Octavian Lacatusu
Black Press
Election night was full of optimism and cheer, but later sadness and disappointment for Esquimalt-Metchosin Liberal candidate Barb Desjardins.
The Esquimalt mayor put up a good fight during her campaign in the traditional NDP stronghold, gathering a solid following in her own turf, despite losing the crown handily to soon-to-be New Democrat MLA Mitzi Dean.
When it was all done and over with, a visibly tired Desjardins maintained a bit of her optimism.
“I’m a bit sad and disappointed that we didn’t get a better showing, but I’ve been surrounded by wonderful people, I’ve learned a lot, so there’s a lot of positives here too,” Desjardins said after the polls closed.
Some of her support came from former MLA Arnie Hamilton and Langford Mayor Stew Young, who were both present on election night.
Throughout the night Desjardins was evidently optimistic, showing a sense of pride over the work done by her team for the last several weeks.
Desjardins had said that if she were elected she would focus on transportation as she sees the issue being a key one for the riding.
She will now take those concerns with her as she resumes her duties as the Mayor of Esquimalt and as the chair for the Capital Regional District board.
Mackinnon shows well for B.C. Greens
Metchosin Coun. Andy MacKinnon, a semi-retired botanist who finished a close third, is teaching a field course in Tofino and was away from the riding on election night.
In a phone interview on Wednesday morning, he congratulated Dean on her win and said he was encouraged by the number of votes he and his party received.
“My goal was to win the seat, so I didn’t reach that, but I think a more realistic goal that I had in mind was to increase the percentage of the vote (for) the Green Party, and I achieved that. I was happy with the outcome.”
MacKinnon earned nearly 25 per cent of the votes in the riding, up from the 21.7 per cent Susan Low received for the party four years ago.
MacKinnon added he’s looking forward to returning to his full-time duties as a councillor.
B.C. Communist candidate Tyson Strandlund, Libertarian candidate Josh Steffler and independent DelMar Martay received small shares of the vote.
-with files from Joel Tansey