B.C. premier calls byelection in riding where Conservative leader set to run

B.C. Premier David Eby has called a byelection for next month in the riding of Abbotsford-Mission, where embattled Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay is set to run.

Eby's New Democrats said Saturday that former agriculture minister Pam Alexis, who lost the seat in the 2024 provincial election by fewer than 3,000 votes, will be back on the ballot in the Sept. 26 vote.

But Peter Milobar, part of the exodus of Conservative MLAs who have left Findlay's caucus this month, said it's "highly unlikely" there will be enough time for the new party he is hoping to create to have a candidate in the race.

The seat became vacant when Conservative MLA Reann Gasper resigned earlier this month to give Findlay a chance to get a seat in the legislature. She has since taken a paid position as Findlay's deputy chief of staff.

Findlay was elected party leader in May but her tenure has been far from smooth, with six MLAs leaving her caucus to sit as independents this month, including five in the span of a week.

The defectors have questioned her leadership and the direction in which she is taking the party, with one suggesting she was "unelectable."

Milobar, along with fellow defector Ian Paton, have said they plan to start a new party after leaving Findlay's caucus. In an interview Saturday, Milobar said they are still working with Elections BC on the process to become official.

He said both he and Paton want their party to be credible and that people "will want to see more meat on the bone of the party that we're setting up."

"If it was three months down the road, I'm fully confident we'd be well equipped to put a good effort in and have a credible candidate and be a force, but we're not in that situation," he said.

"We're five days post announcement (of plans for the new party) and the byelection has been called."

Findlay posted on social media on Saturday, calling for "unity now."

"Let’s send the NDP a message that our support is positive, inclusive and determined to build on the foundation that (Gasper) has built in Abbotsford-Mission," she said. 

A statement from Elections BC said candidate nominations close at 1 p.m. on Sept. 5. Advance voting will run from Sept.18 to 23.

Alexis was elected as MLA for Abbotsford-Mission in 2020 and previously has been the mayor of Mission.

In a statement released by the party on Saturday, she said the NDP is working on issues like health care and housing while the provincial Conservatives are "focusing on culture wars over the things that matter most.”

Along with losing multiple MLAs, the Conservative Party has seen multiple high profile departures of staff, including the president and executive director.

Findlay is set to host a press conference in Richmond on Monday with the B.C. Conservative caucus.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2026

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