Attorney to run as NDP candidate in Abbotsford riding

ABBOTSFORD – A community leader and attorney in Abbotsford has been selected as the NDP candidate in the Abbotsford South riding.

According to a statement from the B.C. NDP, Leah Ballantyne (Mikisew Iskwew) is the first member of her Cree Nation to become a lawyer. Her family resides in the Abbotsford South riding.

She attended Abbotsford Senior Secondary, worked on farms across the valley and later practiced law in downtown Abbotsford, helping local families, the party said.

“Abbotsford South is home to my family, and it has shaped my life. I went to school here, worked on farms across the valley and later practised law in downtown Abbotsford,” Ballantyne said. “I’m running to listen to local families and carry their concerns to Victoria. I’m proud to join David Eby and the BC NDP to stand up for B.C., strengthen health care close to home and protect good local jobs.”

The B.C. NDP said she spent eight years on Sumas Mountain protecting the watershed, river and salmon.

A graduate of Douglas College and UBC Law, Ballantyne completed a Master of Laws at the University of Hawaiʻi as class valedictorian, the party said. In nearly two decades of practice, she has advised First Nations, local, provincial and federal governments and international bodies, testified before Parliament, and led community engagement on a national trade corridor, the B.C. NDP said.

She has served as vice-chair of a health authority board and on the BCIT board, the party said.

“With the riding on the border, Leah will stand up for families, farmers, workers, students and businesses who feel tariffs and trade disputes first,” the party said. “She shows up, listens and brings people together. This is how she has worked her whole career, and this is how she will represent Abbotsford South with the BC NDP.”

The Abbotsford South riding has been represented by B.C. Conservative Party member Bruce Banman.