By Canadian Press

Donations flowed to BC United long after it suspended election campaign

Feb 5, 2025 | 1:01 AM

Political financing reports show that the collapsed BC United party collected more than $223,000 in donations after it suspended campaigning in last year’s provincial election, including tens of thousands received after the Oct. 19 vote.

Financial reports filed with Elections BC show almost all of the donations appear to be automatic bank transfers, occurring on the 20th of each month.

BC United was the official Opposition heading into the election but leader Kevin Falcon suspended its campaign on Aug. 28 and urged supporters to switch their votes to the B.C. Conservative Party, which came close to defeating the NDP government.

The Elections BC report shows BC United received more than $86,000 after the election.

While BC United did not run any candidates, it does not appear to have been deregistered, and its online donations portal has been updated to reflect donation limits that came into effect in 2025.

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The party’s financial agent, Aaron Fedora, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, and phone numbers listed on the party’s financial reports and website are not connected.

The Elections BC reports show that in the last three months of 2024, the Conservatives raked in about $1.5 million, the NDP $1.79 million and the BC Green Party collected more than $558,000 in donations.

After Falcon’s party bowed out of the election, the NDP and Conservatives were nearly tied dollar for dollar in donations.

Between Aug. 29 and Dec. 31, the BC Conservatives took in just under $3.93 million from 4,534 contributions, while the NDP received just over $3.93 million from 7,439 contributions.

Provincial political contributions in B.C. are capped at about $1,484 in 2025, up from just over $1,450 last year.

Former BC United candidate Kevin Acton, who ran in the election as an independent, sued the party in small claims court for reimbursement of election expenses last month.

The party appealed for donations after suspending its campaign, warning that without support it would “be very difficult to continue as a registered political party.”

“There is no alternative. Either we raise the funds required to meet our commitments, or BC United will be unable to continue,” the party’s online donation portal said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2025.

Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press