Port Coquitlam

Port Coquitlam was one of the safest NDP seats in the province, represented by Mike Farnworth since 1991 with the exception of the 2001 Liberal landslide. Farnworth was one of the longest-serving members of the BC NDP caucus and a fixture of Tri-Cities politics. He was seeking his sixth term in 2017 and was widely regarded as one of the NDP's most experienced and recognizable figures. The riding encompassed the city of Port Coquitlam, a suburban community in Metro Vancouver's northeast that was still characterized as a middle-class, blue-collar area and, by Lower Mainland standards, one of the more affordable places to own a single-family home.

Candidates

Mike Farnworth (BC NDP) — Born in Bebington, England, Farnworth was raised in Port Coquitlam and held a bachelor's degree in geography from Simon Fraser University. Before entering politics, he worked at CP Rail, Gulf Oil, and Mount Isa Mines. He served three terms on Port Coquitlam city council starting in 1983, then worked for Port Moody—Coquitlam MP Ian Waddell before winning the provincial seat in 1991. During the NDP's time in government from 1991 to 2001, he served as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Minister of Employment and Investment, Minister of Health, and Minister of Social Development and Economic Security. He lost his seat in the 2001 Liberal sweep but won it back in 2005.

Susan Chambers (BC Liberal Party) — Chambers was a small business owner and resident of Maple Ridge who had been a BC Liberal member since 1999. She was a long-time community volunteer and member of the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce. This was her first run for elected office.

Jason Hanley (BC Green Party) — Hanley was a software developer who completed his first commercial software project at the age of fifteen. He held an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University and worked with an educational technology nonprofit focused on delivering education to children in need using low-cost devices and crowdsourcing.

Lewis Clarke Dahlby ran for the Libertarian Party and Billy Gibbons for the BC Cascadia Party, both receiving minimal support.

Local Issues

Transit and commute times were persistent concerns for Port Coquitlam residents. While the Evergreen Extension of the SkyTrain had opened in December 2016, connecting neighbouring Coquitlam and Port Moody to the rapid transit network, Port Coquitlam itself was not directly served by the new line. Residents commuting to Vancouver or other employment centres faced lengthy travel times, and the lack of rapid transit connectivity was a source of frustration for a community that was growing and densifying.

Housing affordability, while less extreme than in Vancouver proper, was an emerging concern. Port Coquitlam was still one of the more affordable communities in Metro Vancouver, but rising prices across the region were putting pressure on the middle-class families that formed the core of the community. Provincial issues including ICBC auto insurance rate increases, health care wait times, and education funding also featured in local campaign discussions, with Farnworth leveraging his long experience and name recognition to position the NDP as the party best able to address bread-and-butter concerns.