B.C. Liberals gather in Okanagan, consider name change, look toward 2024 election

PENTICTON, B.C. — Members of British Columbia’s Liberal party are set to gather at a convention in Penticton this weekend to welcome new leader Kevin Falcon and map strategy ahead of the next election, possibly under a new party name.  

About 800 delegates are registered to attend and launch a process that could result in a name change.

Kevin Falcon, who won the leadership race earlier this year, promised to renew and rebuild the party in consultation with members.

The B.C. Liberals are not affiliated with the federal Liberal party and have described themselves as “a made-in-B.C. free enterprise coalition.”

The Liberals were reduced to 28 seats in the province’s 87-seat legislature in the 2020 election, but are coming off a spring legislative sitting where they challenged the New Democrat government on health-care issues and plans to embark on a major museum rebuilding project.

Liberal member of the legislature Trevor Halford says the convention is taking on an atmosphere of a family reunion after two years of COVID-19 protocols that restricted gatherings.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2022.

The Canadian Press