BC ELECTION 2024: Meet the four Prince George-Mackenzie candidates

The Municipal Election will be held on Saturday, October 19th.

MyPGNow reached out to each candidate running to become the MLA in the Prince George-Mackenzie riding for their response to the following four questions:

1. Tell us about yourself?
2. What do you think is the most important issue for the area and why?
3. Why should someone vote for you?
4. Are there any final thoughts on any topic that you would like to share?

IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER (Last Name):

Kiel Giddens:

Kiel has spent over a decade building Northern opportunities as part of the largest private sector investment in Canadian history in bringing a brand-new LNG industry to British Columbia and Canada. He has spent time in communities across the North building partnerships, engaging stakeholders, and connecting economic opportunities for job-seekers and businesses.

As a Past-President of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, he has been an advocate for small businesses and jobs in Prince George and the region. Kiel currently serves on the Board of Directors for Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation. He has also served as a representative on the Premier’s LNG Labour Working Group, the College of New Caledonia President’s Industry Council, and the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako Strategic Workforce Opportunities Team.

Aside from his time in the private sector, Kiel has held senior roles in previous governments. As Chief of Staff to the Minister of Environment, he supported the former government’s mandate to reduce red tape in environmental assessments, and to enhance environmental stewardship. Immediately prior to the 2013 election, Kiel was Chief of Staff to the Minister of Transportation & Infrastructure and negotiated with federal government representatives to fast-track spending on projects like the Cariboo Connector and South Taylor Hill in the Peace. He also held roles in the Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations, and the Ministry of Labour, and has experience in topics such as wildlife management policy, forest policy, climate policy, WorkSafe BC policy, and construction labour relations policy.

Kiel is married to Elyse, who was born and raised in Prince George, and they have two young sons.

Kiel Gidden’s website can be found here.

Shar McCrory:

I am from an immigrant family, and I am one of nine children. I have lived in the North for over 30 years and raised my family here. I have three beautiful young adult children who all live and work in the North.

I have worked most of my life in Northern BC, in many sectors including oil and gas, worked in a sawmill and I currently work in education as a school board trustee and have also been a trustee in the northwest for 8 years. I work in healthcare and know how important access to services are for everyone. I am an advocate for education, healthcare and community.

My commitment to community has always been important to me. Raising my family in the north has led me to be able to listen to others, work with groups and people to find solutions and be a voice for community. I have also volunteered on many nonprofit boards including Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Northern BC and Smithers Community Services when I lived in the Northwest.

I know the needs of each community in the Prince George – Mackenzie riding is unique, like all areas of the North. We need to ensure that the concerns and needs of the North are heard in Victoria. As a MLA candidate and as a resident, I have listened to many people in our area about their concerns and what is important to them. I will ensure that the concerns and needs of the North are heard in Victoria.

If elected, I will be proud to work with communities on the commitments that David Eby and the BC NDP have made to continue to support people, to support community and to ensure we are able to buy houses, have good paying jobs and support our families.

Shar McCrory’s website can be found here.

James Steidle:

James Steidle grew up in Punchaw, attended Beaverly and College Heights schools and has a master’s degree in public policy from Simon Fraser University with a focus on urban studies.

He has experience in government at the provincial, municipal and regional levels. Steidle was a 2005 Legislative Intern, was involved in Vancouver politics, including writing part of Vision Vancouver’s 2005 platform, worked for the BC Legislative Assembly doing research for the then-opposition NDP in 2006, followed by a stint working for the Labour Union movement (public and private unions) writing a newsletter that covered Metro Vancouver board meetings.

During this time he wrote an award-winning paper on regional planning efforts in Greater Vancouver and wrote his master’s thesis on the provincial property tax system. In 2005 Steidle briefly taught microeconomics in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and still remembers this experience fondly.

In 2008 Steidle shifted out of office-life to first work as a campaigner and door-knocker for the Western Wilderness Committee before starting a woodworking business, Steidle Woodworking. In this capacity he has outfitted over a dozen eyeglass stores for Ollie Quinn with furniture and millwork in many high-traffic downtowns across Canada, created a line of end-grain cutting boards, coasters and knives, and takes great pride in manufacturing these items right here in Prince George.

In 2011, following aerial herbicide spraying campaigns around the Steidle’s family cattle ranch, he launched Stop the Spray BC, based on the work and assistance of renowned forest ecologist Suzanne Simard. These early efforts included a write-up in the Globe and Mail and has morphed into a facebook page with over 10,000 followers, and is now part of a national “Stop the Spray” network fighting the spraying of fire-resistant aspen and birch in Canadian forestry at large.

James Steidle’s website can be found here.

Rachael Weber:

Rachael Weber is a passionate advocate for her community, with deep roots in both Prince George and Mackenzie. With nearly five years of experience as a sitting trustee for School District 57 (SD 57), including her past role as the school board chair, Rachael has proven her dedication to improving education and supporting families in the region.

As the Education Director for the McLeod Lake Indian Band, Rachael has consistently demonstrated her commitment to Indigenous education, fostering meaningful partnerships, and advocating for the success of students across various education levels. Her leadership extends to overseeing post-secondary, elementary, secondary, youth, and daycare departments, where she has successfully implemented initiatives that focus on the holistic development of students and community members.

Rachael’s journey into public service has been shaped by her direct work with families and students, giving her firsthand insight into the challenges faced by rural and Indigenous communities. Her hands-on experience in education, coupled with her leadership as a school board trustee, positions her as a strong and credible voice for addressing the diverse needs of the Prince George / Mackenzie constituency.

Running as an Independent Conservative, Rachael is committed to offering practical, people-focused solutions. Her campaign focuses on empowering communities, advocating for education, healthcare, and economic growth, and ensuring that the voices of all residents—especially those from rural and underrepresented communities—are heard and respected.

With a focus on collaboration and integrity, Rachael Weber is ready to bring her leadership experience and passion for community advocacy to the provincial legislature, working hard for the future of Prince George / Mackenzie.

Rachael Weber’s website can be found here.

2. What do you think is the most important issue for the area and why?

Kiel Giddens:

Kiel is a strong voice for northern British Columbia, and wants Prince George, Mackenzie, and the northern region to grow and prosper. As a father, he is driven to find ways to make life more affordable for families. He believes in respect for taxpayers, enhancing community safety, tackling pressing healthcare issues, strengthening mental health and addiction support systems, championing our resource sectors, and building job opportunities for people to get ahead.

Shar McCrory:

Important issues for the Prince George – Mackenzie riding are: healthcare, affordability and education.

Some of the initiatives that will help support people in the Prince George – Mackenzie riding are:

Healthcare:

• Covering mileage costs for people needing medical appointments outside their community and to give those funds prior to travel.
• Keeping ERs open by training more nurses and doctors, offering retention incentives and loan forgiveness.
• The new surgical tower building in Prince George with cardiac services and mental health beds,
• The new helipad at UHNB and new longer range helicopter for quicker journeys

Affordability:

Some of the actions for ensuring families can not just get by but get ahead are:

• $1000 family middle class tax cut each year
• Freezing ICBC premiums
• Delivering affordable before and after-school care for kids up to age 12.
• Offering free transit for seniors in non-peak hours.

Education:

• Providing students the help they need by making sure every public school has a mental health counsellor.
• Increasing support for students in the critical kindergarten to grade 3 years by staffing each classroom with an education assistant.
• Getting more teachers into the classroom by creating a faster pathway to teacher certification already working on-call in BC schools.
• Continue banning cellphone use in schools.
• Increasing support for kids with learning disabilities and their families by working with teachers to identify kids who are struggling early and support those kids.

James Steidle:

The fundamental issue is lack of local control. BC is too big to be governed out of Victoria. There isn’t much a single MLA can do to address this but a fundamental principle of the BC Green Party is participatory democracy and only the BC Green Party has a core set of values that could facilitate bringing in reforms that lead to more democracy for Northern BC.

Of course drug addiction, homelessness and poverty are major issues facing Prince George but these are part of a larger problem at the continental level. This is a crisis of housing, and it’s a crisis of hopelessness in our society.

So I think at a big level we need to create an economy that is inclusive, that provides people with opportunity and provides them with hope. We need good local jobs that are locally owned and run by local owners who care about our community, not hedge funds and billionaires who are prioritizing the investor class at the global level.  We can do this in food production and we can do this in forestry. There’s no reason we can’t have a locally owned forest industry with much more local food production. The main reason is government regulations protect the economic model that has been corrupted in favour of the elites, the megacorporations and the billionaire class. We have a government controlled and infiltrated by the lobbyist class that has absconded in their duty to protect the free market competitive economy in favour of the rigged economy.

Another major issue that is larger in scope is housing. In Prince George and across British Columbia and Canada, we used to have policies of non-profit housing models that were brought in in the post-war era and which we moved away from in the 1990s. The Green Party is proposing building 24,000 non-market housing units every year. These models work, they can be financed publicly, but at no cost to the public, the only difference being that the developers and the financiers wouldn’t be there to take their share of the profit.

There are a number of realistic BC Green Party police directions that can improve our lives but that will come at the expense of the powerful corporate interests that the BC Conservatives and the BC NDP either directly represent, or directly protect. Let’s not forget former BC Premier Glen Clark is a top executive at Canfor. Let’s also not forget our government has been corrupted by billionaire lobbyists and insiders at the core root of most of our problems and only the Green Party is serious about fixing that.

Rachael Weber:

Economic Development and Jobs:

Our region relies on resource-based industries like forestry, mining, and energy, but these sectors face challenges. My plan is to support responsible resource development while promoting economic diversification. I’ll advocate for tax incentives for small businesses, green energy initiatives, and retraining programs for displaced workers. This will help create a more resilient economy and keep jobs in the community.

Healthcare Access:

Rural areas like Mackenzie face a shortage of healthcare services, with residents traveling long distances for care. Prince George also struggles with shortages in specialized services and mental health. I will push for stronger recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals and advocate for expanding telemedicine and mobile health units to serve remote communities. These measures will improve healthcare access for everyone.

Infrastructure and Connectivity:

Inadequate infrastructure, including aging roads and poor digital connectivity, hampers business growth and public safety. I will advocate for investment in critical infrastructure projects, such as highway upgrades and expanding high-speed internet access. Better infrastructure will spur economic development and enhance the quality of life in our communities.

Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation:

Fostering strong relationships with Indigenous communities is crucial for equitable development. As the Education Director of the McLeod Lake Indian Band, I have experience working closely with Indigenous leaders and understand their priorities. I will promote meaningful collaboration on education, economic development, and resource management to ensure that Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities benefit together.

Affordable Housing and Social Services:

Rising housing costs in Prince George and a lack of affordable housing options in Mackenzie are significant concerns. I will advocate for more affordable housing developments and better access to social services, especially for low-income families and seniors.

Education and Youth:

Our youth are the future of this region, and we must invest in their education and training. As Education Director and a school trustee, I understand the challenges facing our schools. I’ll advocate for increased provincial funding, better vocational training, and youth programs that encourage entrepreneurship and trades.

3. Why should someone vote for you?

Kiel Giddens:

Health care is facing a crisis, with emergency room closures becoming increasingly common across our province, especially in rural areas. Our downtowns are struggling with homelessness, open drug use, and random violence. Businesses are forced to protect their livelihoods with barrier and bars, while those who should be behind bars roam free. The pace of home and infrastructure approvals is far too slow to meet current demands. Our standard of living is in significant decline, leaving B.C. trailing behind other North American regions. The NDP’s approach is not working. Voters now face a straightforward choice: the practical change offered by the BC Conservatives or four more years of the dysfunction and decline experienced under David Eby and the NDP.

Shar McCrory:

I am running because I have a family who live here in the North and I am concerned about the future for all of us. I want be able to have services like health care and for children to have schools to attend. I want to live where we continue to work on issues collaboratively, with community, with our Indigenous communities and with our local governments. I work in healthcare so I know how important is it that we carry on with plans to train more people, recruit more medical staff and ensure our people have the services we need. This will not happen with cutting health care funding or looking at a system that does not support the average working family. I am running for MLA because I care about jobs and that my family, my neighbours and my community are able to raise their families and have the services they need to support their families., affordable housing, good paying, sustainable jobs.

I have a very diverse working in the North background, which gives me a good understanding of the North and the people that live here. I think an MLA needs to be a good listener, a good advocate, have a strong commitment to community and people and see a big picture of all partners and groups working together to ensure our amazing communities and services support our people. In my opinion, what qualifies someone to be an MLA is integrity, empathy, a vision for their communities, and commitment to take action. MLAs need to understand the unique needs of their constituents that they serve. I also think its really important to remember the communities you support and to not lose sight of those needs and how we can ensure our voice is heard in Victoria.

James Steidle:

I want to help give a voice to the B.C. Green Party, which is the only serious party on the ballot this election. Rustad is a BC Liberal and is the latest incarnation of the corporate “free-enterprise” movement, and we see where that has gotten us. His priority is the billionaire and investor class and as Forest Minister he watched his party’s megacorp give-away policies drain our forest industry- and our forests- of life. Meanwhile, the NDP figured they liked what they inhereted, and put their government on autopilot for the past 7 years.

The only good thing the NDP did was to rescue ICBC from the path to privatization the BC Liberals had put it on, and which John Rustad and the BC Conservatives are promising to accomplish.  Make no mistake the privatization of ICBC will lead to your insurance rates skyrocketing. Furthermore, if you are philosophically opposed to single payer insurance in auto insurance, you are philosophically opposed to single payer health care insurance.  In other words, health care privatization is on the table with the BC Conservatives.

Only the Green Party can balance the needs of corporations and bureaucracies, because let’s make no mistake, we need both of those things, but we need to balance their interests with the interests of the public.

Finally, only the Green Party takes seriously the corporate corruption of our government and is calling for tightening of rules to prevent corporate lobbyists from running for public office. Unfortunately in Prince George-Mackenzie, the BC Conservatives dropped their conservative candidate, Rachael Webber, to bring in a former BC Liberal and former corporate lobbyist, Kiel Giddens, to run under their banner. This should show people that the billionaire class and the massive concentration of corporate power that is destroying our free market system will be the priority of the BC Conservatives.

This must be stopped.

Rachael Weber:

I am running in this BC provincial election because I have a deep commitment to the well-being of the communities in the Prince George / Mackenzie region, and I see firsthand the gaps in leadership that have left many voices unheard, particularly in rural and Indigenous communities. My experience as Education Director for the McLeod Lake Indian Band and as a trustee and chair for SD 57 has allowed me to witness both the challenges and the opportunities for positive change in education, economic growth, and healthcare services.

I understand the specific issues that affect this region—whether it’s the need for stronger educational support, improved healthcare access, or economic opportunities that support both urban and rural communities. My independent stance as a Conservative allows me to offer pragmatic, balanced solutions that are not constrained by party politics, focusing solely on what’s best for the residents of Prince George / Mackenzie. I recognize the importance of collaboration, not division, and aim to work with all sides to bring real, tangible improvements to the area.

I am the best candidate for MLA because I combine hands-on experience in leadership with a deep understanding of the community’s needs. My background in education gives me a strong foundation for advocating for families, students, and youth, while my work with Indigenous communities equips me with the insight to address key issues of equity and inclusion. I have consistently demonstrated my ability to lead, to listen, and to create partnerships that work for the benefit of the community, making me a trusted and credible voice for this region.

In an era where people are looking for authentic, solution-driven leaders, my independence and track record of service make me uniquely qualified to represent the diverse interests of Prince George / Mackenzie in the provincial legislature.

4. Are there any final thoughts on any topic that you would like to share?

Kiel Giddens:

There’s so much more that brings us together than divides us. Kiel has heard from people across this riding and across the province that they’re hungry for change. People are not seeing the outcome they deserve, whether that’s in healthcare, public safety or affordability. Kiel wants to be part of a movement that is bringing change to this province.

Shar McCrory:

I want to bring attention to another aspect of BC NDPs platform that will help communities in the North. All government decisions will be screened for their impact on rural/remote areas. Recognizing the needs of rural and remote northern communities are completely different than Vancouver and larger centres, decisions will be looked at for their impacts on rural communities.

James Steidle:

Rachael Weber:

As I embark on this journey as an Independent candidate for Prince George / Mackenzie, my ultimate goal is to be a voice for the people of this region—ensuring that all communities, from urban centers to rural and Indigenous areas, are heard and represented in the provincial legislature. I believe that effective leadership comes from listening, learning, and taking bold steps to solve real problems.

This election is about more than just policies; it’s about building stronger, healthier communities where everyone has access to opportunities. Whether it’s improving healthcare, strengthening education, creating sustainable jobs, or fostering reconciliation, I am deeply committed to working for solutions that benefit all residents, now and for generations to come.

I am here to serve with integrity, collaboration, and a determination to make real progress for the people of Prince George / Mackenzie. Together, we can build a brighter future for our region.

Editor’s note: Mypgnow would like to thank the four candidates for taking the time to respond to our questions. Reading their responses should better prepare each voter for the candidate of their choice.

Voting stations will be open from 8 AM to 8 PM on Saturday at these locations:

• AiMHi (950 Kerry St)
• Bear Lake Rec Assn (1918-461 Hart Lake Rd)
• Beaverly Elem School (9777 Western Rd)
• D.P. Todd Sec School (4444 Hill Ave)
• Edgewood Elem School (4440 Craig Dr)
• Hart Pioneer Centre (6986 John Hart Hwy)
• Heather Park Elem School (7151 Heather Park Rd)
• Mackenzie Rec Centre (400 Skeena Dr)
• McLeod Lake Indian (Band Office 61 Sekani Dr)
• Miworth Comm Hall (13510 Flint Rd)
• Ness Lake Comm Hall (9770 Lakeside Dr)
• Nukko Lake Comm Hall (23485 Chief Lake Rd)
• Salmon Valley Comm Hall (17735 Trout Rd)
• Summit Lake Comm Hall (1280 Adams Rd)

A full list of voting locations can be found on Elections BC’s website here.