Students in the Central Okanagan, and across Canada, had a different take on the April 28 federal election.
More than 900,000 elementary, intermediate, and high school students participated in Student Vote Canada, a parallel election timed with the 2025 federal vote.
Students elected a Conservative minority government, with the Liberal Party forming the official opposition. The Conservatives won 165 seats, and Pierre Poilievre won in the riding of Carleton, ON. The Liberals won 145 seats, with Mark Carney securing Nepean, ON.
The Bloc Québécois won 18 seats, and Yves-François Blanchet held his seat in Beloeil—Chambly, QC. The NDP won 13 seats, but leader Jagmeet Singh lost in Burnaby South, B.C. The Green Party won two seats. Jonathan Pedneault lost in Outremont, QC, and Elizabeth May retained Saanich—Gulf Islands.
In the Central Okanagan, students sent Conservative Tracy Gray back to Ottawa with 322 more votes than Liberal Stephen Fuhr in Kelowna. Conservative Dan Albas held off Liberal Juliette Sicotte by 508 votes in Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna.
In the actual election, Fuhr reclaimed his seat from Gray, having previously served from 2015 to 2019. Albas was re-elected to a fifth term.
Nationally, voters elected a Liberal minority government with 168 seats. The Conservative Party became the Official Opposition with 144 seats. The Bloc Québécois won 23 seats, the NDP dropped to seven, and the Green Party held just one. Both Singh and Pedneault lost their ridings. Singh has since announced he will step down as NDP leader.
On May 2, MP-elect Damien Kurek (Battle River–Crowfoot, Alta.) announced his resignation to allow Poilievre to contest a by-election. He lost his Carleton riding by about 4,000 votes to Liberal newcomer Bruce Fanjoy, with more than 90 candidates on the ballot.
Kurek had defeated his Liberal opponent by a margin of 53,502 votes to 7,482.
Student Vote is an initiative of CIVIX, a non-partisan Canadian charity dedicated to strengthening democracy through civic education.
