National NewSwatch | BC Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau Stepping …

Furstenau says she never strived to be an elected official but leaves her role as leader of the provincial’s third party and feel a great sense of achievement

She was first chosen to represent Cowichan Valley in 2017, but could not win a seat in the legislature last October last year when she changed ridings and ran in Victoria.

Furstenau, who is 54 years old, says after the election that she would stay as a leader to help the two newly elected green members, Jeremy Valeriote and Rob Botterell, navigate the prospect of having the balance of power in the legislature.

But a number of stories refused to the Greens that Power and David Eby’s NDP got away with 47 seats and a majority with one seat.

Valeriote will now act as a temporary leader until a new leader can be elected.

The Greens were first elected to the BC legislator in 2017, when its three members kept the balance of power in the NDP government’s minority government.

Furstenau became a party leader in 2020, shortly before the then premiere John Horgan called a mid-pandemic election and won re-election.

This report was first published on January 28, 2025.