Vancouver – One day after Elenore Sturko left Centre BC as Party leader and stated that she is leaving politics, her successor has been named. In a short social media post: CentreBC is pleased to welcome back former Leader Mike Bernier. His experience, commitment and familiarity with our party provide continuity as we strengthen CentreBC and move forward together.
Wikipedia: Background & Early Career
- Born: 1968 in North Vancouver, British Columbia.
- Education: Educated at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) and St. Thomas Aquinas Regional Secondary School.
- Industry Experience: Worked for roughly 20 to 22 years in the natural gas sector (spanning trades to management) before entering politics.
- Family: Father of five children. [1, 2]
Municipal Politics
- Dawson Creek City Council: Served as a city councillor from 2005 to 2008 (3 terms).
- Mayor of Dawson Creek: Served as mayor from 2008 to 2013. [1, 2]
Provincial Politics
CentreBC Leadership: Appointed leader of the centrist provincial party CentreBC on July 18, 2026, following the resignation of founding leader Karin Kirkpatrick.
MLA for Peace River South: Elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in 2013, 2017, and 2020, serving for 11 years (2013–2024). [1, 2, 3]
Party Affiliation: Represented the BC Liberal Party (which rebranded to BC United) and later sat as an independent before BC United suspended its campaign. [1, 2, 3]
Minister of Education: Served as British Columbia’s Minister of Education from 2015 to 2017, during which the Soji 123 curriculum was introduced. [1, 2]
Shadow Roles: Previously acted as Shadow Minister for Forests and Shadow Minister for Water. [1]
