Capital Daily for Wednesday, September 23

David Eby went to Government House on Tuesday and asked the lieutenant-governor to dissolve the legislature, sending B.C. to the polls on Oct. 24. That's a Saturday, exactly one week after Greater Victoria picks its councils and mayors on Oct. 17.

Eby framed the snap call around Donald Trump, calling the trade war an "existential moment" for the province. "When you smell smoke you don't sit and wait to see what happens next," he said outside Government House. His government holds a one-seat majority and isn't due for an election until 2028.

The timing lands hard on local campaigns already underway. The Union of BC Municipalities asked Eby to wait until after the municipal vote, warning only the loudest voices would be heard. Some local candidates eyeing provincial seats have already dropped out of their council races.

The call also caught the B.C. Conservatives mid-collapse. Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay quit Sunday after months of defections, and seven CentreBC MLAs rejoined the Conservative fold Monday. Findlay's own husband, MLA Brent Chapman, left the party Tuesday to join OneBC.

The line an independent investigator kept coming back to: Coun. Kim Jordison wondered aloud whether she "would…be able to get a better deal on a piece of property because [she was] a councillor."

That's from the Fairness Advisor's report, which found Jordison breached Colwood's code of conduct by talking with a developer's representative about buying into a proposed development while council was actively considering the application in 2024. She should have declared a conflict and recused herself, the report says. Jordison disputes it, calling her remarks ordinary comments about a "nice" neighbourhood with no real plan behind them.

Council censured her. She loses her committee appointments and can't serve as acting mayor for 24 months. The investigation, report and legal advice have cost Colwood $124,233 so far, paid from its legal budget.

Then the city released a second, older file. After the 2023 Eats and Beats event, Jordison went after a resident who'd complained about her social media conduct, seeking his personal information and filing a complaint with his employer. That resident is a police officer. The 2024 report called it "intimidating and harassing." Jordison is running for re-election on Oct. 17.