Green Party candidate Sjeng Derkx may have finished at the bottom of local polls, but he remained full of optimism after the results were tallied.
Seeing BC's first Green MLA elected in the riding of Oak Bay-Gordon Head, near Victoria — where climate scientist Andrew Weaver defeated the liberal incumbent — Derkx told his supporters Tuesday night that it was a positive result for the Green party.
"We have a foot in the door, and what a foot it is ... [Weaver] will increase the credibility of the Green party much further — and next time we'll have five, ten or 15 [Green MLAs]" Derkx said. "I would have liked to join Andrew, but this is just absolutely fantastic ... I'm so proud of my party."
He also noted that the Greens saw improved results in Nelson-Creston since the last election. In 2009 the Green candidate collected seven per cent of votes, while Derkx saw about 20.8 per cent support — one of the best results the Greens have ever seen in this riding.
"This has been an amazing campaign, I can't believe all the people who have come forward to help," Derkx said, raising a glass of champagne to about 50 of his supporters who had gathered at the Seed Network in Nelson to watch the poll numbers roll in.
"Tonight we celebrate, tomorrow we start to prepare for the campaign of 2017."