Leonard Krog gives victory speech in Nanaimo, could weaken NDP’s grasp on power

Krog’s win will trigger a provincial byelection when he gives up his provincial seat. (File Photo: BC NDP/Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

VANCOUVER – New Democrat legislator Leonard Krog has given a mayoral victory speech in Nanaimo, B.C., putting the provincial government’s precarious hold on power into question.

Krog’s win will trigger a provincial byelection when he gives up his provincial seat.

It won’t be enough to tip the balance of power to the Liberals’ favour against an NDP minority government that’s propped up by the Greens, but it would bring it to the brink.

The Liberals have 42 seats in the house, the New Democrats 41, including Krog, the Greens have three seats and there is one Independent.

Results continue to come in from local elections held across British Columbia Saturday.

In Vancouver, former NDP MP Kennedy Stewart and local entrepreneur Ken Sim have been in a neck-and-neck race to fill a void left by Mayor Gregor Robertson, who did not seek re-election.

Former firefighter Mike Hurley has unseated five-term Mayor Derek Corrigan in Burnaby, while former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum succeeded in making a comeback to replace Linda Heppner, who did not run.

McCallum campaigned on a platform to replace the RCMP with a local police force and nix plans for a light rail transit line that recently received federal funding.

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps won a second term despite facing nine challengers and some controversies during the campaign, including her government’s decision to remove a sculpture of John A. Macdonald from the entrance of city hall.