Nick Dickinson-Wilde is running for the BC Green Party in Delta North, bringing the number of candidates in the riding to four with one week until nominations close.
The party announced his candidacy on Tuesday (Sept. 17), along with five other set to run in West Vancouver-Capilano, Vancouver-Kensington, Coquitlam-Burke Mountain, Boundary-Similkameen and Prince George-Valemount.
“This team of candidates represents the bold, compassionate and rational leadership that British Columbia urgently needs. They are driven by a shared commitment to building resilient communities, tackling the climate crisis head-on, and ensuring that every British Columbian has the opportunity to thrive," BC Greens leader Sonia Furstenau said in a press release.
"Their diverse experiences and unwavering dedication to making positive change will help shape a future that prioritizes both people and the planet. Together, they are ready to bring forward the solutions we need for a fairer, greener province.”
According to his bio, Dickinson-Wilde is a committed community advocate, small business owner and web developer who, from a young age, has been passionate about making positive change, starting with his involvement in the UNEP International Children’s Conference on the Environment.
"His dedication to environmental protection and sustainability continues to be a cornerstone of his platform," his bio states.
Dickinson-Wilde's campaign is focused on creating a safer, greener and more inclusive Delta North, where families can thrive and the environment is protected for future generations.
"As a small business owner, Nick understands the challenges local entrepreneurs face and is dedicated to supporting them to build a stronger local economy. His background in web development has provided him with insights into how technology can improve access to services and create new opportunities," his bio states.
A certified karate instructor and judge with Karate BC, Dickinson-Wilde's work with youth has shaped his focus on child safety, his bio states, particularly road safety — an issue that has become a top priority for him since becoming a parent last year.
Similarly, his love for outdoor activities like cycling and hiking informs his advocacy for sustainable transportation and environmental conservation.
His bio also says that Dickinson-Wilde, who ran for Sooke city council in 2022, believes that local politics offers the most direct path to positive change.
In an email to the Reporter Thursday afternoon, Dickinson-Wilde acknowledged he was running "out of riding" in Delta North, but doing so because no one in the community had answered his party's call for candidates.
"I stepped up to provide residents the democratic option — in mind the vital option — to vote with conscience, whether for party or policy, rather than being limited and having to choose a second choice or skipping voting as a protest," he wrote.
Dickinson-Wilde said he will be participating in the second of two all-candidate meetings announced so far (on Oct. 10, hosted by the Delta Chamber of Commerce at Seaquam Secondary), as "local events are critical and should not be skipped by candidates."
Dickinson-Wilde resides in Sooke, a community about an hour east of Victoria in the new riding of Juan de Fuca-Malahat, where he stumps for his local BC Green candidate, David Evans.
Though he lives on Vancouver Island, he said he will be spending all day Saturday (Sept. 21) campaigning in Delta North. He said he is still figuring out his schedule for the rest of the campaign and what level of active support he has in the riding to help him with tasks like door knocking and sign waving.
Three others are in the running to be Delta North's MLA after the vote on Oct. 18: (in alphabetical order) incumbent Ravi Kahlon with the BC NDP, Manqoosh Khan with the Freedom Party of BC, and Raj Veauli with the Conservative Party of BC.
Former BC United candidate Amrit Pal Singh Dhot withdrew from the race on Sept. 9, throwing his support behind Kahlon (but not the BC NDP) 12 days after BCU leader Kevin Falcon announced he was suspending the party's election campaign.
Candidate nominations with Elections BC close at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28.
Meanwhile, only two candidates have so far said they are running in Delta South: BC United MLA Ian Paton (running for re-election under the BC Conservative banner) and Jason McCormick with the BC NDP.
Voting day in this fall's provincial election is Saturday, Oct. 18.
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