All five Juan de Fuca-Malahat candidates to debate in Mill Bay on October 9
The Mill Bay Community League is hosting a free public debate for the five candidates in the Juan de Fuca-Malahat riding on Thursday, October 9, at 7 p.m. at Kerry Park Arena Lounge.
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The Mill Bay Community League is hosting a free all-candidates debate for the Juan de Fuca-Malahat riding on Thursday, October 9, at 7 p.m. at Kerry Park Arena Lounge, 1035 Shawnigan Lake Rd., Mill Bay. The event was reported by the Lake Cowichan Gazette on October 7.
All five candidates on the ballot for the riding are expected: Dana Lajeunesse of the BC NDP, David Evans of the BC Green Party, Mike Hicks of the Conservative Party of BC, Shane Friesen of OneBC, and Jeff Brown of the Christian Heritage Party of BC.
A rare chance to see all five together
Mill Bay Community League president Shane Ryan told the Gazette the event would be "the only chance for residents in the north end of the Juan de Fuca-Malahat riding to see their candidates in action."
The riding stretches south to Sooke and north to Mill Bay. Lajeunesse holds the seat as the BC NDP incumbent. Evans ran for the BC Greens in the 2024 provincial election, finishing third with 5,522 votes, or 23 per cent of the riding total, according to the Sooke News Mirror.
What happens at the debate
The format is a non-partisan public debate. Candidates will speak, and residents will be able to ask questions, according to the Gazette. No pre-registration is mentioned.
About the riding
Juan de Fuca-Malahat is one of 93 provincial ridings, each of which elects one MLA on October 24, 2026. Advance voting runs October 16 to 21. You can see all candidates and ridings at /bc/provincial-2026/races/mla.
The riding covers several communities on the south end of Vancouver Island, including Sooke, Langford, and the Malahat corridor up to Mill Bay. It is held by the BC NDP after the 2024 vote. This cycle, five parties are fielding candidates.
If you live in Juan de Fuca-Malahat, you can attend the October 9 debate at Kerry Park Arena Lounge, 1035 Shawnigan Lake Rd., Mill Bay. The event is free and open to the public. BC's voting day is October 24.
Questions this story answers
When is the Mill Bay all-candidates debate?
The debate is on Thursday, October 9, 2026, at 7 p.m. Pacific time at Kerry Park Arena Lounge, 1035 Shawnigan Lake Rd., Mill Bay. The Lake Cowichan Gazette reported the event on October 7, 2026. The debate is organized by the Mill Bay Community League and is free to attend. BC's voting day is October 24, 2026, so this debate falls 15 days before the vote.
Who is taking part in the Mill Bay debate?
Five candidates for the Juan de Fuca-Malahat riding are scheduled to take part: Dana Lajeunesse of the BC NDP (the incumbent MLA), David Evans of the BC Green Party, Mike Hicks of the Conservative Party of BC, Shane Friesen of OneBC, and Jeff Brown of the Christian Heritage Party of BC. All five are on the ballot for the October 24 vote in that riding.
Is the Mill Bay debate free to attend?
Yes. The Mill Bay Community League described the event as free and open to all members of the public. The event is at Kerry Park Arena Lounge, 1035 Shawnigan Lake Rd., Mill Bay, on October 9 at 7 p.m. No tickets or registration are mentioned in the Lake Cowichan Gazette report.
What is the Juan de Fuca-Malahat riding?
Juan de Fuca-Malahat is a provincial riding on southern Vancouver Island. It covers communities including Sooke, Mill Bay, and parts of the Malahat corridor. Each riding in BC elects one Member of the Legislative Assembly. Voting day is October 24, 2026. You can see the full list of candidates for this riding at /bc/provincial-2026/races/mla/juan-de-fuca-malahat.
Who is the current MLA for Juan de Fuca-Malahat?
Dana Lajeunesse of the BC NDP is the incumbent MLA for Juan de Fuca-Malahat. She is one of five candidates seeking the seat in the October 24, 2026 election. Her candidate page is at /bc/provincial-2026/candidates/dana-lajeunesse.
Why is this debate described as the only chance to see candidates in the north end of the riding?
Mill Bay Community League president Shane Ryan told the Lake Cowichan Gazette that the October 9 debate would be 'the only chance for residents in the north end of the Juan de Fuca-Malahat riding to see their candidates in action.' The riding stretches from Sooke in the south to Mill Bay in the north, and events closer to Sooke may not draw all five candidates together in the same location.
What format will the debate take?
The Lake Cowichan Gazette described it as a non-partisan public debate in which candidates will speak and residents can ask questions. The organizer is the Mill Bay Community League. The event is at Kerry Park Arena Lounge on October 9 at 7 p.m.
How do I find out which riding I live in before the October 24 vote?
You can find your riding and the candidates running in it at /bc/provincial-2026/races/mla. Elections BC also has a voter registration lookup at elections.bc.ca where you can enter your address to find your riding and confirm your voter registration. Voting day is October 24, 2026, and advance voting runs October 16 to 21.
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