Photo: KenWalker · CC BY-SA 4.0Courtenay—Alberni was won by 8,431 votes in 2021, a tighter race than 67% of ridings
The riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) covering Fairwinds is Courtenay—Alberni, and Gord Johns (New Democratic Party) represents it in the House of Commons. In the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Fairwinds belongs to Ladysmith-Oceanside; who holds it as MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly, the provincial or territorial legislature) isn’t on an open record, so no one is named. For local government, Fairwinds falls under Nanaimo E, a regional district electoral area. Who leads Fairwinds’ council isn’t on an open record: there’s no open list of councils in British Columbia.
What stands out in how Fairwinds is governed
A close federal race
The 2021 winner in Courtenay—Alberni finished 12.2 points ahead of the runner-up (Conservative Party of Canada), a closer race than 67% of Canada’s 338 ridings. How Fairwinds has voted ↓
High federal turnout
Federal turnout in Courtenay—Alberni beat 66% of Canada’s ridings in 2021. The 2021 turnout ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Fairwinds is a regional district electoral area: a regional district or the province runs its local services.
Services from the regional or provincial body.
Regional parks, waste, rural areas’ services.
Schools, health care, highways, municipal law.
leg.bc.ca ↗Passports, pensions, EI, defence, immigration.
ourcommons.ca ↗Who to ask
Green: municipal. Gold: provincial. Grey: federal.
Nanaimo E is an electoral area of Nanaimo Regional District: the regional district’s board runs its local services.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Fairwinds, from the most recent elections.
- 1Nanaimo E councilRegional district electoral area
- 2Legislative Assembly of British ColumbiaLadysmith-Oceanside
- 3House of CommonsCourtenay—Alberni
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada
When Fairwinds votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Nanaimo E council | 17 October 2026 | 19 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of British Columbia | 19 October 2024 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
The last general elections came on 19 October 2024 for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and on 28 April 2025 for Parliament. The council elected on 17 October 2026 serves until 19 October 2030, when Nanaimo E council is chosen again. It is the third Saturday in October every four years, as the Local Government Act provides. Why not 2025? Elections Canada publishes those counts under non-commercial terms, and its open data stop at the 2021 election.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Fairwinds votes in Ladysmith-Oceanside for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Provinces and territories run schools, health care and municipal law; each riding elects one MLA.
MLA: see the legislature’s list
leg.bc.ca ↗The riding is Ladysmith-Oceanside: it sends one MLA to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, and Fairwinds votes in it.
BC ridings: Elections BC 2023 electoral districts (Elections BC Open Data Licence)
The 2024 provincial election in Ladysmith-Oceanside
The riding turned out at 69%, above the provincial 58%. Stephanie Higginson (BC NDP) won Ladysmith-Oceanside in October 2024 with 41%, 2,047 votes ahead of the runner-up (Conservative Party of BC).
BC 2024 results: Elections BC, Provincial Voting Results and Registered Voter Counts (Elections BC Open Data Licence)
Gord Johns represents Courtenay—Alberni in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Courtenay—Alberni · New Democratic Party · first elected 2015
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada20
- Conservative Party of Canada19
- New Democratic Party3
- Green Party of Canada1
As Wikidata records them.
Gord Johns is one of 3 New Democratic Party MPs from British Columbia, where the Liberal Party of Canada has the most seats: 20 of 43.
The MP’s record
The current Parliament is Gord Johns’ 4th, counting from a first win in 2015. On today’s boundaries, the 2021 vote in Courtenay—Alberni would have gone to the New Democratic Party with 43%, and Gord Johns kept it for them in 2025.
MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026
Gord Johns kept Courtenay—Alberni for the New Democratic Party in 2021
Courtenay—Alberni as it stood from 2013: the 2019 and 2021 counts, before the riding was redrawn for 2025.
8,431 votes separated Gord Johns (New Democratic Party) from Mary Lee (Conservative Party of Canada) in Courtenay—Alberni in 2021, when the winner took 44%. Gord Johns was the sitting MP, elected there in 2019 with 41%.
All 6 candidates in Courtenay—Alberni, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gord Johns | New Democratic Party | 30,612 | 44.2% |
| Mary Lee | Conservative Party of Canada | 22,181 | 32.0% |
| Susan Farlinger | Liberal Party of Canada | 9,276 | 13.4% |
| Susanne Lawson | Green Party of Canada | 3,590 | 5.2% |
| Robert Eppich | People's Party of Canada | 3,467 | 5.0% |
| Barbara Biley | Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada | 124 | 0.2% |
Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Having a say in how Fairwinds is run
Check or update the federal list.
elections.ca ↗Every MP lists an office.
ourcommons.ca ↗Ridings, registration and voting dates.
elections.bc.ca ↗What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which riding. A place belongs to the riding where most of its 2021 Census residents live, plus any other with 5% or more.
- Who holds each seat. A member who resigned or switched parties last week may still show here: the names are Wikidata’s.
- Not on this page. Council budgets, band councils, and which party runs the council: the open lists carry no party, and most councils have none.
- Election results. Elections Canada redrew the ridings in 2023 and re-tallied the 2021 ballots onto the new map from polling divisions; that estimate, and the official 2019 and 2021 counts on the old map, are what you see.
Questions about how Fairwinds is run
Who is the MP for Fairwinds?
For Fairwinds, it’s Gord Johns (New Democratic Party), who holds Courtenay—Alberni.
Which party won Fairwinds in the 2021 federal election?
In 2021 it was Gord Johns (New Democratic Party), who represents Courtenay—Alberni still.
Who is the MLA for Fairwinds?
In October 2024 Stephanie Higginson (BC NDP) won Ladysmith-Oceanside; for the MLA today, see the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia’s list.
Who heads the council in Fairwinds?
Fairwinds, a regional district electoral area, lists its council on its own pages; no open list names the head here.
Which regional body is Nanaimo E part of?
The board of the Nanaimo Regional District takes directors from member councils such as Nanaimo E’s and runs regional services.
Sources: MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · BC ridings: Elections BC 2023 electoral districts (Elections BC Open Data Licence) · Next municipal election: the province’s municipal election act · Municipality types: Statistics Canada census subdivisions · Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026 · BC 2024 results: Elections BC, Provincial Voting Results and Registered Voter Counts (Elections BC Open Data Licence). Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).