Election night in Burnaby: Stairwells, sad songs, and a shakeup

How do you not love elections? For one night, people actually engage with the philosophy of how they want to be governed. It’s idealistic, chaotic, and fleeting – but it’s still kinda beautiful.

I’ve been covering elections since Kim Campbell led the Tories to a historic defeat (thanks, Brian). This time around, the expectations were similar (thanks, Justin). So I dusted off the reporter’s notebook and hit the streets Monday night in Burnaby to see how the country might look different by morning.

My goal was to stop in at each major party – Liberal’s Terry Beech, NDP’s Jagmeet Singh, and Conservative’s James Yan – to capture a few poignant moments. 

What I got was a night full of insight, emotion, and the kind of campaign theatre that reminds you why politics is both crucial and comic. 

8:26pm: Joey’s, Brentwood

Terry Beech’s Liberal Watch Party

My phone’s blowing up. Early results are in and for the first time in a while, the Liberals have a reason to be optimistic.

I’m climbing the long stairs to the second floor at Joey’s, where Terry Beech is holding his campaign event. The woman ahead of me is cursing the final few steps. Fair.

Inside, it’s a low-key scene. A few scattered supporters, plenty of food, and a reporter from the North Shore News Brent Richter scribbling furiously trying to make print deadline. (Damn, I love ink stains.) I’m handed a drink ticket, a Liberal button, and a wristband, all of which will make great gifts for my Conservative friends.

Beech is gracious but tight-lipped, waiting for results to firm up. I catch a few pleasantries and then head out for stop two.

8:58pm: Hilton Metrotown

Jagmeet Singh’s NDP Event

I ask an orange-clad supporter how it’s going. “The numbers are really fluctuating,” she says with the kind of toxic optimism only party diehards can muster. When I left home, the NDP were holding 11 seats. They’re down to seven now.

This is the big one. All of Canada’s national media are here. City, Global, CBC, CTV, APTN, Fairchild… even SanjaTV. But under the hot lights and high pressure, the NDP is watching one of its worst results unfold.

I chat with Tina House from APTN. She sums it up neatly: “What we’re seeing here is the best party ready to stand up to Trump’s threats. And voters are speaking loud and clear.” Spot on.

I wander over to Lou Hafer and his partner, Maxine Howchin, whose orange attire speaks to her commitment. 

The night is not lost on Lou, but he makes a valid point: “The NDP is the conscience of the country. The country needs a conscience.” Maybe now more than ever.

Still, this might be the saddest election night party in the country. 

People are quietly leaking out.

9:31pm: Still at Hilton. Jagmeet is running late. 

I am supposed to be at Yan’s party on Fraser Street by now. I text his handler: “Stuck at Jagmeet’s.”

Meanwhile, NDP staffers are scurrying about to stage-manage the crowd to make it look full. This is political theatre. They start a chorus of “Jagmeet! Jagmeet! Jagmeet!” 

On cue, Singh walks out from behind a curtain looking… hollow. A little stiff.

He starts his speech with the perfunctory appreciation for staff and party. It’s wooden. Then he locks eyes with a close supporter. He stops cold, and you can see the tears well up. He nearly loses it. This hurts.

Still, he’s gracious. He announces his resignation and thanks his wife (a task forgotten last time in a happier moment).

The line that sticks with me is: “We may lose sometimes, and those losses hurt. But we are only defeated if we stop fighting.” He’s not wrong. 

I realize I am witnessing the end of an era for the NDP.

As I leave, I overhear an NDP aide on a call. He blurts out a line I suspect he’s had in his back pocket for weeks: “We’re going to rebuild and build back stronger.” That’s the new mantra. 

10:02pm: Back to Joey’s

I head back to Beech’s party, climbing those same damn stairs. This time, I think they might be the perfect metaphor for the Liberals’ uphill climb. Somehow, they’ve made it back to the top.

I still have my drink ticket, but the only food left is two very tired-looking near-meat burgers. Not that hungry.

I interview Beech in a stairwell. He’s calm, collected, and has cruised to re-election in Burnaby North–Seymour.

“This was a divisive election,” he says. “My job now is to represent everyone.”

He’s right. This campaign was ugly. 

The Conservatives ran up the popular vote, but you have to ask: how?

Not a single Conservative candidate responded to the Burnaby Beacon’s election questionnaire. Beech didn’t get to face his opponent in a debate. That’s dodgeball, not democracy.

As Beech put it: “It didn’t work this time, and hopefully they’ll think differently in future elections.” Right again.

The Conservatives lost and they have no one to blame but themselves. 

Democracy is a contact sport. Sure, it gets rough, but that’s no excuse to sit on the sidelines. 

Because here’s the thing: if you don’t show up, you don’t win. Period.

Dean Broughton began his journalism career at the Langley Advance and wrapped it up 28 years later at the Vancouver Sun. He now leads strategic partnerships at Overstory Media.