Paul Forseth has traditionally been the Tories’ candidate of choice in the federal riding of Burnaby–New Westminster, but there’s a new face in the race.
New Westminster resident Chloé Ellis was named the Conservatives’ official candidate at a riding association meeting on Wednesday.
“I am grateful and humbled to be named as the Conservative candidate in New Westminster–Burnaby,” Ellis said in a media statement from the party.
Ellis, who could not immediately be reached for comment, has a business background and is in her 20s.
“She was part of our riding association board going back an number of years, and she did help in my campaign in 2001,” said Forseth, a former MP who’s run for the Conservatives in New Westminster in the past six elections. “I said maybe it’s time to let the next generation come along and see who comes out, and Chloe came out for it.”
According to a party press release, Ellis is a New Westminster Hyack Association supporter, and she owns a home in the city. She also served on the Burnaby – New Westminster electoral district association as a financial agent.
Forseth said she’s been active with the Conservative Party and was on the board of the local riding association.
“She’s a very bright and enthusiastic young person,” he added.
Ellis’ candidate website states she’s been working and living in New Westminster and North Burnaby since 2009.
Her job experience includes working as a Starbucks supervisor in Burnaby and a general manager of a Vancouver hair salon.
She also has a bachelor’s degree in marketing management from Langara College, and in 2013, she was working on a master’s of business administration from the University of Northern B.C.
Ellis was also a Conservative Party representative with the Universities’ Model Parliament Society of B.C., where she helped bring in the organization’s first policies on sexual harassment and social media.
The MP for the current Burnaby–New Westminster riding is the NDP’s Peter Julian, who’s held onto his seat by a fairly wide margin since 2004.
The riding is undergoing changes, as a federal commission has redrawn the boundaries and changed the name to New Westminster– Burnaby.
The new riding unites all of New Westminster and includes parts of South Burnaby.
