North Island debate: three candidates speak on health care, affordability and education
Sara Lopez, Benjamin Olsson and Richard Lambert answered questions at the Tidemark Theatre in Campbell River on October 16. Anna Kindy did not attend.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on northislandgazette.com.
Three of the four North Island candidates answered voters' questions at the Tidemark Theatre in Campbell River on the evening of October 16, one week before voting day. Sara Lopez (BC NDP), Benjamin Olsson (BC Green Party) and Richard Lambert (Independent) took part in the debate. Conservative candidate Anna Kindy did not attend, according to the North Island Gazette.
The Campbell River and District Chamber of Commerce, the Campbell River Mirror and the Tidemark Theatre Society co-hosted the event.
Health care
Lambert said he would expand the current recruitment pipeline, improve retention bonuses and add local medical training seats. He said he wants to stop emergency room closures in communities including Port Hardy, Port McNeill and Alert Bay.
Lopez said the BC NDP is moving forward with a Campbell River long-term care home and an urgent and primary care centre in Fort Hardy. She said her party has recruited more than 800 health care professionals from the United States and plans to triple that number, while training more doctors through a new SFU medical school.
Olsson said his party would establish community health centres across the province, with an emphasis on the North Island. He said the centres would include salaried physicians, which he said many physicians prefer because they can focus on patient care rather than running a business.
Affordability and housing
Lopez said the BC NDP would cut gasoline prices by up to 30 cents per litre and cap grocery prices on items including bread, eggs, chicken and milk. She also said the party would ban surveillance pricing and open competition for smaller grocery stores.
Olsson said his party commits to building 26,000 housing units this year. He said the BC Greens would implement vacancy control, so landlords could not raise rents when a tenant leaves. He also said his party would restart the ten-dollar-a-day childcare plan, which he described as having stalled.
Lambert said seniors need housing that keeps them close to family and home communities, instead of being moved long distances for care.
Education
Lambert said the provincial funding model is failing students and called for more classroom support staff, educational assistants and speech pathologists in classrooms. He said small schools in communities like Port McNeill and Port Hardy deserve the same support as those in larger centres.
Lopez said she is raising neurodivergent learners and said more support for neurodivergent students is needed. She said Conservative governments previously closed 250 schools and fought teachers in court over class sizes.
Olsson said his party would eliminate the inclusive education funding gap and review the per-pupil funding formula to build a model based on the actual costs and resource needs of each school district.
When to vote
Voting day is Saturday, October 24, 2026. Advance voting in North Island is open through October 21. You can find your polling location through Elections BC at elections.bc.ca. Candidate profiles for all four North Island candidates are at /bc/provincial-2026/races/mla/north-island.
Questions this story answers
Who took part in the North Island debate on October 16?
Three of the four North Island candidates took part: Sara Lopez for the BC NDP, Benjamin Olsson for the BC Green Party, and Richard Lambert as an Independent. The debate was held at the Tidemark Theatre in Campbell River on the evening of October 16, 2026, according to the North Island Gazette. Conservative candidate Anna Kindy did not attend.
Why did Anna Kindy not attend the debate?
The North Island Gazette report on the October 16 debate does not give a reason for Conservative candidate Anna Kindy's absence. The article notes she did not attend. The debate was organized by the Campbell River and District Chamber of Commerce, the Campbell River Mirror and the Tidemark Theatre Society.
What did candidates say about health care?
Sara Lopez (BC NDP) said the party is moving forward with a Campbell River long-term care home and an urgent and primary care centre in Fort Hardy, and has recruited more than 800 health care professionals from the United States. Benjamin Olsson (BC Greens) said his party would establish community health centres and introduce salaried physicians. Richard Lambert (Independent) said he would expand recruitment pipelines, improve retention bonuses, and address gaps in communities such as Port Hardy and Port McNeill, according to the North Island Gazette.
What did candidates say about affordability?
Sara Lopez (BC NDP) said her party would cap prices on essentials including bread, eggs, chicken and milk, and cut gasoline prices by up to 30 cents per litre. Benjamin Olsson (BC Greens) said his party commits to building 26,000 housing units this year, implementing vacancy control so landlords cannot raise rents between tenancies, and restarting the ten-dollar-a-day childcare plan. Richard Lambert (Independent) said seniors should have suitable housing near family rather than being moved far from home, according to the North Island Gazette.
What did candidates say about education?
Richard Lambert (Independent) said the provincial funding model is failing students and called for more specialized support staff in classrooms and proportional resources for small schools such as those in Port McNeill and Port Hardy. Sara Lopez (BC NDP) said she is raising neurodivergent learners and emphasized the need for better support for neurodivergent students. Benjamin Olsson (BC Greens) said his party would eliminate the inclusive education funding gap and review the per-pupil funding formula, according to the North Island Gazette.
Where can I watch the North Island debate?
The North Island Gazette article says a recording of the October 16 debate is available on the Campbell River and District Chamber of Commerce YouTube channel. A livestream was also broadcast through the Tidemark Theatre website on the evening of October 16.
When is voting day in the North Island district?
Voting day for the BC provincial election, including the North Island district, is Saturday, October 24, 2026. Advance voting is open from October 16 to 21. You can find your voting place through Elections BC at elections.bc.ca.
Where can I find the North Island candidate profiles?
Profiles for all four North Island candidates are on this site. You can compare them at the North Island district page at /bc/provincial-2026/races/mla/north-island. Sara Lopez, Benjamin Olsson, Richard Lambert and Anna Kindy each have a profile page linked from that district page.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- North Island Gazette: North Island candidates speak on key local, provincial issues during debatenorthislandgazette.com
- Elections BC: 2026 provincial election key dateselections.bc.ca
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