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B.C. NDP Leader David Eby Responds to Accusations of Exploiting Wainwright Tragedy
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Controversy
During a campaign stop in Vancouver, B.C. NDP leader David Eby referenced the recent fire at CFB Wainwright that killed four soldiers. In the same remarks he alleged that three Conservative candidates—Bryan Tepper, Heather Maahs and David Williams—were active in separatist-leaning Facebook groups, linking them to a broader “fringe political project” seeking Alberta-style sovereignty.
Conservative Reaction
Interim B.C. Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson condemned Eby’s comments as an “unacceptable” attempt to use the soldiers’ sacrifice for political advantage.
Eby’s Clarification
Later that day, speaking in Hope, B.C., Eby said he would not invoke the tragedy for electoral gain and pledged to avoid the topic through election day. Eby positioned his earlier comments as a call for national unity rather than a partisan weapon.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Let me say unreservedly I would never, ever use the sacrifice of these young men, the grief of their families for political advantage to attack another party,” — Mr. Eby
- “They are enabling and legitimizing a fringe political project in British Columba to try and separate us from Canada, and that is how you end up with a referendum on separation,” — Mr. Eby
- “That is who I am, that is who our team is, and no desperate attack from David Eby will change it,” — Mr. Doerkson
The exchange unfolded amid a provincial election campaign and a concurrent federal moment of silence in the House of Commons, where Prime Minister Mark Carney honored the four soldiers. Both parties framed the dispute around the appropriate use of a national tragedy in political discourse, with the NDP emphasizing unity and the Conservatives warning against perceived exploitation.