--- title: "Vernon-Lumby: candidates, history and census, BC provincial 2026 | voche.me" canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/races/mla/vernon-lumby" last_updated: "2026-10-10T04:05:33.346Z" meta: description: "4 candidates in Vernon-Lumby for the BC provincial 2026 election. The history of the area, every result since 2009, past MLAs and the 2021 census profile." "og:description": "4 candidates in Vernon-Lumby for the BC provincial 2026 election. The history of the area, every result since 2009, past MLAs and the 2021 census profile." "og:title": "Vernon-Lumby: candidates, history and census, BC provincial 2026" "twitter:description": "4 candidates in Vernon-Lumby for the BC provincial 2026 election. The history of the area, every result since 2009, past MLAs and the 2021 census profile." "twitter:title": "Vernon-Lumby: candidates, history and census, BC provincial 2026" --- ** MLA · BC PROVINCIAL 2026 # Vernon-Lumby.
4 candidates, one seat. This district elects one MLA. Voters mark one name on Saturday, October 24, 2026, and the candidate with the most votes wins the seat. Vernon-Lumby is a provincial electoral district in the North Okanagan of British Columbia. It takes in the City of Vernon, Silver Star Provincial Park and the communities east of the city, among them Lumby, Blue Springs, Trinity Valley and Mabel Lake. The 2021 census counted 57,375 people, and the Electoral Boundaries Commission gives its area as 1,265 square kilometres. ## The candidates In alphabetical order [MLA · Vernon-Lumby**BC Green Party**

Blair Visscher

On the official list. Research to come.Explore the profile ](https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/blair-visscher) [![Chantel Gibbs, from the OneBC candidate page.](https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/images/candidates/chantel-gibbs-640.webp)MLA · Vernon-Lumby**OneBC**

Chantel Gibbs

Researched by voche.meExplore the profile ](https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/chantel-gibbs) [![Harwinder Sandhu, from her BC NDP campaign page.](https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/images/candidates/harwinder-sandhu-640.webp)MLA · Vernon-Lumby**BC NDP**

Harwinder Sandhu

Researched by voche.meExplore the profile ](https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/harwinder-sandhu) [![Kevin Acton, from the Conservative Party of BC candidate page.](https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/images/candidates/kevin-acton-640.webp)MLA · Vernon-Lumby**Conservative Party of BC**

Kevin Acton

Researched by voche.meExplore the profile ](https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/kevin-acton)
People, 2021 census
57,375
Area
1,265 km²
Registered voters, 2024
45,810
Turnout, 2024
60.65%
Median age
49.2
Median household income, 2020
$75,500
THE DISTRICT ## Where Vernon-Lumby is 1,265 km² · 57,375 people Vernon-Lumby lies in the North Okanagan. The Canadian Encyclopedia places the City of Vernon in the North Okanagan Valley between Okanagan, Kalamalka and Swan lakes. The Electoral Boundaries Commission's 2023 final report says the district includes Vernon and Silver Star Provincial Park, as well as communities east of the city such as Lumby, Blue Springs, Trinity Valley and Mabel Lake. The report says the riding follows the municipal boundary of the City of Vernon on the west and Electoral Area D of the Regional District of North Okanagan to the north and east. The Regional District's own list names that area as Area D (Rural Lumby). The commission counts 57,423 people in the district, a deviation of 6.8% from the average district population, and gives its area as 1,265 square kilometres. The land rises from the valley floor toward the mountains. BC Parks places Silver Star Park 22 kilometres northeast of Vernon, reached by turning off Highway 97 onto 48th Avenue and following Silver Star Road. The Encyclopedia of British Columbia places Lumby 25 kilometres east of Vernon on Highway 6, in the foothills of the Monashee Mountains, and the Village of Lumby gives its elevation as 495 metres. BC Geographical Names records Blue Springs just east of Lumby, Trinity Valley between Vernon and the south end of Mabel Lake, and Mabel Lake northeast of Vernon. Elections BC divides the district into 85 voting areas. In 2024 people voted at 13 places inside it, among them the Vernon Rec Centre, Vernon Sec School and the Mabel Lake Comm Hall. The commission moved the Monashee area, including Cherryville, out of the district, and it moved Coldstream into Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream. - Vernon - Lumby - Blue Springs - Trinity Valley - Mabel Lake - Silver Star Provincial Park Sources: [British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/BCEBC-Final-Report-April-3-2023.pdf), [The Canadian Encyclopedia (opens in a new tab)](https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/vernon), [Regional District of North Okanagan (opens in a new tab)](https://www.rdno.ca/yourneighbourhood), [BC Parks (opens in a new tab)](https://bcparks.ca/silver-star-park/), [Encyclopedia of British Columbia, Harbour Publishing (opens in a new tab)](https://www.knowbc.com/limited/Books/Encyclopedia-of-BC/L/Lumby), [Village of Lumby (opens in a new tab)](https://lumby.ca/statistical-information/), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/6722.html), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/22950.html), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/12195.html), [Elections BC (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/44914a35-de9a-4830-ac48-870001ef8935) HISTORY ## The history of the area Checked Thursday, October 8, 2026 ### Syilx and Secwépemc territory The Okanagan Nation Alliance uses the name Syilx Okanagan Nation for the people it represents. Its website says the traditional Syilx territory includes the Okanagan Indian Band, that the Syilx people share one language, nsyilxcən, and that the land is theirs because no treaty has been negotiated. It adds that reserves were set up in the early 1900s over the opposition of the Syilx people, who wanted a treaty first. The Okanagan Indian Band describes itself as part of the Okanagan Nation, located at the head of Okanagan Lake in Vernon, with reserves that total 11,282 hectares. Its Territorial Stewardship Division says it works under Syilx laws to protect the lands, waters and cultural heritage of Band territory. The Vernon Museum writes the Syilx name for the head of the lake as Nk’maplqs. On its about page Splatsin calls itself the southernmost tribe of the Secwépemc Nation. Its story page lists Cqlqin (Mabel Lake) among its village sites from before European settlers arrived. It also names Swa7will (Shuswap Falls) near Lumby as a shared fishing place, where Splatsin controlled the fishing to the north and allowed the Okanagan people to fish above the falls. Splatsin writes that it still holds the title to that area. The Electoral Boundaries Commission heard that people of the Okanagan Indian Band's Okanagan 1 reserve would prefer a Vernon riding. Its report keeps that reserve in Salmon Arm-Shuswap, because other Band reserves lie there and a move would have added to the population of Vernon-Lumby. Sources: [Okanagan Nation Alliance (Syilx Okanagan Nation) (opens in a new tab)](https://syilx.org/about/), [Okanagan Nation Alliance (Syilx Okanagan Nation) (opens in a new tab)](https://syilx.org/about/history/), [Okanagan Indian Band (opens in a new tab)](https://www.okib.ca/about/), [Okanagan Indian Band (opens in a new tab)](https://www.okib.ca/services/territorial-stewardship/), [Splatsin (opens in a new tab)](https://splatsin.ca/your-government/about), [Splatsin (opens in a new tab)](https://splatsin.ca/your-government/story), [Greater Vernon Museum and Archives (opens in a new tab)](https://vernonmuseum.ca/exhibits/vernon-serves/), [British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/BCEBC-Final-Report-April-3-2023.pdf) ### Priest's Valley becomes Vernon, 1884 to 1892 BC Geographical Names records that the Priest Valley post office opened on 1 November 1884 and was renamed Vernon on 1 November 1887. The place had been called Priest's Valley because the priests of the Okanagan Mission, set up in 1860, had a station there. A blacksmith's shop on Price Ellison's farm also gave it the name Forge Valley. The Canadian Encyclopedia says a townsite called Centreville was laid out in 1885 and renamed Vernon in 1887 for Forbes George Vernon, who became chief commissioner of Lands and Works for British Columbia. BC Geographical Names gives 30 December 1892 as the date Vernon was incorporated as a city. The Encyclopedia says the Shuswap and Okanagan Railway reached Vernon from Sicamous in 1891, and that an extension to Okanagan Landing allowed the launch of the first Canadian Pacific sternwheeler on Okanagan Lake, the Aberdeen, in 1893. It dates the start of fruit growing to the early 1890s and gives the city's 2021 census population as 44,519. Sources: [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/22451.html), [The Canadian Encyclopedia (opens in a new tab)](https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/vernon) ### White Valley becomes Lumby, 1862 to 1955 The Lumby Historical Society dates the first settlement to 1862, when Louis Christien called the area Bull Meadows. The Society says the area was later renamed for Peter Bessette, with 1877 as its estimate, and in 1889 it became White Valley. BC Geographical Names says the White Valley post office opened on 1 August 1889 and was renamed Lumby on 1 February 1894, for Moses Lumby, who settled in the district in 1870 and was government agent at Vernon from 1891 to 1893. Sources differ on the townsite. The Encyclopedia of British Columbia says Louis Morand and Quinn Faulkner laid it out in 1888 and that it was renamed in 1892. The Historical Society gives 1892 on its governance page and 1893 on its economic development page. BC Geographical Names gives 20 December 1955 for incorporation as a village, and the Historical Society gives December 22, 1955. The Village of Lumby gives its 2021 census population as 2,063, up from 1,833 in 2016. Sources: [Lumby Historical Society (Community Stories, Digital Museums Canada) (opens in a new tab)](https://www.communitystories.ca/v2/lumbys-pioneers_pionniers-de-lumby/?p=251), [Lumby Historical Society (Community Stories, Digital Museums Canada) (opens in a new tab)](https://www.communitystories.ca/v2/lumbys-pioneers_pionniers-de-lumby/story/governance/), [Lumby Historical Society (Community Stories, Digital Museums Canada) (opens in a new tab)](https://www.communitystories.ca/v2/lumbys-pioneers_pionniers-de-lumby/story/economic-development/), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/11520.html), [Encyclopedia of British Columbia, Harbour Publishing (opens in a new tab)](https://www.knowbc.com/limited/Books/Encyclopedia-of-BC/L/Lumby), [Village of Lumby (opens in a new tab)](https://lumby.ca/statistical-information/) ### Blue Springs, Trinity Valley and Mabel Lake, 1892 to 1942 BC Geographical Names records that the Blue Springs post office opened on 1 October 1892 and closed on 1 February 1896. The name comes from a nearby spring whose water looks blue in the small basin it has worn in the ground. Trinity Valley was named in the early 1890s by James H. Christie, who settled at the foot of Mabel Lake in 1892. Its post office was open from 1 December 1909 to 3 December 1942. The Names Office records that Charles E. Perry, a Canadian Pacific Railway survey engineer, named Mabel Lake in the 1870s for Mabel Hope Charles, the eldest child of the Hudson's Bay Company manager William Charles, and that the Geographic Board of Canada adopted the lake's name on 31 March 1924. The Mabel Lake post office opened on 1 January 1904 and closed on 31 January 1956. The Encyclopedia of British Columbia says Lumby became the trading centre for the surrounding forest industry and ranching districts, among them Mabel Lake and Trinity Valley. Sources: [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/6722.html), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/22950.html), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/12195.html), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/12192.html), [Encyclopedia of British Columbia, Harbour Publishing (opens in a new tab)](https://www.knowbc.com/limited/Books/Encyclopedia-of-BC/L/Lumby) ### Silver Star: mining claims, skis and a park, 1896 to 1984 The Vernon Museum says the Syilx people used the mountain for generations, with foot trails to its hunting and foraging grounds. BC Parks also records hunting and berry picking by the Indigenous people of the region, with evidence of overnight camps from berry season when the park was classified. Settlers called the peak Aberdeen Mountain for Lord Aberdeen, governor general from 1893 to 1898. The museum says the Silver Star Mining Company marked out the earliest claim in 1896, with the rancher Cornelius O’Keefe as president, that shares sold for $1.00 each, and that the ore was too low in grade to work at a profit. It says mining ended in the 1920s, with 1926 as its estimate. BC Parks writes that claims were registered in the early 1900s and that there has been no activity since the late 1940s. BC Geographical Names says the mountain became Silver Star Mountain on 6 June 1952, the name in local use. The museum says two skiers made the first ascent in 1921, the Silver Star Ski Club formed in 1938, and the first downhill race was held that December. It says the park was designated a Provincial Recreation Area in 1978, and that in 1984 the 5 km Aberdeen Trail joined Sovereign Lake to the summit. Sources: [Greater Vernon Museum and Archives (opens in a new tab)](https://vernonmuseum.ca/silver-star-mining-company/), [Greater Vernon Museum and Archives (opens in a new tab)](https://vernonmuseum.ca/silver-stars-pioneers/), [Greater Vernon Museum and Archives (opens in a new tab)](https://vernonmuseum.ca/the-rise-of-cross-country-skiing-at-silver-star/), [BC Parks (opens in a new tab)](https://bcparks.ca/silver-star-park/), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/20474.html) ### The military camp and the internment camp, 1911 to 1920 The Vernon Museum says the Okanagan militia unit called the 30th BC Horse formed in 1908, with squadrons from Vernon, Lumby, Coldstream, Armstrong, Enderby and Kelowna. In 1911 the City of Vernon leased land to the Department of National Defence at no cost for a summer training camp, and the museum dates the camp to 1912, on Mission Hill. In June 1913 it drew 800 soldiers from across British Columbia, and the museum counts 3500 men there by 1915. On Sept. 18, 1914, the Vernon Internment Camp opened on the site of what is now MacDonald Park. The museum gives 1100, a rounded figure, as the number of men, women and children who passed through its gates, most of them of Austro-Hungarian and German descent. The camp closed in February 1920, and the museum says some people stayed imprisoned for several months after the Armistice. In 2015 the Vernon and District Family History Society completed a headstones and monument project that uncovered information about the 11 men who died in the camp. Sources: [Greater Vernon Museum and Archives (opens in a new tab)](https://vernonmuseum.ca/exhibits/vernon-serves/), [Greater Vernon Museum and Archives (opens in a new tab)](https://vernonmuseum.ca/the-vernon-internment-camp/) ### Japanese Canadians in Vernon, 1942 to 1968 The Vernon Museum says the federal government ordered Japanese Canadian men aged 18 to 45 out of a protected zone on the British Columbia coast in 1942, and a few months later extended the order to every Japanese man, woman and child in that zone. Vernon had no internment camp in the Second World War. Even so, hundreds of Japanese Canadians were forced to move there, in part because the Okanagan Security Committee asked for interned Japanese men to work in orchards against their will. In 1967 the local Japanese community gave the City of Vernon the Japanese Gardens in Polson Park, a Canada Centennial project. The museum says a committee raised $5,257, work began in September 1966 and the gardens were unveiled on June 24, 1967. The Chinese community gave the Chinese Pagoda as part of the same project. The Canadian Encyclopedia says Okanagan College was created in 1968. Sources: [Greater Vernon Museum and Archives (opens in a new tab)](https://vernonmuseum.ca/japanese-relocation/), [Greater Vernon Museum and Archives (opens in a new tab)](https://vernonmuseum.ca/the-japanese-gardens-in-polson-park/), [The Canadian Encyclopedia (opens in a new tab)](https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/vernon) ### The railway to Lumby, 1925, and the Monashee Community Forest The Lumby Historical Society cites a 1909 report that a trip from Lumby to Vernon, a distance of 24 kilometres, could take five hours. A railway line from Vernon was laid out in 1919 and the roadbed was built in 1925, when trains began regular trips to Lumby with lumber, hay and farm produce. The Society writes that by the 1950s Lumby's sawmills made and shipped more product than the mills of Kamloops and Kelowna combined. The Monashee Community Forest LLP was registered in October 2012 as an equal partnership between the Village of Lumby and Splatsin, which takes part through its organization Yucwmenlucwu (Caretakers of the Land). The Province issued its Community Forest Licence on April 10, 2013, and the first harvest followed that year. The Village gives its gross area as 7,411 hectares and its annual allowable cut as 21,595 cubic metres. Sources: [Lumby Historical Society (Community Stories, Digital Museums Canada) (opens in a new tab)](https://www.communitystories.ca/v2/lumbys-pioneers_pionniers-de-lumby/story/transportation/), [Lumby Historical Society (Community Stories, Digital Museums Canada) (opens in a new tab)](https://www.communitystories.ca/v2/lumbys-pioneers_pionniers-de-lumby/story/economic-development/), [Village of Lumby (opens in a new tab)](https://lumby.ca/monashee-community-forest/) THE SEAT ## Who has held the seat Legislative Assembly records, 39th Parliament onward The name Vernon-Lumby first appears at the 2024 provincial general election. The Electoral Boundaries Commission's final report of April 2023 renamed Vernon-Monashee after it moved the Monashee area, including Cherryville, out of the district, and wrote that the new name reflects the geographic area the riding will represent. The commission also wrote that it heard concerns that its preliminary report split the City of Vernon between three districts, and that its final report places the city in one. Elections BC's conversion table matches the district's 85 voting areas to the 2017 to 2024 districts: 84 in Vernon-Monashee and 1 in Shuswap. Elections BC's volume for 1987 to 2001 prints a district called Okanagan-Vernon at the 1991 election, where Lyall Hanson of Social Credit won with 8,615 votes (37.99%). The same volume notes that he sat as a member of the Reform Party as of 11 May 1994, while the legislature's records list him under the Social Credit Party. April Sanders of the BC Liberal Party won Okanagan-Vernon in 1996 with 9,776 votes (39.06%), and Tom Christensen of the same party won it in 2001 with 13,868 votes (56.51%). The 2002 to 2013 volume prints Christensen's win in 2005 with 11,566 votes (43.20%), and Eric Foster of the BC Liberal Party winning Vernon-Monashee in 2009 with 9,015 votes (37.27%). Foster won again in 2013 and 2017. In 2020 Harwinder Sandhu of the BC NDP won Vernon-Monashee with 10,222 votes (36.56%), against 9,798 (35.05%) for Foster. In 2024 Harwinder Sandhu of the BC NDP won Vernon-Lumby with 11,837 votes (42.69%). Dennis Giesbrecht of the Conservative Party received 11,361 votes (40.97%), Kevin Acton, with no party affiliation, 4,266 (15.38%) and Robert Johnson of the Libertarian Party 265 (0.96%). Turnout was 60.65% of 45,810 registered voters. The legislature's member records list Sandhu as the BC NDP member for Vernon-Lumby in the 43rd Parliament, dated from 18 February 2025 to 22 September 2026. The legislature's website says the 43rd Parliament was dissolved on September 22, 2026, and that a provincial general election will be held on October 24, 2026. Sources: [British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/BCEBC-Final-Report-April-3-2023.pdf), [Elections BC (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/1987-2001-ElectionHistory.pdf), [Elections BC (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2002-2013-ElectionHistory.pdf), [Elections BC (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/44914a35-de9a-4830-ac48-870001ef8935), [Elections BC (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/statement-of-votes-2024-provincial-election.pdf), [Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (opens in a new tab)](https://www.leg.bc.ca/members) Members for Vernon-Lumby | Parliament | It sat | Member | Elected as | Party on the legislature’s record | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 43rd | 2025 to 2026 | Harwinder Sandhu | BC NDP | BC NDP | Members for Vernon-Monashee, which covered 84 of this district’s 85 voting areas before 2024 | Parliament | It sat | Member | Elected as | Party on the legislature’s record | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 42nd | 2020 to 2024 | Harwinder Sandhu | BC NDP | BC NDP | | 41st | 2017 to 2020 | Eric Foster | | BC Liberal Party | | 40th | 2013 to 2017 | Eric Foster | | BC Liberal Party | | 39th | 2009 to 2013 | Eric Foster | | BC Liberal Party | “Elected as” is the affiliation Elections BC printed with the winning result. The last column is the party the legislature’s records give for that parliament, which differs when a member changed party while in office. A row with that column empty is a winner Elections BC prints whom the legislature’s records leave out. Source: [Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (opens in a new tab)](https://www.leg.bc.ca/members) ### Boundaries since 2024 Vernon-Lumby has 85 voting areas. They overlap these districts from 2017 to 2024: Vernon-Monashee (84), Shuswap (1). The commission that drew the boundaries counted 57,423 people in the district, 6.8% above the average for a district, over 1,265 km². Sources: [British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission, Final report, April 3, 2023 (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/BCEBC-Final-Report-April-3-2023.pdf), [Elections BC, Voting area conversion table, 2017 to 2024 (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/fb26db04-780c-4229-a147-da4fd5311d36) PAST RESULTS ## Every result since 2009 From Elections BC
**2024 Provincial General Election**Harwinder Sandhu, BC NDP, 42.69% | Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Harwinder SandhuElected | BC NDP | 11,837 | 42.69% | | Dennis Giesbrecht | Conservative Party | 11,361 | 40.97% | | Kevin Acton | No affiliation | 4,266 | 15.38% | | Robert Johnson | Libertarian | 265 | 0.96% | 27,729 valid votes · 56 rejected ballots · 45,810 registered voters · 60.65% voted
### Vernon-Monashee, 2009 to 2020
**2020 General Election**Harwinder Sandhu, BC NDP, 36.56% | Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Harwinder SandhuElected | BC NDP | 10,222 | 36.56% | | Eric Foster | BC Liberal Party | 9,798 | 35.05% | | Keli Westgate | BC Green Party | 4,464 | 15.97% | | Kyle Delfing | Conservative | 3,472 | 12.42% | 27,956 valid votes · 96 rejected ballots
**2017 General Election**Eric Bailey Foster, BC Liberal Party, 47.87% | Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Eric Bailey FosterElected | BC Liberal Party | 13,625 | 47.87% | | Barry Charles Dorval | BC NDP | 8,355 | 29.36% | | Keli Westgate | BC Green Party | 6,139 | 21.57% | | Don Jefcoat | Libertarian | 341 | 1.20% | 28,460 valid votes · 105 rejected ballots
**2013 General Election**Eric Bailey Foster, BC Liberal Party, 46.34% | Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Eric Bailey FosterElected | BC Liberal Party | 12,503 | 46.34% | | Mark Steven Olsen | BC NDP | 9,233 | 34.22% | | Scott Anderson | Conservative | 3,169 | 11.75% | | Rebecca Helps | BC Green Party | 1,905 | 7.06% | | Korry Zepik | Independent | 169 | 0.63% | 26,979 valid votes · 77 rejected ballots
**2009 General Election**Eric Bailey Foster, BC Liberal Party, 37.27% | Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Eric Bailey FosterElected | BC Liberal Party | 9,015 | 37.27% | | Mark Steven Olsen | BC NDP | 7,698 | 31.83% | | Huguette Marie Allen | BC Green Party | 4,029 | 16.66% | | Dean Skoreyko | Conservative | 1,972 | 8.15% | | Gordon Campbell | No affiliation | 1,397 | 5.78% | | RJ Busch | BC Refed | 76 | 0.31% | 24,187 valid votes · 213 rejected ballots
The boundaries changed before the 2009, 2017 and 2024 elections, so a result under the same name can cover a different area. Sources: [Elections BC, Provincial Voting Results (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/44914a35-de9a-4830-ac48-870001ef8935), [Statement of Votes, 2024 Provincial General Election (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/statement-of-votes-2024-provincial-election.pdf) PEOPLE · 2021 CENSUS ## Who lives in Vernon-Lumby 57,375 residents · British Columbia beside each figure ### Age
Median age
49.2BC 42.8
- Under 1514.0%BC 14.3% - 15 to 6458.8%BC 65.3% - 65 and over27.2%BC 20.3% - 85 and over4.2%BC 2.4% ### Households
Households
24,895
People per household
2.2BC 2.4
#### Who lives together - Couples with children18.4%BC 22.7% - Couples without children30.6%BC 26.4% - One-parent families7.8%BC 7.6% - Multigenerational households2.3%BC 3.7% - People living alone31.4%BC 29.4% #### Household size - 1 person31.5%BC 29.4% - 2 persons39.3%BC 35.3% - 3 persons12.9%BC 14.5% - 4 persons10.0%BC 12.6% - 5 or more persons6.3%BC 8.2% ### Homes
Median home value
$548,000BC $785,000
Median monthly rent and utilities
$1,150BC $1,370
Median monthly cost for owners
$1,070BC $1,320
#### Own or rent - Own their home69.8%BC 66.8% - Rent their home30.2%BC 32.8% #### Type of home - Single-detached house53.8%BC 42.4% - Semi-detached house6.9%BC 3.1% - Row house8.6%BC 8.3% - Apartment or flat in a duplex7.9%BC 12.2% - Apartment in a building that has fewer than five storeys19.6%BC 20.4% - Apartment in a building that has five or more storeys1.4%BC 10.9% - Other single-attached house0.3%BC 0.2% - Movable dwelling1.6%BC 2.5% #### When the home was built - 1960 or earlier11.8%BC 12.5% - 1961 to 198032.8%BC 27.0% - 1981 to 199011.8%BC 14.2% - 1991 to 200017.9%BC 16.5% - 2001 to 20055.7%BC 6.0% - 2006 to 20107.3%BC 8.0% - 2011 to 20154.4%BC 6.6% - 2016 to 20218.3%BC 9.1% ### Housing costs - Renters paying 30% or more of income on housing40.4%BC 37.8% - Owners paying 30% or more of income on housing14.9%BC 19.3% - Renters in core housing need14.4%BC 24.7% - Owners in core housing need3.0%BC 8.0% - Renters in subsidized housing11.6%BC 11.0% - Owners with a mortgage56.0%BC 57.5% ### Income Income is for the year 2020.
Median household income
$75,500BC $85,000
After tax
$68,000BC $76,000
Median income per person
$38,800BC $40,800
#### Living on a low income (after-tax measure) - All ages10.9%BC 10.8% - Under 1811.2%BC 11.3% - 18 to 649.0%BC 9.7% - 65 and over14.8%BC 13.8% ### Languages #### First language learned - English88.0%BC 67.1% - German2.3%BC 1.0% - French1.2%BC 1.2% - Punjabi (Panjabi)0.9%BC 4.9% - Russian0.7%BC 0.6% - Dutch0.6%BC 0.4% - Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino)0.6%BC 1.7% - Spanish0.4%BC 1.2% - Ukrainian0.4%BC 0.1% - Korean0.2%BC 1.2% #### Spoken most often at home - English95.6%BC 78.5% - Punjabi (Panjabi)0.7%BC 3.8% - German0.5%BC 0.1% - Russian0.4%BC 0.3% - French0.3%BC 0.3% - Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino)0.2%BC 0.9% - Arabic0.1%BC 0.3% - Japanese0.1%BC 0.2% #### English and French - English only93.7%BC 90.1% - English and French6.0%BC 6.6% - Neither English nor French0.4%BC 3.3% ### Immigration
Born outside Canada (immigrants)
11.9%BC 29.0%
Non-permanent residents
0.9%BC 3.5%
#### Where immigrants were born - United Kingdom19.7%BC 8.2% - Germany10.9%BC 2.2% - United States of America9.3%BC 4.2% - India6.0%BC 13.8% - Philippines5.9%BC 9.2% - Netherlands5.0%BC 1.1% - Oceania and other places of birth3.3%BC 2.3% - Poland2.9%BC 1.0% - China2.3%BC 15.3% - South Africa, Republic of2.2%BC 1.1% #### When immigrants arrived - Arrived before 198042.0%BC 19.7% - 1980 to 199011.0%BC 11.5% - 1991 to 200010.6%BC 21.0% - 2001 to 201017.5%BC 22.2% - 2011 to 202118.8%BC 25.6% #### Generations in Canada - First generation13.8%BC 33.7% - Second generation19.3%BC 21.7% - Third generation or more67.0%BC 44.5% ### Identity and origins
Indigenous identity
7.3%BC 5.9%
Visible minority
7.1%BC 34.4%
#### Visible minority groups - South Asian2.1%BC 9.6% - Filipino1.0%BC 3.5% - Chinese0.9%BC 11.2% - Japanese0.6%BC 0.9% - Black0.6%BC 1.3% - Southeast Asian0.6%BC 1.5% - Latin American0.4%BC 1.3% - Arab0.3%BC 0.6% - Multiple visible minorities0.2%BC 1.2% - Korean0.2%BC 1.5% - Visible minority (other)0.1%BC 0.4% - West Asian0.1%BC 1.4% #### Ethnic or cultural origins reported most often - English29.7%BC 20.7% - Scottish22.3%BC 15.8% - German19.9%BC 11.0% - Irish17.8%BC 12.8% - Canadian13.0%BC 9.3% - French9.9%BC 6.4% - Ukrainian8.1%BC 4.3% - Dutch5.9%BC 3.9% - Norwegian4.7%BC 2.8% - British Isles4.6%BC 3.9% ### Religion - No religion56.0%BC 52.1% - Christian40.5%BC 34.3% - Other religions1.0%BC 1.0% - Muslim0.8%BC 2.6% - Sikh0.7%BC 5.9% - Buddhist0.4%BC 1.7% - Hindu0.4%BC 1.7% - Jewish0.2%BC 0.5% - Traditional Indigenous spirituality0.0%BC 0.2% ### Education Highest level completed, ages 25 to 64. - No certificate, diploma or degree10.2%BC 8.0% - High school diploma30.8%BC 25.8% - College, trades or other certificate below a bachelor’s degree39.6%BC 31.2% - Bachelor’s degree or higher19.3%BC 35.0% ### Work
In the labour force
57.1%BC 63.3%
Employed
52.2%BC 57.9%
Unemployment rate at the census
8.5%BC 8.4%
#### Industries with the most workers - Retail trade15.2%BC 11.6% - Health care and social assistance14.8%BC 12.3% - Construction11.0%BC 9.0% - Accommodation and food services7.6%BC 7.0% - Manufacturing7.5%BC 5.9% - Professional, scientific and technical services6.1%BC 9.2% - Educational services5.9%BC 7.4% - Other services (except public administration)4.7%BC 4.4% #### Kinds of work - Sales and service occupations29.6%BC 25.6% - Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations20.7%BC 18.0% - Business, finance and administration occupations13.6%BC 17.1% - Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services9.7%BC 11.9% - Health occupations9.2%BC 7.7% - Natural and applied sciences and related occupations5.4%BC 8.0% - Occupations in manufacturing and utilities4.4%BC 3.4% - Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations3.7%BC 2.8% - Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport2.7%BC 4.2% - Legislative and senior management occupations1.0%BC 1.2% ### Getting to work #### Where people worked - Worked at home14.8%BC 22.6% - Worked outside Canada0.3%BC 0.4% - No fixed workplace address16.9%BC 15.3% - Worked at a usual workplace68.0%BC 61.6% #### How commuters travelled - Car, truck or van88.3%BC 79.9% - Public transit1.4%BC 9.3% - On foot6.4%BC 6.5% - Bicycle1.3%BC 2.0% - Other method2.6%BC 2.3% #### Length of the trip - Less than 15 minutes48.5%BC 31.8% - 15 to 29 minutes30.6%BC 34.0% - 30 to 44 minutes11.7%BC 19.7% - 45 to 59 minutes4.4%BC 7.3% - 60 minutes and over4.7%BC 7.2% ### Moving Where residents lived five years before the census. - Lived at the same address52.5%BC 56.2% - Moved within the same municipality15.7%BC 16.1% - Moved from elsewhere in BC22.3%BC 17.0% - Moved from another province7.4%BC 4.6% - Moved from another country2.1%BC 6.1% Counts in the census are rounded to the nearest 5, and shares are worked out from those counts. Source: [BC Stats, from Statistics Canada tabulations, 2021 Census Profile for BC Provincial Electoral Districts (2023 Redistribution) (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/census-profiles-for-bc-provincial-electoral-districts) QUESTIONS ## Questions about Vernon-Lumby 10 answers ### Where is Vernon-Lumby? Vernon-Lumby is a provincial electoral district in the North Okanagan of British Columbia. The Electoral Boundaries Commission's 2023 final report says it includes the City of Vernon and Silver Star Provincial Park, with communities east of the city such as Lumby, Blue Springs, Trinity Valley and Mabel Lake. The commission gives its area as 1,265 square kilometres and counts 57,423 people in it. ### Which communities are in Vernon-Lumby? Vernon-Lumby includes the City of Vernon and the Village of Lumby, with Blue Springs, Trinity Valley and Mabel Lake, according to the commission's 2023 final report. It also takes in Silver Star Provincial Park. Elections BC's 2024 results file lists a voting place called the Mabel Lake Comm Hall inside the district. The Monashee area, including Cherryville, was moved out of it in 2023. ### Who is the MLA for Vernon-Lumby? Harwinder Sandhu of the BC NDP won Vernon-Lumby in 2024, and the legislature lists him as its member in the 43rd Parliament, dated from 18 February 2025. That Parliament was dissolved on September 22, 2026. Before 2024 Sandhu held Vernon-Monashee from 2020, and Eric Foster of the BC Liberal Party held that district from 2009 to 2020, according to the legislature's records. ### How did Vernon-Lumby vote in 2024? Harwinder Sandhu of the BC NDP won Vernon-Lumby in 2024 with 11,837 votes (42.69%). Dennis Giesbrecht of the Conservative Party received 11,361 votes (40.97%), Kevin Acton, with no party affiliation, 4,266 (15.38%) and Robert Johnson of the Libertarian Party 265 (0.96%). Turnout was 60.65% of 45,810 registered voters, according to Elections BC. ### How did the boundaries of Vernon-Lumby change in 2023? The Electoral Boundaries Commission moved the Monashee area, including Cherryville, out of Vernon-Monashee and renamed the district Vernon-Lumby. It moved Coldstream into Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream and placed the City of Vernon in one district. Elections BC's conversion table matches 84 of the 85 voting areas of Vernon-Lumby to Vernon-Monashee and 1 to Shuswap. ### Who lives in Vernon-Lumby? The 2021 census counted 57,375 people in Vernon-Lumby, with a median age of 49.2 against 42.8 for British Columbia. People aged 65 and over make up 27.2% of residents, against 20.3% in the province. English is the first language of 88% and German of 2.3%, and 7.3% of residents identified as Indigenous. ### Whose traditional territory is Vernon-Lumby on? The Okanagan Nation Alliance says the traditional Syilx territory includes the Okanagan Indian Band, which places itself at the head of Okanagan Lake in Vernon. Splatsin, the southernmost tribe of the Secwépemc Nation by its own description, names Cqlqin (Mabel Lake) as a village site and Swa7will (Shuswap Falls) near Lumby as a fishing place. The commission kept the Band's Okanagan 1 reserve in Salmon Arm-Shuswap. ### How did Lumby get its name? Lumby, in Vernon-Lumby, is named for Moses Lumby, who settled in the district in 1870 and was government agent at Vernon from 1891 to 1893, according to BC Geographical Names. The White Valley post office opened on 1 August 1889 and was renamed Lumby on 1 February 1894. Lumby became a village municipality in December 1955. ### What happened at Vernon during the First World War? Vernon, the largest community in Vernon-Lumby, hosted a military training camp on Mission Hill, which the Vernon Museum dates to 1912. The Vernon Internment Camp opened on Sept. 18, 1914, on the site of what is now MacDonald Park, and closed in February 1920. The museum says 11 men died in the camp. ### What is the history of Silver Star in Vernon-Lumby? Silver Star Provincial Park in Vernon-Lumby lies 22 kilometres northeast of Vernon, according to BC Parks. The Vernon Museum says the Silver Star Mining Company marked out the mountain's earliest claim in 1896 and that the Silver Star Ski Club formed in 1938. BC Geographical Names records that the mountain became Silver Star Mountain on 6 June 1952. SOURCES ## Where this page comes from Figures read Thursday, October 8, 2026 1. [2021 Census Profile for BC Provincial Electoral Districts (2023 Redistribution) (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/census-profiles-for-bc-provincial-electoral-districts)BC Stats, from Statistics Canada tabulations · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 2. [Provincial Voting Results (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/44914a35-de9a-4830-ac48-870001ef8935)Elections BC · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 3. [Statement of Votes, 2024 Provincial General Election (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/statement-of-votes-2024-provincial-election.pdf)Elections BC · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 4. [Voting area conversion table, 2017 to 2024 (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/fb26db04-780c-4229-a147-da4fd5311d36)Elections BC · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 5. [Final report, April 3, 2023 (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/BCEBC-Final-Report-April-3-2023.pdf)British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 6. [Members of the Legislative Assembly, 35th to 43rd Parliament (opens in a new tab)](https://www.leg.bc.ca/members)Legislative Assembly of British Columbia · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 7. [Final report, April 3, 2023 (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/BCEBC-Final-Report-April-3-2023.pdf)British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 8. [Electoral History of British Columbia, Supplement, 1987 to 2001 (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/1987-2001-ElectionHistory.pdf)Elections BC · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 9. [Electoral History of British Columbia, Supplement, 2002 to 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2002-2013-ElectionHistory.pdf)Elections BC · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 10. [Provincial Voting Results (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/44914a35-de9a-4830-ac48-870001ef8935)Elections BC · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 11. [Statement of Votes, 2024 Provincial General Election (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/statement-of-votes-2024-provincial-election.pdf)Elections BC · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 12. [Members of the Legislative Assembly (opens in a new tab)](https://www.leg.bc.ca/members)Legislative Assembly of British Columbia · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 13. [About ONA (opens in a new tab)](https://syilx.org/about/)Okanagan Nation Alliance (Syilx Okanagan Nation) · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 14. [History (opens in a new tab)](https://syilx.org/about/history/)Okanagan Nation Alliance (Syilx Okanagan Nation) · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 15. [About Us (opens in a new tab)](https://www.okib.ca/about/)Okanagan Indian Band · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 16. [Territorial Stewardship (opens in a new tab)](https://www.okib.ca/services/territorial-stewardship/)Okanagan Indian Band · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 17. [About (opens in a new tab)](https://splatsin.ca/your-government/about)Splatsin · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 18. [Story (opens in a new tab)](https://splatsin.ca/your-government/story)Splatsin · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 19. [Your Neighbourhood (opens in a new tab)](https://www.rdno.ca/yourneighbourhood)Regional District of North Okanagan · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 20. [Vernon, BC Geographical Names record (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/22451.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 21. [Lumby, BC Geographical Names record (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/11520.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 22. [Blue Springs, BC Geographical Names record (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/6722.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 23. [Trinity Valley, BC Geographical Names record (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/22950.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 24. [Mabel Lake, BC Geographical Names record (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/12195.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 25. [Mabel Lake locality, BC Geographical Names record (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/12192.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 26. [Silver Star Mountain, BC Geographical Names record (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/20474.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 27. [Silver Star Park (opens in a new tab)](https://bcparks.ca/silver-star-park/)BC Parks · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 28. [Vernon (opens in a new tab)](https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/vernon)The Canadian Encyclopedia · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 29. [Lumby, Encyclopedia of British Columbia (opens in a new tab)](https://www.knowbc.com/limited/Books/Encyclopedia-of-BC/L/Lumby)Encyclopedia of British Columbia, Harbour Publishing · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 30. [The Settlement of Lumby (opens in a new tab)](https://www.communitystories.ca/v2/lumbys-pioneers_pionniers-de-lumby/?p=251)Lumby Historical Society (Community Stories, Digital Museums Canada) · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 31. [Governance (opens in a new tab)](https://www.communitystories.ca/v2/lumbys-pioneers_pionniers-de-lumby/story/governance/)Lumby Historical Society (Community Stories, Digital Museums Canada) · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 32. [Economic Development (opens in a new tab)](https://www.communitystories.ca/v2/lumbys-pioneers_pionniers-de-lumby/story/economic-development/)Lumby Historical Society (Community Stories, Digital Museums Canada) · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 33. [Roads and Railways (opens in a new tab)](https://www.communitystories.ca/v2/lumbys-pioneers_pionniers-de-lumby/story/transportation/)Lumby Historical Society (Community Stories, Digital Museums Canada) · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 34. [Statistical Information (opens in a new tab)](https://lumby.ca/statistical-information/)Village of Lumby · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 35. [Monashee Community Forest (opens in a new tab)](https://lumby.ca/monashee-community-forest/)Village of Lumby · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 36. [Silver Star Mining Company (opens in a new tab)](https://vernonmuseum.ca/silver-star-mining-company/)Greater Vernon Museum and Archives · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 37. [Silver Star's Pioneers (opens in a new tab)](https://vernonmuseum.ca/silver-stars-pioneers/)Greater Vernon Museum and Archives · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 38. [The Rise of Cross-Country Skiing at Silver Star (opens in a new tab)](https://vernonmuseum.ca/the-rise-of-cross-country-skiing-at-silver-star/)Greater Vernon Museum and Archives · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 39. [Vernon Serves (opens in a new tab)](https://vernonmuseum.ca/exhibits/vernon-serves/)Greater Vernon Museum and Archives · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 40. [The Vernon Internment Camp (opens in a new tab)](https://vernonmuseum.ca/the-vernon-internment-camp/)Greater Vernon Museum and Archives · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 41. [Japanese-Canadian Relocation During WWII (opens in a new tab)](https://vernonmuseum.ca/japanese-relocation/)Greater Vernon Museum and Archives · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 42. [The Japanese Gardens in Polson Park (opens in a new tab)](https://vernonmuseum.ca/the-japanese-gardens-in-polson-park/)Greater Vernon Museum and Archives · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 ## Official information From Elections BC Your district ### [Check which district an address is in](https://elections.bc.ca/resources/maps/find-your-district/) Look up your address to be sure this district is yours. [Look it up (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/resources/maps/find-your-district/) Candidates ### [The official candidate list](https://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/fin/GE-2026-10-24-Candidate-Website-Report.PDF) The list this page is built from, published by Elections BC. [Open the list (opens in a new tab)](https://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/fin/GE-2026-10-24-Candidate-Website-Report.PDF) Voting ### [Where and when to vote](https://elections.bc.ca/2026-provincial-election/where-to-vote/) Voting places and hours for general voting day and advance voting. [Find your voting place (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/2026-provincial-election/where-to-vote/) ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/bc/provincial-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.