In the wake of a defeated government, Christy Clark has announced she will be resigning as leader of the BC Liberals in the near future.
"The leader of our party has resigned,” wrote Sharon White, president of the BC Liberals, in a newsletter. “I know you will agree with me that Christy Clark will be recognized as a truly transformational premier."
It’s an event that will no doubt leave a mark in Squamish.
Like in much of B.C., Clark was a figure who evoked strong feelings among residents in town.
Perhaps one of the more lasting impressions she made locally resulted from her support of liquefied natural gas projects such as Woodfibre LNG, which was met by pushback among many environmentalists in the Squamish area.
However, that didn’t stop the BC Liberals from clinching a victory in the Sea to Sky riding in the election this past May.
Jordan Sturdy of the party was re-elected to represent the area, managing to get 9,600 votes, about 42 per cent.
Sturdy won the riding in 2013 by taking about 52 per cent of the vote.
While the BC Liberals managed to capture the most seats in the legislature, it was just shy of a majority, giving an NDP-Green alliance an opening to overthrow the incumbent party.
Clark’s announcement has set the stage for a search for a new leader.
“According to Section 10.3 of the BC Liberal Party Constitution, it is now my responsibility to call a meeting of the Party Executive within 28 days to set a date for and plan for a Leadership Vote,” said White in the newsletter.
The BC Liberals will be release more details in the coming weeks regarding a search for a new party leader, she said.
