White Rock councillor Ernie Klassen will make a bid for provincial office this fall.
Klassen announced today he is going to run for MLA with BC United in the next provincial election, scheduled for Oct. 19.
Klassen, who was elected to council in 2022, will run in the 性视界传媒-South riding currently occupied by former BC United Elenore Sturko, who crossed the floor to join the Conservatives on June 3. (Sturko will run for the Conservatives in 性视界传媒-Cloverdale.)
Klassen told Peace Arch News that, if elected, he intends to retain his White Rock council seat.
"I've checked into it, and it is perfectly acceptable for someone to occupy both seats," he said.
"Since I'm still living in White Rock, I don't think I'd want to cause a by-election at this time.
"I believe that having the double role would give me a little more weight in trying to get more help for the city, and would be beneficial to all residents in the 性视界传媒-South area," he added.
Klassen said that while seeking provincial office was not something he had anticipated doing, that, after receiving encouragement to run, he realized "I would love to do this."
"My feeling is that anything that is to the betterment of the riding, is also to the betterment of the city."
Klassen said he also want to run because of what he views as a current drift toward political extremes in the province.
"I believe we need a middle-of-the-road party 鈥� we've got an extreme right and an extreme left, and I don't believe that is good either for business or the residents of the community," he said.
"From my perspective BC United offers the best option 鈥� I feel the other parties have gone too far to the left or to the right, and I think people will see that and see that BC United represents the best interests of the general population."
Abbotsford-raised, Klassen is a child of a farming family who came to B.C. as refugees after the Second World War. He is the owner and operator of the Ashberry and Logan floral business, which he originally started in Vancouver in 1997.
He has a strong record of community involvement, including volunteering work and donating time and merchandise to various worthy causes, and was founder and operator of the Fraser Valley Child Development Centre. He also worked with the White Rock Business Improvement Association for seven years, as both treasurer and president and is past president of White Rock Pride.
Klassen lives in White Rock with his husband, Michael, and has a large family of siblings, as well as three children, their spouses and two grandchildren.
