---
title: "Dave Johnston: candidate for MLA in Esquimalt-Colwood, BC provincial 2026 | voche.me"
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last_updated: "2026-10-10T04:03:45.254Z"
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description: "Dave Johnston is the Conservative Party of BC candidate in Esquimalt-Colwood. He has not held elected office and did not run in the district in 2024. The p..."
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"og:title": "Dave Johnston: candidate for MLA in Esquimalt-Colwood, BC provincial 2026"
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"twitter:title": "Dave Johnston: candidate for MLA in Esquimalt-Colwood, BC provincial 2026"
---
**
MLA in Esquimalt-Colwood · BC provincial 2026
# Dave Johnston
Conservative Party of BC candidate for MLA in Esquimalt-Colwood, an electrician who led a northern BC group that backed LNG development.
Dave Johnston is the Conservative Party of BC candidate in Esquimalt-Colwood. He has not held elected office and did not run in the district in 2024. The party describes him as an electrician and a Canadian Ranger who founded The North Matters, a Kitimat group that campaigned for resource projects. voche.me found no campaign website and no 2026 policy statement from him on 2026-09-30.
Explore the record Public schedule
Researched by voche.me · Not a campaign-authored page
Conservative Party of BC2026
*Dave JohnstonMLAv.*
[Image: Conservative Party of BC](https://conservativebc.ca/candidate/dave-johnston/)
Candidate research / September 30, 2026
A researched record of Dave Johnston's candidacy in Esquimalt-Colwood. voche.me found no elected office in his record, so it found no voting record to review, and no 2026 policy statement from him was found on 2026-09-30.
**1**Commitments **1**Programs **3**News articles **12**Sources
Public schedule / Through election day
## Where can you hear Dave Johnston?
No public appearance by the candidate was confirmed on 2026-09-30. The two voting dates come from Elections BC.
Checked September 30, 2026 · All event times are Pacific time. Recheck the organizer before travelling.
- [2026 provincial election: key dates](https://elections.bc.ca/2026-provincial-election/)Official record · Elections BC
View every date through Oct 24
1. Oct 9No appearance confirmed
2. Oct 10No appearance confirmed
3. Oct 11No appearance confirmed
4. Oct 12No appearance confirmed
5. Oct 13No appearance confirmed
6. Oct 14No appearance confirmed
7. Oct 15No appearance confirmed
8. Oct 16Voting day
9. Oct 17No appearance confirmed
10. Oct 18No appearance confirmed
11. Oct 19No appearance confirmed
12. Oct 20No appearance confirmed
13. Oct 21No appearance confirmed
14. Oct 22No appearance confirmed
15. Oct 23No appearance confirmed
16. Oct 24Voting day
### Voting dates
- Oct 16Advance voting opens
- Oct 24Final Voting Day
At official British Columbia voting places. These dates apply to every voter and are not candidate appearances. [Find your voting place](https://elections.bc.ca/2026-provincial-election/where-to-vote/)
- [2026 provincial election: key dates](https://elections.bc.ca/2026-provincial-election/)Official record · Elections BC
On dates without a confirmed appearance the public schedule is unknown; the candidate may still have activities that day. This static page changes only when its research is updated.
01 / Introduction
## About Dave Johnston
Elections BC lists Dave Johnston as the Conservative Party of BC candidate in Esquimalt-Colwood. The party introduced him as its candidate in a post on X on September 27, 2026. On 2026-09-30 the Elections BC list also names Darlene Rotchford of the BC NDP, the district's sitting MLA. The Times Colonist also lists Sidney Coles of the BC Green Party.
His name is not on the 2024 results for Esquimalt-Colwood. In 2024 Darlene Rotchford won the district with 15,238 votes (51.47 percent). The Conservative candidate then, John Wilson, received 8,652 votes (29.22 percent).
The party's candidate page says he was born in Prince Rupert, grew up in Campbell River and now lives in Colwood. It says he studied at Camosun College, earned his Red Seal as an electrician from BCIT, worked at Mount Milligan and on the Rio Tinto Alcan upgrade project in Kitimat, and has served for the past ten years as a Canadian Ranger in the Canadian Armed Forces. voche.me has not checked these claims with the schools, the employers or the Department of National Defence.
The party says he founded The North Matters, a nonprofit group in Kitimat. CKPG Today reported in April 2019 that Kitimat electrician Dave Johnston had helped stage rallies for the group in several northern towns. In an October 2018 guest column in the Georgia Straight, signed as chair of the group, he wrote in support of the LNG Canada project.
The Walrus reported in March 2026 that Dave Johnston, an electrician raised on Vancouver Island, worked for the Haisla Nation Council as manager of capital projects and asset management, and quoted him on plans to protect Kitamaat Village from coastal flooding. The party says he worked with the Haisla Nation for more than three years.
Read the sources
Promises / Commitments and evidence
## Commitments and the available evidence.
Published positions and selected commitments, separated by election cycle. Status labels describe the evidence reviewed, not a numerical score or a complete audit of the platform. Council approval is different from delivery.
1 commitments shown · Checked Sep 30
Earlier term · EconomyNot established
### Support for LNG Canada (2018)
In an October 2018 guest column, signed as chair of The North Matters, he wrote that projects like LNG Canada should be considered and supported, for the jobs and tax revenue they bring to northern BC.
Evidence & next checks
- Evidence reviewed
- This is a 2018 opinion written before his candidacy. No 2026 page from him or the party repeats it, so it earns no score. It names no provincial measure, number, cost or date.
- What still needs checking
- Does his 2026 campaign state a position on LNG or other resource projects?
- [The north matters, and that's why I support the LNG Canada project](https://www.straight.com/news/1157666/david-johnston-north-matters-and-thats-why-i-support-lng-canada-project)Reporting · Georgia Straight · guest column by David Johnston
City programs / Scope and delivery
## Policies, budgets & programs
His past work comes from the party and from reporting. The one dated action is his work leading The North Matters, a group that campaigned for resource projects in northern BC.
Jan 23Reported by an independent news outlet
### Rallies for The North Matters in northern BC
CKPG Today reports that, as the founder of The North Matters, he helped stage rallies over several months in northern BC towns, including at a resource forum in Prince George on January 23.
Scope, limits and sources
The date is the Prince George event that CKPG Today names; the article was published on April 10, 2019. The group campaigned for LNG and other resource projects. It held no public office.
- [The North Matters to this Kitimat man](https://ckpgtoday.ca/2019/04/10/the-north-matters-to-this-kitimat-man-2/)Reporting · CKPG Today · Dave Branco
- [Candidate page](https://conservativebc.ca/candidate/dave-johnston/)Campaign · Conservative Party of BC
Recent appearances / Read and watch
## Talks, interviews & statements
Read original statements and reporting, or open the publisher’s video. A summary of a speech is labelled separately from a full recording.
Oct 29Statement
### Guest column in support of LNG Canada
Signed as chair of The North Matters, the column says northern towns need the jobs the LNG Canada project would bring, and that the project would lower global emissions by replacing coal in other countries.
- [The north matters, and that's why I support the LNG Canada project](https://www.straight.com/news/1157666/david-johnston-north-matters-and-thats-why-i-support-lng-canada-project)Reporting · Georgia Straight · guest column by David Johnston
Mar 10Interview
### Interviewed by The Walrus about flooding in Kitamaat Village
Speaking as the Haisla Nation Council's manager of capital projects, he described a high tide that almost flooded the village's main road and said the nation had applied for federal money for coastal protection. He said there are studies showing sea-level rise and that the community needs to prepare.
- [A BC Coastal Village Embraced Natural Gas. Can It Outrace the Consequences?](https://thewalrus.ca/lng-pipeline-canada/)Reporting · The Walrus · Monica Kidd
Accountability / Findings, disputes and responses
## Controversies & public scrutiny
Records are labelled by type, including official findings, civil proceedings and political disputes where applicable. Each entry identifies the response found in the sources and the latest status verified for this page.
No reviewed entries have been added to this section yet. This is a research gap, not a finding about the candidate.
News coverage / Original publishers
## Read the reporting
A dated reading list from independent publishers. The headings below are voche.me summaries; follow each link for the original article, context and any corrections.
September 30, 2026Reporting
Times Colonist
### Listed among Vancouver Island candidates
The newspaper's list of Vancouver Island candidates, last updated on September 30, 2026, names him as the B.C. Conservative candidate in Esquimalt-Colwood.
- [B.C. election 2026: Who's running on Vancouver Island?](https://www.timescolonist.com/2026-bc-votes/bc-election-2026-whos-running-on-vancouver-island-12828075)Reporting · Times Colonist
March 10, 2026Reporting
The Walrus · Monica Kidd
### Kitimat, LNG and coastal flooding
A magazine report on the Haisla Nation and LNG that describes his job with the Haisla Nation Council and his earlier work with The North Matters.
- [A BC Coastal Village Embraced Natural Gas. Can It Outrace the Consequences?](https://thewalrus.ca/lng-pipeline-canada/)Reporting · The Walrus · Monica Kidd
April 10, 2019Reporting
CKPG Today · Dave Branco
### The North Matters to this Kitimat man
Reports on the group he founded and the rallies it held in northern BC.
- [The North Matters to this Kitimat man](https://ckpgtoday.ca/2019/04/10/the-north-matters-to-this-kitimat-man-2/)Reporting · CKPG Today · Dave Branco
Research / 12 linked sources
## Check the evidence
Sources checked September 30, 2026. Official records establish decisions; campaign material establishes stated positions; reporting adds investigation and context. None alone establishes every claim.
Official record 3 sources
- Provincial candidate list
Elections BC
- 2026 provincial election: key dates
Elections BC
- 2024 statement of votes
Elections BC
Campaign 4 sources
- Candidate page
Conservative Party of BC
- Our Team
Conservative Party of BC
- Our Platform
Conservative Party of BC
- Post introducing the Esquimalt-Colwood candidate
Conservative Party of BC on X · September 27, 2026
Reporting 4 sources
- B.C. election 2026: Who's running on Vancouver Island?
Times Colonist
- A BC Coastal Village Embraced Natural Gas. Can It Outrace the Consequences?
The Walrus · Monica Kidd · March 10, 2026
- The North Matters to this Kitimat man
CKPG Today · Dave Branco · April 10, 2019
- The north matters, and that's why I support the LNG Canada project
Georgia Straight · guest column by David Johnston · October 29, 2018
Event listing 1 sources
- Candidate profile
VoteMate
No campaign website or personal social media account was found. No 2026 statement from him on any provincial issue was found, and the party platform page says the platform is coming soon, so no issue has a 2026 position. The party's candidate page labels him "Interim Conservative Party Leader"; the party's own team page lists him only as the Esquimalt-Colwood candidate, so voche.me does not repeat that label. His service as a Canadian Ranger, his Red Seal, his studies at Camosun College and BCIT, and his work at Mount Milligan and on the Rio Tinto Alcan project are stated by the party only; voche.me has not checked them with the Department of National Defence, the schools or the employers. A David Johnston ran for mayor of Kitimat in 2018. No page read on 2026-09-30 ties that person to this candidate, so the race is left out. The North Matters' registration as a society was not checked in the BC Registry. All-candidates meetings in the district, campaign finances and endorsements were not found on this date.
Research status
## What voche.me has checked
Evidence reviewed on 2026-09-30: the Elections BC candidate list and key dates page, the 2024 statement of votes, the party's candidate, team and platform pages, the party's post on X introducing him, his VoteMate page, and reporting from the Times Colonist, The Walrus, CKPG Today and the Georgia Straight.
No campaign website, personal social media account or 2026 policy statement from him was found on this date. The party platform page says the platform is coming soon. The only policy statement on this page is from 2018, so it earns no score. An empty section records what voche.me did not find on this date.
03 / Background
## Experience & community
2026
### Candidate for MLA, Esquimalt-Colwood
Listed by Elections BC with the affiliation Conservative.
[Elections BC candidate list](https://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/fin/GE-2026-10-24-Candidate-Website-Report.PDF)
Before 2026
### Manager of capital projects and asset management, Haisla Nation Council
Reported by The Walrus in March 2026. The party says he worked with the Haisla Nation for more than three years.
[The Walrus](https://thewalrus.ca/lng-pipeline-canada/)
2016 to 2019
### Founder and chair, The North Matters
A Kitimat nonprofit group that campaigned for LNG and other resource projects. The Walrus reports he started it in 2016. The Georgia Straight names him as its chair in 2018.
[CKPG Today](https://ckpgtoday.ca/2019/04/10/the-north-matters-to-this-kitimat-man-2/)
Past ten years, by the party's account
### Canadian Ranger, Canadian Armed Forces
Stated by the party. voche.me has not checked it with the Department of National Defence.
[Party candidate page](https://conservativebc.ca/candidate/dave-johnston/)
Earlier career
### Electrician
The party says he holds a Red Seal from BCIT and worked at Mount Milligan and on the Rio Tinto Alcan upgrade in Kitimat. CKPG Today and The Walrus describe him as an electrician.
[Party candidate page](https://conservativebc.ca/candidate/dave-johnston/)
04 / Questions & answers
## Questions for the candidate
Proposed questions for a future interview. They have not been sent to the candidate, and no answers have been supplied.
What are your three main commitments to voters in Esquimalt-Colwood, and how would you measure each one?
No response has been submitted.
Do you still hold the views on LNG and resource projects you wrote in 2018, and what would you do about them as an MLA?
No response has been submitted.
What would you change about housing costs and transit for people on the West Shore and in Esquimalt?
No response has been submitted.
### Have your own question?
Ask Dave Johnston directly. We send it to the campaign, and publish the reply here if we get one.
05 / About this page
## Questions about this page
Facts voche.me can state about Dave Johnston's page itself, answered directly rather than left blank.
Is this an official page for Dave Johnston?
No. This page is researched by voche.me from public sources, listed below, and is separate from Dave Johnston's own campaign.
What party is Dave Johnston running with?
Dave Johnston is running for MLA with Conservative Party of BC.
Does Dave Johnston currently hold public office?
Not according to this profile. voche.me has not listed a current public office for Dave Johnston.
How many sources does this Dave Johnston profile cite?
This profile lists 5 sourced references, each with the date voche.me checked it, in the Sources section below.
Why do some questions on Dave Johnston's page show no answer?
The "Questions & answers" section on this page lists questions voche.me would put to Dave Johnston in a future interview. They have not been sent yet, so the page says plainly that no answer has been supplied instead of leaving the section blank.
When is the election Dave Johnston is running in?
The 2026 British Columbia election, including the MLA race, is decided on October 24, 2026.
06 / Candidate contributions
## Space for campaign updates
### No campaign updates yet
Announcements, event details and messages can be added here, with their source and publication date. No campaign submission has been added.
## Sources & transparency
- [Elections BC · provincial candidate list ](https://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/fin/GE-2026-10-24-Candidate-Website-Report.PDF)Checked September 30, 2026
- [Conservative Party of BC · candidate page ](https://conservativebc.ca/candidate/dave-johnston/)Checked September 30, 2026
- [Elections BC · 2024 statement of votes ](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/statement-of-votes-2024-provincial-election.pdf)Checked September 30, 2026
- [The Walrus · Kitimat and the Haisla Nation ](https://thewalrus.ca/lng-pipeline-canada/)Checked September 30, 2026
- [CKPG Today · The North Matters ](https://ckpgtoday.ca/2019/04/10/the-north-matters-to-this-kitimat-man-2/)Checked September 30, 2026
Missing information does not imply a candidate’s position. [Read our editorial standards.](https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/about)
Campaign contact
## Campaign links & contact.
Find the candidate’s website, social accounts and contact information.
[Party candidate page](https://conservativebc.ca/candidate/dave-johnston/)
## View more candidates.
[All candidate spaces ](https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/candidates)
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Candidate Q&A
## Ask Dave Johnston a question.
Give your name, email and question. We send it to the campaign, and publish their answer here if we get one.
## Sitemap
See the full [sitemap](/bc/provincial-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.