Media Release

For immediate release 16/09/2015

Contact: Kai Nagata 778-829-6493

Liberals make gains, NDP loses support, a mixed bag for Greens

BURNABY – Fresh telephone polls conducted in seven local ridings in British Columbia show NDP and Liberal candidates as preferred choices, with the Conservatives holding steady or growing their support.

The polling, conducted by Insights West for the Dogwood Initiative, comprises interviews with 2,107 residents of North and South Vancouver Island, Metro Vancouver, the Sea-to-Sky corridor, the South Okanagan and the Kootenays.

“The New Democrats are holding on to the lead in four of the seven ridings, but the Conservatives have improved their standing over the past few weeks,” said Mario Canseco, Vice President of Public Affairs at Insights West. “In the North Shore of the Lower Mainland, the Liberal Party is definitely gaining traction.”

This is the second time Insights West has polled in these ridings this year. A third wave of interviews will be conducted ahead of the federal election Oct. 19. See the results for each riding (links removed as site no longer accessible):

Burnaby North–Seymour

Courtenay–Alberni

Esquimalt–Saanich–Sooke

North Vancouver

South Okanagan–West Kootenay

Vancouver South

West Vancouver–Sunshine Coast–Sea-to-Sky Country

These polls are part of the information being offered by Dogwood Initiative’s nonpartisan “Vote BC” campaign, which aims to increase voter turnout in British Columbia. Visitors to VoteBC.ca can also find detailed survey responses from their local candidates and maps of past election results.

Dogwood Initiative brings together more than 250,000 British Columbians around issues of democracy, civil rights and environmental stewardship. Through innovative, neighbourhood-based campaigns, Dogwood’s 3,000-person volunteer team works to re-engage citizens in politics and build local power.

The results included in this release are based on a telephone study conducted from Sept. 9 to Sept. 13, 2015, among:

302 adult residents of the West Vancouver–Sunshine Coast–Sea-to-Sky Country riding
297 adult residents of the North Vancouver riding
301 adult residents of the Burnaby North–Seymour riding
303 adult residents of the Vancouver South riding
301 adult residents of the Courtenay–Alberni riding
300 adult residents of the Esquimalt–Saanich–Sooke riding
303 adult residents of the South Okanagan–West Kootenay riding

The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error – which measures sample variability – is +/-5.6 percentage points for each riding, 19 times out of 20.

For further information, please contact:

Mario Canseco
Vice President, Public Affairs, Insights West
778-929-0490
mariocanseco@insightswest.com

Kai Nagata
Energy & Democracy Director, Dogwood Initiative
778-829-6493
kai@dogwoodbc.ca