The BC Green Party blossomed this election, tripling the number of seats held and doubling the popular vote across the province to roughly 16 per cent.

The party was led by Andrew Weaver, a climate scientist who, with the balance of power falling into his hands, pointed out that it was 害羞草研究所渢he first ever Green-elected caucus in North America.害羞草研究所�

Local Green candidates weren害羞草研究所檛 among those making history , but when vote tallies were announced at the election night gathering at BNA pub, nobody was worse for wear. They hadn害羞草研究所檛 campaigned with the expectation they害羞草研究所檇 become MLAs. They害羞草研究所檇 put themselves in the community to build support for a Greener future.

Alison Shaw, Green candidate for Kelowna-Lake Country, took 4,416 of an estimated 23,003 votes cast, which was a handful fewer votes than her NDP competitor.

Rainer Wilkins, Green candidate for Kelowna Mission, had 3,422 of an estimated 24,264 votes. Robert Mellalieu, the Green candidate for Kelowna West had 3,290 of 24,429 votes cast for him.

害羞草研究所淲e boosted the voter shift for Greens by three times from our vote in the last election so I am pretty thrilled about that,害羞草研究所� said Shaw, a Lake Country resident.

Shaw said she was heartened further by how her party ran a 害羞草研究所渓ean mean害羞草研究所� campaign in keeping with Green policy not to accept corporate or union donations.

A political scientist who taught at UBC Okanagan and now writes about politics in the Saanich News said that it害羞草研究所檚 unlikely that either the NDP or Greens will make much of an impact in the near future in the Central Okanagan.

害羞草研究所淚f there害羞草研究所檚 one part of the province where BC Liberals can count on steady, unwavering support it害羞草研究所檚 the Okanagan 害羞草研究所攊t害羞草研究所檚 the conservative heartland,害羞草研究所� said Wolf Depner.

害羞草研究所淒emography is destiny. Once the demographics of the Okanagan change you can see changes in electoral behaviour as well.害羞草研究所�

For all the Okanagan害羞草研究所檚 many changes in industry, it害羞草研究所檚 still a very Anglo Saxon part of western Canada, with strong British, German and Dutch roots.

害羞草研究所淭hese people are conservative in terms of their values,害羞草研究所� he said.

As was made clear with the 2015 census results, it害羞草研究所檚 also an area with a high proportion of seniors害羞草研究所攊t害羞草研究所檚 the oldest census metropolitan area in B.C. and the third oldest in Canada.

And seniors, said Depner, also tend to vote conservative.

Most telling about its right leaning tendencies, however, may be the region害羞草研究所檚 economic roots.

The Central Okanagan, has never been a stronghold for unions. The driving force of its economy has historically been small to medium size businesses, and their allegiance is to parties that value less taxation and social spending.

害羞草研究所淭hink of Wacky Bennett and Bill Bennett,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淭hese are prototypical small business westerners and they害羞草研究所檙e from the Okanagan.害羞草研究所�

W.A.C. Bennett, a hardware merchant from Kelowna, was B.C.害羞草研究所檚 premier for 20 years, earning votes by paving roads and building bridges. His son, Bill, followed his lead and became premier in 1979. He passed a series of laws, known as the 害羞草研究所渞estraint害羞草研究所� program, aimed at unburdening businesses from government spending on social services.

Not that much has changed since then.

害羞草研究所淭he people who voted for the SoCreds in the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s 害羞草研究所� their mindset and economic background is the same as those voting for BC Liberals today,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淭hese are non union, small business people, who tend to care more about low taxes and limited government interference.害羞草研究所�

The Okanagan is also home to a lot of people who make a living in the oil and gas industry, and any party that offers a green perspective won害羞草研究所檛 win them over.

Although the left leaning political parties have a small footprint in the Okanagan, other parties in B.C. show that may not always be the case.

害羞草研究所淚f you look at Victoria 害羞草研究所� at one point of time it was as Conservative and WASPy as parts of the Okanagan, but that害羞草研究所檚 not the case today,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淧eople害羞草研究所檚 politics are vastly different than that of their parents and grandparents.害羞草研究所�