OneBC candidate for MLA in Delta South, a former teacher who is also running for the Delta school board.
Jim McMurtry is the OneBC candidate in Delta South. He is also a candidate for school trustee in Delta's local election on October 17, 2026. In 2024 he ran as an Independent in Surrey-Serpentine River and received 554 votes (2.81 percent), and in 2025 he was the People's Party of Canada candidate in Cloverdale-Langley City. The Abbotsford School District dismissed him as a teacher in 2023, after a 2021 classroom discussion about residential schools, according to the North Delta Reporter. He says the dismissal was wrong, and a court petition filed for him is before the Supreme Court of British Columbia. voche.me found no public office held by him on 2026-10-02.
A researched record of Jim McMurtry's OneBC candidacy in Delta South, his school trustee campaign in Delta, his earlier provincial and federal candidacies, the dispute over his 2023 dismissal as a teacher, and the OneBC platform. voche.me found no public office held by him, and so no voting record to review, on 2026-10-02.
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 Jim McMurtry
Elections BC lists Jim McMurtry as the OneBC candidate in Delta South. On the copy of its candidate list stamped October 1, 2026 11:00:06 PM, the only other accepted candidate in the district is Jason McCormick of the BC NDP. Nominations close at 1 p.m. on October 3, 2026. The Delta Optimist reports that MLA Ian Paton is running again for the BC Conservatives; his name was not on that copy of the list. The Delta Optimist reported on October 20, 2025 that OneBC had named McMurtry as its first candidate.
In 2024 Ian Paton won Delta South for the Conservative Party with 14,491 votes (55.07 percent). Jason McCormick of the BC NDP had 11,822 votes (44.93 percent). The same statement of votes lists a Jim McMurtry as an Independent candidate in Surrey-Serpentine River, with 554 votes (2.81 percent), and the North Delta Reporter reports that this was the same person. In the 2025 federal election he was the People's Party of Canada candidate in Cloverdale-Langley City. Elections Canada's official results give him 289 votes (0.5 percent).
The City of Delta lists him as a candidate for school trustee in the local election of October 17, 2026, and the Delta Optimist lists him among the candidates who run with no local party. His school trustee campaign website says he is against land acknowledgments in schools, against what it calls political indoctrination in classrooms, and concerned about equity marking. The site also says he has asked Delta city hall to remove its plaque about the Kamloops Indian Residential School. The Delta Optimist reports, citing Elections BC, that a person can run in both elections but cannot hold a local and a provincial seat at the same time.
OneBC says he was born and raised in Toronto, is the son of a former Chief Justice of Ontario, holds a Ph.D. in educational theory from the University of Toronto, and worked as a teacher, principal and college lecturer over four decades. The North Delta Reporter, using a biography he provided, reports that he taught English, French and history in Surrey for decades and for a short time in Delta. voche.me has not checked his degree or his work history with the university or the school districts.
A court petition filed for him, as reported by the Abbotsford News, says that on May 31, 2021, while working as a substitute teacher in Abbotsford, he led a classroom discussion after a school announcement about unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. The North Delta Reporter reports that the Abbotsford School District suspended him in May 2021 and dismissed him on February 23, 2023. The Reporter quotes a district investigation report that called his comments inflammatory, inappropriate and insensitive. The Abbotsford News reports that the petition says he was also dismissed over other allegations of misconduct, which he disputes. He says he was removed for speaking truthfully about residential schools. The accountability section below sets out each stage.
Ricochet Media reported that on November 12, 2025 he appeared with OneBC leader Dallas Brodie and Frances Widdowson at an event at Thompson Rivers University that the university did not approve. Ricochet and a historian it interviewed describe the event as denial of parts of the history of residential schools.
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.
13 commitments shown · Checked Oct 2
2026 · EducationCampaign pledge
Against land acknowledgments in schools
He told the North Delta Reporter by email that he opposes land acknowledgments, compelled speech and closed debate in schools.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
He said this as a candidate for Delta school trustee. It names no rule, bill, cost or date, and voche.me found no statement on what he would change as an MLA. OneBC's priorities page also lists ending mandatory land acknowledgments in government-funded institutions.
What still needs checking
As an MLA, which provincial rule on land acknowledgments in schools would he change, and when?
Concern about pronouns and SOGI material in schools
His school trustee campaign site says he is concerned about students being called "they" on report cards, being asked for their pronouns, and sexual education through SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) material.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
This is from his school trustee campaign. It states a concern and names no rule, cost or date. OneBC's priorities page separately lists removing SOGI 123 from classrooms.
What still needs checking
As an MLA, what would he change in provincial curriculum or report card rules, and when?
His school trustee campaign site says he is concerned about equity marking and other unfair academic competition, and that merit should be the guiding principle.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
This is from his school trustee campaign. The site does not define equity marking, and it names no rule, cost or date.
What still needs checking
Which marking rule would he change, and is it set by the Province or by school districts?
OneBC's priorities page lists: repeal DRIPA, and declare UNDRIP to have no force and effect in BC. The page uses these short names and does not spell them out.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
This is the party's platform. The page does not name Jim McMurtry, and voche.me found no statement in which he repeats it.
What still needs checking
Does he support this, and what would happen to agreements already signed?
OneBC's priorities page lists: eliminate the Step Code, which the page says raises housing costs with green building requirements it calls unnecessary.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
This is the party's platform. The page does not name Jim McMurtry, and voche.me found no statement in which he repeats it.
What still needs checking
Does he support this, and what would replace the rules?
OneBC's priorities page lists: bring back standardized testing in reading, writing and mathematics, and remove SOGI 123 material from classrooms.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
This is the party's platform. The page does not name Jim McMurtry. His school trustee campaign raises concerns about SOGI material, listed above, and voche.me found no statement in which he repeats the testing pledge.
OneBC's priorities page lists: end safer supply and drug consumption programs, roll back decriminalization, and provide involuntary treatment and housing for people with severe addiction.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
This is the party's platform. The page does not name Jim McMurtry, and voche.me found no statement in which he repeats it.
What still needs checking
Does he support this, and what treatment would be offered in the district?
Approve a pipeline to the north coast (party platform)
OneBC's priorities page lists: approve a pipeline to the Port of Prince Rupert or Kitimat to move Canadian energy to foreign markets.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
This is the party's platform. The page does not name Jim McMurtry, and voche.me found no statement in which he repeats it. voche.me tagged it under climate and environment because the page sets no emission rule beside it.
What still needs checking
Does he support this, and with what conditions on emissions?
His earlier candidacies come from Elections BC and Elections Canada. His work history comes from OneBC and from reporting. voche.me found no dated public action by him in an office on 2026-10-02, so no record entry earns a score.
No reviewed entries have been added to this section yet. This is a research gap, not a finding about the candidate.
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.
Statement
Email statement on his school board run
In an email quoted by the North Delta Reporter, he said the focus of his school trustee campaign is what he calls indoctrination in schools, and that he opposes land acknowledgments, compelled speech and closed debate in schools.
Quoted in a Justice Centre release, reported by the Abbotsford News, as saying he was removed from teaching for speaking truthfully about residential schools and that he needed legal support.
Ricochet Media reports that he wore a sign repeating the statement he was dismissed for, and quotes him asking the crowd for evidence of murdered children at residential schools.
As the People's Party of Canada candidate in Cloverdale-Langley City, he listed his top priorities as creating wealth and jobs, rational spending on essential services and ending what he called woke indoctrination in schools. This is 2025 federal material.
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.
Official finding
Dismissal as a teacher and his complaint against the teachers' union
The North Delta Reporter reports that the Abbotsford School District suspended him in May 2021 and dismissed him from his on-call position on February 23, 2023. It quotes a district investigation report that called his comments about the Kamloops findings inflammatory, inappropriate and insensitive. The Abbotsford News reports that the court petition says he was also dismissed over other allegations, including not following COVID-19 safety rules. The B.C. Teachers' Federation filed a grievance for him, then decided after mediation in September 2025 not to take it to arbitration. He complained to the Labour Relations Board that the union had failed to represent him in a fair way. The board's decision list shows a decision on May 1, 2026 and a decision on his request for reconsideration on May 26, 2026.
Candidate or party response
He says he was removed from teaching for speaking truthfully about residential schools, and he disputes the other allegations, according to the Abbotsford News.
Verified status and limits
The North Delta Reporter reports that the Labour Relations Board sided with the teachers' federation in May 2026, and the Justice Centre says the board upheld the union's decision. voche.me could not open the board's decision files.
Lawyers funded by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms filed a petition asking the Supreme Court of British Columbia to review the Labour Relations Board decision. The petition argues that a union must consider rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms when it decides whether to take a grievance forward.
Candidate or party response
He says he is grateful for the legal support. The Abbotsford News reported that it had asked the Abbotsford School District for comment.
Verified status and limits
The Justice Centre says the petition remains before the court, and that a hearing will be scheduled after the parties exchange the board record and sworn statements. voche.me found no court ruling on 2026-10-02.
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.
Reporting
Delta Optimist
Named as OneBC's first candidate
Reports that OneBC named him its first candidate, to run in Delta South, and quotes the party release and leader Dallas Brodie.
Reports that he appeared with Dallas Brodie and Frances Widdowson at an unapproved event at Thompson Rivers University on November 12, 2025. The outlet and a historian it interviewed describe the event as residential school denial.
Reports his school trustee candidacy, quotes his email, and sets out his dismissal, the union grievance, the board decision and his earlier candidacies.
Reports that he is running in the provincial election in Delta as well as for school trustee, and that Ian Paton and Jason McCormick are running in Delta South.
Names him among 15 trustee candidates at the September 28 forum and reports that the October 1 forum was cancelled after two people died at a ceremony in Tsawwassen.
Sources checked October 2, 2026. Official records establish decisions; campaign material establishes stated positions; reporting adds investigation and context. None alone establishes every claim.
Surrey Now-Leader (Cloverdale Reporter) · April 14, 2025
His campaign website, jimmcmurtry.com, is for the Delta school trustee race and does not describe his provincial campaign; its events page links two news reports about his OneBC candidacy. His X account, @JimMcMurtry01, is linked from the OneBC candidates page. X shows posts only after sign-in, so voche.me used nothing from it. OneBC says he holds a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto and is the son of a former Chief Justice of Ontario; voche.me has not checked these with the university or another record. His teaching history comes from OneBC and from a biography he gave the North Delta Reporter, and voche.me has not checked it with the school districts. The Labour Relations Board lists two 2026 decisions in his case, but the decision files opened only through a script, so voche.me could not read them; their outcome is taken from the North Delta Reporter and the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms. voche.me found no published response from the Abbotsford School District to the court petition on 2026-10-02. The Delta Optimist reports that Ian Paton is running for the BC Conservatives in Delta South, but his name was not on the Elections BC list stamped October 1, 2026 11:00:06 PM; nominations close at 1 p.m. on October 3. No 2026 all-candidates meeting for the provincial race in Delta South was found on this date. The school trustee forum on October 1 was cancelled. His positions on the OneBC platform beyond schools, his campaign finances and his endorsements were not found. The questionnaire has not been sent.
Research status
What voche.me has checked
Evidence reviewed on 2026-10-02: the Elections BC candidate list, the 2024 statement of votes, Elections BC's page of key dates, Elections Canada's 2025 results, the City of Delta's list of local candidates, the Labour Relations Board's list of decisions, OneBC's candidate, candidates, home and priorities pages, his school trustee campaign site, and reporting from the Delta Optimist, the North Delta Reporter, the Abbotsford News, the Western Standard, Ricochet Media and the Cloverdale Reporter.
His campaign website is for the school trustee race. His statements on schools come from that race and are marked as such. The OneBC priorities page does not name him, so its pledges are listed as the party's. An empty section records what voche.me did not find on this date.
03 / Background
Experience & community
2026
OneBC candidate, Delta South
Listed by Elections BC with the affiliation OneBC. Named by OneBC as its first candidate in October 2025, according to the Delta Optimist.
OneBC says he worked as a teacher, principal and college lecturer over four decades. The North Delta Reporter reports that the Abbotsford School District dismissed him from an on-call teaching position on February 23, 2023.
Proposed questions for a future interview. They have not been sent to the candidate, and no answers have been supplied.
Which of OneBC's priorities would you work on first for Delta South?
No response has been submitted.
What would you change in provincial school rules, and by when?
No response has been submitted.
If you win both races, which seat would you keep?
No response has been submitted.
Have your own question?
Ask Jim McMurtry 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 Jim McMurtry's page itself, answered directly rather than left blank.
Is this an official page for Jim McMurtry?
No. This page is researched by voche.me from public sources, listed below, and is separate from Jim McMurtry's own campaign.
What party is Jim McMurtry running with?
Jim McMurtry is running for MLA with OneBC.
Does Jim McMurtry currently hold public office?
Not according to this profile. voche.me has not listed a current public office for Jim McMurtry.
How many sources does this Jim McMurtry profile cite?
This profile lists 6 sourced references, each with the date voche.me checked it, in the Sources section below.
Why do some questions on Jim McMurtry's page show no answer?
The "Questions & answers" section on this page lists questions voche.me would put to Jim McMurtry 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 Jim McMurtry 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.
