Delta North

Delta North was one of the most competitive swing ridings in British Columbia. In the six elections since the riding was created in 1991, the seat had gone to both the NDP and the BC Liberals three times each. In 2013, BC Liberal Scott Hamilton defeated NDP candidate Sylvia Bishop by just 302 votes, taking the riding for the Liberals. The suburban riding, located west of Surrey and east of Highway 91, encompassed the community of North Delta and Annacis Island.

Candidates

Ravi Kahlon (BC NDP) — Kahlon was a former Canadian national field hockey player who had represented Canada at the 2000 and 2008 Summer Olympics. Born and raised in Victoria, he was inducted into the Delta Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. After retiring from competition, he worked in banking and then served as director of stakeholder relations for the BC NDP caucus for six years before announcing his candidacy in October 2016.

Scott Hamilton (BC Liberal Party) — Hamilton was the incumbent one-term MLA who had lived in North Delta for over 30 years. Before entering provincial politics, he served four consecutive terms as a Delta city councillor over 11 years and had a career spanning more than three decades in the information technology sector. He was an ambassador for BC Guide Dogs and Autism Support Dogs Society and was involved in developing the Guide Dog and Service Dog Act.

Jacquie Miller (BC Green Party) — Miller worked for the Government of the Northwest Territories as a manager in resource and environmental management before returning to British Columbia. She grew up in North Delta and identified public education, housing affordability, and Burns Bog conservation as key issues for the riding.

Local Issues

Affordability was the top issue on doorsteps across Delta North. Residents were frustrated with rising ICBC premiums, BC Hydro rate increases, and the overall cost of living in the Metro Vancouver region. As a suburban commuter riding, many residents depended on their vehicles and felt the pinch of auto insurance costs acutely. The NDP's promises to freeze hydro rates and reform ICBC resonated with voters who felt squeezed by costs imposed by provincial Crown corporations.

Transportation infrastructure was also a concern. Traffic congestion on the Alex Fraser Bridge and Highway 91 affected daily commuters, and the broader regional debate about transit expansion was relevant to Delta North residents who relied on road connections to employment centres in Vancouver and Surrey.

Burns Bog, one of the largest undeveloped urban landmasses in North America, straddled the riding's boundaries and was a focus for environmentally minded voters. The ecological preserve's long-term protection from development and industrial encroachment remained a concern. Housing affordability was also escalating, as Metro Vancouver's surging real estate market pushed prices higher even in traditionally more affordable suburban communities like North Delta.