With voters now heading to the polls on Sept. 20 for Canada's 44th election after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a snap election on Aug. 15, here's who will be running in each Burnaby riding.
The Burnaby NOW will have full coverage leading up to the election and on election night when results come in.
Any candidates that declares after this publication will be added as received.
BURNABY NORTH-SEYMOUR CANDIDATES
Terry Beech - Liberal Party of Canada (Party Leader: Justin Trudeau)
Beech is the current MP for Burnaby North-Seymour and will be looking to win a third term in the House of Commons.
In 2015, Beech finished with 36.09% of the vote (18,938) to defeat NDP candidate Carol Baird Ellan who finished with 29.61% of the vote (15,537).
In Canada's 43rd election in 2019, Beech edged out a narrow win over NDP candidate Svend Robinson.
Beech finished with 17,770 votes (35.50%) while Robinson earned 16,185 votes (32.23%).
Kelsey Shein - Conservative Party of Canada (Party Leader: Erin O'Toole)
Shein began her political involvement at UBC Okanagan in Kelowna at the grassroots stage. According to her official bio on the Conservative Party website, she then moved to Ottawa, still working for British Columbians in her role at Parliament Hill before joining the Canadian Medical Association as part of the grassroots advocacy and political team.
Previous Conservative Party candidates for Burnaby North-Seymour were Mike Little in 2015 and Heather Leung in 2019 (Leung was eventually booted as a candidate, but still appeared on the ballot).
Jim Hanson - NDP (Party Leader: Jagmeet Singh)
Jim Hanson was elected to District of North Vancouver council in 2014 and 2018 and is now trying his hand in federal politics. He also founded a personal injury law firm, according to the NDP website.
Hanson is also a Metro Vancouver Indigenous Relations Committee member, and chair of the North Vancouver Committee on Substance Abuse.
He's a former member of the North Vancouver Library Board, the North Shore Advisory Committee on Disability Issues and the North Shore Chamber of Commerce.
Bradley Nickerson - People's Party of Canada (Party Leader: Maxime Bernier)
Nickerson has been involved in medical-legal practice for nearly three decades where he analyzes and assesses forensic, financial and medical information for their probative value, according to his bio on the party website.
Nickerson also holds a Bachelor's in Business Administration (BBA) from Simon Fraser University and the Canadian Risk Manager Designation (CRM) from the Global Risk Management Institute.
He has also been involved in the Burnaby Youth Soccer Association, the Burnaby Lacrosse Association, the B.C. Soccer Development Program and the B.C. Risk and Insurance Management Association (BCRMA).
Peter Dolling - Green Party of Canada (Party Leader:Annamie Paul)
Dolling is a certified Environmental Professional (EP) with ECO Canada and a Certified Arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture, according to his campaign site.
He has a professional focus on biodiversity and urban forestry in his current role as an operations manager for a Vancouver based environmental consultancy.
According to his full bio on his website, Dolling also holds certifications with the Environmental Careers Organization (ECO) of Canada and the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).
He has been a supporter of the Green Party since the 2015 federal elections and a member since the 2019 federal election.
BURNABY SOUTH CANDIDATES
Brea Sami - Liberal Party of Canada (Party Leader: Justin Trudeau)
Sami is a designated Certified Professional Accountant and has worked in public accounting for years, according to her website.
She has also been involved in community efforts including volunteering as PAC treasurer at her children's school, championed the Burnaby chapter of KPMG Family for Literature program and mentored CPA students.
Jagmeet Singh - NDP Leader
Singh has been Burnaby South's MP for the term in the House of Commons while also leading the party.
In the last federal election, Singh won the riding easily, taking 38.90% of the vote (8,848) while also winning by seven per cent in 2019 (37.67%, 16,956 votes).
He was voted leader of the party on Oct. 1, 2017, after previous leader Tom Mulcair lost a leadership review in 2016 at a NDP convention.
During the last election in 2019, the NDP won 24 seats, losing a total of 15 seats.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lost his majority (losing 20 seats) two years ago and the Conservatives became the official opposition.
Likky Lavji - Conservative Party of Canada (Party Leader: Erin O'Toole)
The Conservative Party of Canada announced Aug. 3 they have chosen Likky Lavji as its candidate for Burnaby South.
Lavji is the founder and president of Dante Group, located in Vancouver. He has been a business owner for more than 30 years.
This is the first time Lavji is running federally.
Maureen Curran - Green Party of Canada (Party Leader: Annamie Paul)
Curran has taught science and math in Coquitlam for the past 22 years while also working with the SFU Teacher Training Program.
She is also a coordinator with Protect the Planet, Stop TMX and describes herself as a peaceful land defender. Maureen says she has spend days and nights in a tent suspended above the Brunette River Forest opposing the Trans Mountain pipeline project.
She has been raising her two boys in New Westminster and Burnaby while helping coach little league, participating in local cycling advocacy and chairing fundraisers for an accessible playground.
Martin Kendell - Independent
Martin Kendell, who ran in June's Burnaby byelection, has announced his candidacy to run as an MP candidate for Burnaby South.
During the municipal byelection in Burnaby, Kendell announced he would not accept outside monetary contributions and would fund his own campaign.
He says he will do the same for his federal campaign.
"During the Burnaby municipal byelection, I found out that it was not necessary to spend thousands of dollars to get my campaign's message out," Kendell said in an announcement.
"I found that I got the best results when I went out all over Burnaby and met people and spoke to them one-on-one, and had a chance to listen to them about their concerns about this community."
Kendell added he wanted to ensure that voters in Burnaby had a chance to pick from an independent.
"Burnaby South residents deserve an MP who will stand up for them in Ottawa about issues that matter to this community, such as finding proper solutions to provide sustainable and affordable housing in an overheated housing market.
"As well, Burnaby residents need an MP who will make sure that $10 a day child care becomes a reality in 2023, and that the federal government will make climate change an urgent priority before brutal heat domes and choking forest fires become a regular occurrence."
Marcella Williams - People's Party of Canada (Party Leader: Maxime Bernier)
Williams grew up mainly in the Lower Mainland and is a mother of three and a grandmother to four grandchildren.
She graduated from college with a BBA with Marketing Major and has been a real estate agent for 13 years and counting.
According to the party website, Williams has worked for the provincial government and a number of organizations that assist First Nation's and Metis citizens.
