates’ positions on cross-strait issues and their community affiliations drew attention in local media, an unusual dynamic in a provincial election.