North Vancouver—Seymour

North Vancouver—Seymour had been one of the safest BC Liberal seats in the province, held by the party since 1991 with at least 50 per cent of the vote in every election. Incumbent Jane Thornthwaite was seeking a third term in a riding that encompassed the more suburban and mountainous areas of the District of North Vancouver, including Deep Cove, Seymour Heights, and the communities nestled against the North Shore mountains. The riding's affluent, outdoor-recreation-oriented demographics had historically aligned with the BC Liberals, but the 2017 election brought new competitive pressures as the NDP and Greens made gains across the North Shore.

Candidates

Jane Thornthwaite (BC Liberal Party) — Thornthwaite was first elected in 2009 and had previously worked as a registered dietitian nutritionist with her own consulting business. Before entering provincial politics, she won a seat on the North Vancouver School Board in 2005 as the top vote-getter. During the 2013–2017 term, she served as Parliamentary Secretary for Student Support and Parent Engagement.

Michael Charrois (BC NDP) — Charrois is an actor, drama teacher, and a two-time federal NDP candidate. He appeared in Clint Eastwood's 1992 film Unforgiven. He ran for the federal NDP in 2008 and 2011 before seeking the provincial seat in North Vancouver—Seymour.

Joshua Johnson (BC Green Party) — Johnson was a young candidate who had attended Argyle Secondary School in North Vancouver, where he was active in student demonstrations during the 2014 teachers' strike. He subsequently served as a House of Commons page in Ottawa from 2015 to 2016, working in both official languages, and was employed as an aerial tramway operator at Grouse Mountain at the time of the campaign.

Clayton Welwood ran for the Libertarian Party.

Local Issues

The Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion was arguably the most significant issue in North Vancouver—Seymour. The proposed expansion would dramatically increase tanker traffic through Burrard Inlet, with vessels passing within sight of the riding's waterfront communities. The District of North Vancouver's mayor noted that 90 to 95 per cent of tanker traffic at the time did not go beyond the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, meaning the expansion would bring a visible increase in vessel traffic to areas like Deep Cove and Indian Arm. For residents who chose to live on the North Shore specifically for its outdoor recreation and proximity to nature, the pipeline issue resonated powerfully.

Transportation congestion mirrored the concerns in neighbouring North Vancouver—Lonsdale. Commuters in the riding faced long delays crossing to Vancouver and beyond, and the limited transit options in the more suburban and mountainous parts of the district compounded the problem. Demand for improved transit connections and road infrastructure was a consistent theme at the doors.

Housing affordability, while less acute than in some parts of Metro Vancouver, was nonetheless a growing concern. The riding's property values were among the highest in the region, and younger residents and families struggled to enter the housing market. The interplay between provincial housing policy, foreign investment, and local zoning decisions was a frequent topic of discussion during the campaign.