Grand Chief Stewart Phillip endorses B.C. Green Leader Emily Lowan after backing the NDP

VICTORIA — Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, a longtime BC NDP ally, has endorsed Green Party Leader Emily Lowan. Phillip’s late wife, Joan, was elected as a New Democrat MLA in 2024 and died this summer. Lowan posted the endorsement on social media. In the statement, Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, said he was “totally honoured” to endorse Lowan as a candidate in Saanich North and the Islands.

Phillip had strongly supported the NDP. In 2024, he stood alongside party Leader David Eby at an event in Victoria and told the audience that a vote for the Greens was a vote for the B.C. Conservatives. Phillip later fell out with Eby over his handling of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. Earlier this year, Eby backed away from changing or suspending parts of the act in the face of opposition from Stewart and his late wife.

In the statement Lowan posted, Phillip said her understanding of the climate crisis and her “proactive, principled, evidence-based approach” to finding solutions were key reasons for his endorsement. The statement also said: “She is a strong and courageous ally for Indigenous peoples in BC and approaches environmental stewardship with full respect for Indigenous rights.”

The B.C. provincial election campaign is approaching its final weekend before voters go to the polls on Oct. 24. Advance voting starts Friday. Lowan is scheduled to cast her ballot in Saanichton, B.C.; Eby is scheduled to speak in Coquitlam, while Conservative interim leader Lorne Doerkson is set to appear in Port Moody, both in Metro Vancouver.

The Canadian Press first published this report on Oct. 16, 2026.