Skip to content

NDP wins the student vote in the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows school district

3,787 votes cast in the local student election
26579337_web1_210922-MRN-CF-student-vote-results-Westview_2
Parteek Gidda and Ashmeet Panag, Grade 12 students at Westview secondary, were just some of the student volunteers that participated in the student votes event. (SD42/Special to The News)

If the decision were up to students in the riding of Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge, the NDP would have came out on top in this year’s federal election.

According to Student Vote Canada, 19 schools across SD42 participated in the vote that saw 3,787 ballots cast in the student election – and federal NDP candidate Phil Klapwyk came out on top.

Klapwyk captured 1,468 of the ballots cast, about 39 per cent of the vote.

Marc Dalton, the incumbent with the Conservative Party of Canada received 867 votes, about 23 per cent of the vote.

From there Ahmed Yousef came third receiving 787 votes, 21 per cent; Juliuss Hoffmann with the People’s Party of Canada garnered 269 votes, about seven per cent; Peter Buddle with the Rhinoceros Party got 264 votes, a little less than seven per cent; and Steve Ranta, an independent candidate got 132 votes, just less than four per cent.

Klapwyk spoke to students at two local elementary schools about the federal election, something all local candidates were invited to do, and he also participated in a debate at Thomas Haney Secondary School.

He said the questions he was asked from students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 were outstanding and he found there was a lot of political awareness by the younger generations surrounding climate change and the environment.

One child asked him what he was going to do to protect the salmon.

“Kids were asking questions I barely got asked at the doorsteps of adults who had been following the campaign,” he said.

As of 5 p.m. on Sept. 21, 778,856 votes were reported from 5,738 schools, with results reported from all 338 federal electoral districts across the country.

Nationally, the student vote chose the federal Liberal Party, but only gave them 117 seats and 24 per cent of the popular vote, to form a minority government. Justin Trudeau won in his seat in the riding of Papineau, QC.

The NDP would form the official opposition with 105 seats and 29 per cent of the popular vote. Jagmeet Singh won his seat in the riding of Burnaby South, BC.

The Conservative Party took 91 seats in the student vote and 25 per cent of the popular vote. Erin O’Toole won his seat in the riding of Durham, ON.

Students gave the Bloc Québecois 21 seats and with two per cent of the popular vote. Yves-François Blanchet lost his seat in the riding of Beloeil—Chambly, QC.

And finally the Green Party received three seats with 10 per cent of the popular vote. Annamie Paul also lost her seat in the riding of Toronto Centre, ON.

In 2019 the student vote also elected a Liberal minority government and locally, the NDP candidate had received the most votes.

READ MORE: Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge NDP candidate wins in mock Student Vote Canada in 2019

READ ALSO: Student Votes elects Liberal minority in 2019

This year, 141,364 students took part in Student Vote Canada across the province.

Student Vote is a learning program of CIVIX that offers students too young to vote an opportunity to experience the voting process firsthand, and learn about candidates in their riding and local issues.

On election day, students also take on the roles of election workers and coordinate the vote in each of their schools.

Student Vote Canada is put on in collaboration with Elections Canada.


Have a story tip? Email: cflanagan@mapleridgenews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
26579337_web1_170509-MRN-M-PM-Secondary-vote-1c
There were 19 schools in the district that took part in the student vote this election. (The News files)


Colleen Flanagan

About the Author: Colleen Flanagan

I got my start with Black Press Media in 2003 as a photojournalist.
Read more