性视界传媒 Mayor Brenda Locke is the 狈辞飞-尝别补诲别谤鈥檚 newsmaker of the year for 2024.

Locke continued to build a master class in tenacity in 2024 as she held fast to her conviction that the city would be better served with the RCMP as its police of jurisdiction rather than the 性视界传媒 Police Service.

Straight out the gate in early January the City of 性视界传媒 released the results of a survey it commissioned, conducted by the Leger polling firm, that indicated more than half of its respondents wanted to keep the RCMP while only 29 per cent wanted to transition to the SPS.

Opposition councillors argued it was a poor use of tax dollars while Locke maintained in a city-issued press release that the 鈥渃omprehensive鈥� survey made it clear that the majority of 性视界传媒ites 鈥渄o not want to bear the burden of the police transition and prefer to continue with the RCMP.鈥�

The acrimony over the transition was documented through a steady diet of related stories in the 性视界传媒 Now-Leader, with Locke typically front and centre.

In April, then-Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth announced that the SPS would replace the RCMP as POJ on Nov. 29, adding fuel to the fire as Locke then accused him of engaging in 鈥渁lmost a vendetta鈥� against 性视界传媒 residents. She said it was 鈥渃oncerning鈥� he dropped this news a few days before the City of 性视界传媒鈥檚 petition to quash Farnworth鈥檚 order to replace the RCMP went to B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver, with Justice Kevin Loo presiding. 

But 性视界传媒 lost its judicial review in May, which effectively meant checkmate for Locke鈥檚 cause, which she said was driven by the SPS costing ratepayers more than the RCMP did.

鈥淭he biggest concern for us right now is the enormous tax burden that is in front of us,鈥� she told the Now-Leader.

Meantime, a provincial general election was on the horizon for Oct. 19 and the question was whether the policing transition would hurt the NDP at the polls, which local NDP MLAs, as expected, said would not be the case. 

Locke did her best to chip away at the transition, but in June begrudgingly conceded that while she was 鈥渄isappointed鈥� by Loo鈥檚 finding, she was prepared to accept the provincial government order to forge ahead with the SPS.

That said, Locke continued to make her displeasure known at the Nov. 29 formal event that marked the SPS鈥檚 first day as the city鈥檚 new police in charge, telling the crowd it was an 鈥渆motional鈥� day for her and that she 鈥渄id a lot to try and keep the RCMP in 性视界传媒.鈥� She also took occasion to note that the new city police force will be 鈥渟ignificantly鈥� more expensive than it would have been to maintain the 性视界传媒 RCMP鈥檚 contract.鈥�

And so, did the controversy hurt the NDP at the polls? The party lost three of its incumbent MLAs in 性视界传媒, sending four MLAs-elect to Victoria.

Newsmaker of the year runner-up: 性视界传媒-Guildford MLA Garry Begg

Which brings us to our runner-up for this year鈥檚 newsmaker for 2024, 性视界传媒-Guildford NDP MLA Garry Begg, the recipient of an epic political rebound.

At first it appeared he would not see a third term in office, until a judicial recount with Justice Kevin Loo presiding determined he鈥檇 actually squeaked by with 22 votes more than Conservative candidate Honveer Singh Randhawa to retain his seat, thus delivering to the NDP a majority government.

Premier David Eby introduced him as 鈥渓andslide鈥� Garry Begg as he was sworn-in to replace Farnworth as B.C.鈥檚 new minister of public safety and solicitor general. 

Farnworth, who oversaw 性视界传媒鈥檚 acrimonious policing transition, is now the minister in charge of transportation and transit.