RCMP Sgt. Elenore Sturko named as B.C. Liberal candidate in Surrey South byelection

Photo: CTV Vancouver

An RCMP sergeant and spokesperson for the Surrey, B.C., detachment is now the candidate for the British Columbia Liberal Party in a pending byelection.

Elenore Sturko, who is currently on leave from the RCMP, will represent the Liberals when the byelection is called in Surrey South.

Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon says in a statement that he is committed to building a team with diverse backgrounds, and Sturko's experience on the front lines of the opioid crisis is an "outstanding example."

Sturko says in a statement that she's ready to bring "fresh ideas and a new perspective to Victoria" on behalf of the riding.

The byelection follows the departure of Liberal Stephanie Cadieux, who resigned last month to become Canada's first chief accessibility officer.

Elections BC has said a byelection must be called no later than Oct. 28 and Sturko says in the statement that she is ready to run as soon as the New Democrat government chooses a date.

“From the rising cost of living, to increased crime, to the failure to deliver on needed mental health services, life is worse off in Surrey under the NDP," Sturko says in the statement.

She and her wife, Melissa, are raising her three children in Surrey, where Sturko has served for years with the Mounties. Before joining the RCMP, she worked in media production and as a reservist with the Canadian Forces.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2022.