Green Party candidate Daniel Kite is running in Maple Ridge East

Daniel Kite, the Green Party candidate in Maple Ridge East, is a public school teacher, union advocate and Maple Ridge resident. He is running for office for the first time in the Oct. 24 provincial election. Kite says having a young son and a wife expecting another child has made him more concerned about the future and is a major reason he got involved. He sees little difference between the NDP and Conservatives and says the Green Party is the choice for a “progressive person.”

Kite says the NDP would develop the oil and gas industries, which he argues would harm the environment and climate and run counter to the global shift toward renewable energy. “They’re setting our province up for a difficult future,” he said. His priorities include affordability, stronger care systems, support for workers and communities, and an energy and industrial strategy that considers both people and the environment. He said the NDP is no longer prioritizing $10-a-day daycare, while the Green Party would. Kite said everyone is facing a cost-of-living crunch and he is learning how expensive daycare can be. “If you want an efficient, functioning economy, let people go to work,” he said. He described himself as a teacher, not a career politician, and said he can relate to some of the struggles people face in the community.

Kite said the provincial government has not resolved homelessness or the toxic drug crisis, which affects Maple Ridge, and that the Conservatives have no better ideas. “We need to give people the supports they need, and not criminalize what is a health issue,” he said.

Kite taught internationally for seven years in China, Egypt and Russia. He said those experiences strengthened his belief in building connections across cultures and communities. After moving to Pitt Meadows in 2020, he began working with School District 42. In his first year, he taught with Katzie First Nation before moving into elementary and secondary school settings. He has lived in Maple Ridge since 2023 and teaches at Westview secondary. He has also been active with the Maple Ridge Teachers' Association as a staff representative, on staff committees and in the union's social justice work.

Kite said he is running in Maple Ridge East to bring his experience in education, community leadership and advocacy into public service and work toward long-term solutions to challenges facing families and communities across the province. Green Party candidate Kylee Williams ran in the riding in 2024, receiving 1,626 votes, or 6.3 per cent of the vote.