Emily Lowan wins Saanich North and the Islands, keeping BC Greens in the legislature
Emily Lowan, 26, led in Saanich North and the Islands with 14,295 votes as of 11:37 p.m. Pacific on election night, keeping her seat as BC Green Party leader and the youngest major party leader in Canada.
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Emily Lowan led in Saanich North and the Islands with 14,295 votes as of 11:37 p.m. Pacific on October 24, 2026, according to Elections BC. Conservative candidate Ryan Windsor had 9,319 votes. BC NDP candidate Kala Bryson had 5,103 votes. CentreBC candidate Richard Smith had 683 votes. Elections BC had 98.13% of ballot boxes reporting at that time.
Lowan, 26, became BC Green Party leader in September 2025. Daily Hive described her as Canada's youngest major political party leader. CHEK News reported she succeeded Sonia Furstenau as leader and that before entering politics she was a climate activist who led a campaign at the University of Victoria to remove the school's investments from fossil fuel companies.
Her seat keeps the BC Greens in the legislature. The party's previous leader in the 2024 election was Sonia Furstenau, who held the same Saanich North and the Islands seat. CHEK News reported the riding includes North Saanich, Brentwood Bay, Sidney, and the Southern Gulf Islands.
As of 11:28 p.m. Pacific, Elections BC reported the party leading in 2 of 93 districts overall, with 194,064 votes and 11.01% of the total vote counted. A majority requires 47 districts; the Conservative Party led in 64.
Jeremy Valeriote, the BC Green candidate in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, led with 10,501 votes as of 11:37 p.m. Pacific, according to Elections BC. Conservative candidate Ayla Dumais had 8,475 votes in that district.
These results are preliminary. Elections BC says vote-by-mail, assisted telephone, and absentee ballots will be counted about two weeks after election day. The final count is set for November 6, 2026. Every vote figure in this article comes from Elections BC. Follow the count at Elections BC, which updates every few minutes. The BC provincial election news page carries each new brief as the count moves.
Questions this story answers
How many votes did Emily Lowan receive in Saanich North and the Islands?
Elections BC reported Emily Lowan leading in Saanich North and the Islands with 14,295 votes as of 11:37 p.m. Pacific on October 24, 2026, with 98.13% of ballot boxes reporting. The Conservative candidate Ryan Windsor had 9,319 votes. The BC NDP candidate Kala Bryson had 5,103 votes. CentreBC candidate Richard Smith had 683 votes. These are preliminary results and the final count is set for November 6, 2026.
How old is Emily Lowan and what is her significance?
Emily Lowan is 26 years old. Daily Hive reported she became the BC Green Party leader in September 2025 and described her as Canada's youngest major political party leader. CHEK News reported she succeeded Sonia Furstenau as leader. Her win in Saanich North and the Islands means she holds a seat in the legislature while leading her party.
What is Emily Lowan's background before politics?
CHEK News reported that before becoming BC Green Party leader, Lowan was a climate activist. The article said she led a campaign at the University of Victoria to have the school remove investments from fossil fuel companies. She succeeded Sonia Furstenau, who led the party before her, according to CHEK News.
How did Jeremy Valeriote do in his race?
Elections BC reported Jeremy Valeriote, the BC Green Party candidate in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, leading with 10,501 votes as of 11:37 p.m. Pacific. Conservative candidate Ayla Dumais had 8,475 votes. BC NDP candidate Michelle Livaja had 2,282 votes. CentreBC candidate Dan Wood had 818 votes. These are preliminary results from Elections BC. The final count is set for November 6, 2026.
How many districts does the BC Green Party lead in overall?
As of 11:28 p.m. Pacific on October 24, 2026, Elections BC reported the BC Green Party leading in 2 of 93 districts with 194,064 votes and 11.01% of the total vote counted. The Conservative Party led in 64 districts with 48.05%, and the BC NDP led in 27 districts with 37.36%. These are preliminary figures with 98.13% of ballot boxes reporting. The final count is set for November 6, 2026.
When were Lowan's votes counted and are they final?
The figures in this article come from Elections BC as of 11:37 p.m. Pacific on October 24, 2026, with 98.13% of ballot boxes reporting. Elections BC says vote-by-mail, assisted telephone, and absentee ballots will be counted about two weeks after election day. The final count is set for November 6, 2026. Lowan is listed as leading in Saanich North and the Islands, not as having won, until Elections BC finishes the final count.
Where is Saanich North and the Islands?
Saanich North and the Islands is a provincial district on Vancouver Island and the nearby Gulf Islands. CHEK News reported the riding includes North Saanich, Brentwood Bay, Sidney, and the Southern Gulf Islands. You can read more about the district on its [results page](/bc/provincial-2026/races/mla/saanich-north-and-the-islands).
Where can I follow the count as it updates?
Elections BC updates its district-by-district results at results.elections.bc.ca every few minutes. Vote totals for every candidate in every district are on the candidate results page. The final count is set for November 6, 2026. The [BC provincial election news page](/bc/provincial-2026/news) carries new briefs as the count moves.
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