Sonia Furstenau
MLA
Soia Furstenau
Sonia Furstenau
Leader of the Green Party of British Columbia
Assumed office
September 14, 2020
Preceded byAdam Olsen (interim)
Deputy Leader of the Green Party of British Columbia
In office
November 2, 2016 – September 14, 2020
Serving with Jonina Campbell
LeaderAndrew Weaver
Preceded byAdam Olsen
Succeeded byJonina Campbell[1]
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly
for Cowichan Valley
Assumed office
May 9, 2017
Preceded byBill Routley
Personal details
Born1970 (age 53–54)
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Political partyGreen Party of British Columbia
SpouseBlaise Salmon
ResidenceShawnigan Lake, British Columbia
Alma materUniversity of Victoria
ProfessionHigh school teacher

Sonia Furstenau is a Canadian politician who is currently the leader of the Green Party of British Columbia.[2]

Furstenau was raised in Edmonton, the child of German immigrants. She attended McKernan Elementary/Junior-High School, where she was in Grade 2 in 1977-78. She went on a trip to Germany with her father, including his native East Germany, where she learned to appreciate the value of democracy by observing the lack of it. She later helped her mother protest against dumping in the vicinity of Elk Island National Park in the early 1990s.[3]

Furstenau attended the University of Victoria starting at age 20, attaining an MA in History and a Bachelor of Education. After teaching in Victoria-area schools, her work took her to Shawnigan Lake in 2011. Here she encountered the dumping of toxic soil close to the water supply, which led her to citizen involvement and to becoming a director of the Cowichan Valley Regional District (see below).[4]

Prior to holding elected office, Furstenau was a high school teacher in Victoria and Shawnigan Lake. She has a BA and MA in History from the University of Victoria.[5]

Political career

Furstenau was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2017 provincial election to represent the electoral district of Cowichan Valley.[6] On November 2, 2016, Green Party leader Andrew Weaver announced that Furstenau would replace Adam Olsen as one of the deputy leaders of the party. On January 27, 2020, Furstenau announced her candidacy for the leadership of the party.[7][8]

In 2014, Furstenau started her political career when she was elected to serve as a director of Electoral Area B within the Cowichan Valley Regional District. This was after two years working with the Shawnigan Resident's Association to protest and appeal a British Columbia Provincial permit that allowed the siting of a landfill on the banks of the community's source of drinking water, Shawnigan Lake.

Electoral record

2020 British Columbia general election: Cowichan Valley
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
GreenSonia Furstenau13,05944.21+6.97$64,313.52
New DemocraticRob Douglas11,87540.20+8.57$55,431.43
LiberalTanya Kaul4,60615.59–12.07$15,360.48
Total valid votes 29,540100.00–
Total rejected ballots 1500.51+0.18
Turnout 29,69059.85–7.73
Registered voters 49,606
Green hold Swing –0.80
Source: Elections BC[9][10]
2017 British Columbia general election: Cowichan Valley
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
GreenSonia Furstenau11,44937.24+18.09$35,322
New DemocraticLori Lynn Iannidinardo9,72331.63−8.51$54,416
LiberalSteve Housser8,50227.66−7.24$70,112
IndependentIan Morrison5021.63–$8,140
LibertarianJames Robert Anderson3020.98–$398
IndependentSamuel Lockhart1450.47–$0
IndependentEden Haythornthwaite1190.39–$996
Total valid votes 30,742100.00–
Total rejected ballots 1000.33+0.01
Turnout 30,84267.58+5.68
Registered voters 45,641
Source: Elections BC[11][12]

Personal life

Sonia is married to Blaise Salmon[13] who works as a financial planner and has been elected as the local director for the Mill Bay/Malahat district of the Cowichan Valley Regional District.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Jonina Campbell".
  2. ↑ "Sonia Furstenau elected new B.C. Green Party leader". CBC News. September 14, 2020. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  3. ↑ "About – Re-Elect Sonia Furstenau for Cowichan Valley". Archived from the original on April 30, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  4. ↑ "About – Re-Elect Sonia Furstenau for Cowichan Valley". Archived from the original on April 30, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Sonia Furstenau". Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Greens celebrate 'historic' B.C. wins amid minority uncertainty" Archived 10 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine. CBC News British Columbia, May 10, 2017.
  7. ↑ CBC News (January 27, 2020). "Sonia Furstenau announces she's running for leader of B.C. Green Party". CBC News. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  8. ↑ CTV News (January 27, 2020). "Sonia Furstenau to run for BC Green Party leadership". CTV News. Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Statement of Votes — 42nd Provincial General Election" (PDF). Elections BC. July 27, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Search Results: 2020 General Elections Financing Reports". Elections BC. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  11. ↑ "2017 Provincial General Election - Statement of Votes" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Election Financing Reports". Elections BC. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Shaking up the status quo: Sonia Furstenau aims high". Northern Beat. January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  14. ↑ CIVICINFOBC https://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/election-results-v3/index.php?select-year=2018&select-view-by=regionaldistrict&localgovernmentid=160?select-year=2018&select-view-by=regionaldistrict&localgovernmentid=160. Retrieved January 15, 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
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