Joshua Dahling has thrown his hat in the provincial political ring. Dahling, from Port Alberni, has been named BC United’s (formerly the BC Liberal Party) candidate for Mid Island-Pacific Rim in the provincial election coming up in October.
Joining BC United is a departure for Dahling, formerly a card-carrying NDP supporter. “The change is something that didn’t happen overnight,” he said. He worked in the logging industry until 1998 and relocated from Squamish to Nanaimo. He and his family moved to Port Alberni in 2018. He is open about his personal transformation that includes three decades of sobriety.
He said he made the switch to BC United because he feels some of the NDP’s recent policies “are failing people, particularly people with mental health and addiction issues and health care.”
Dahling said BC United’s policy of “wrap-around” treatment for people in addiction is something he can support—especially for the Alberni Valley where, he says, “there’s no wrap-around, long-term support.” Wrap-around services are need driven, not service driven. Dahling says he is uniquely positioned to understand this because “I’ve lived on both sides of the tracks. I’ve experienced homelessness,” he said.
Party leader Kevin Falcon said Dahling’s “proven track record of making a difference in the lives of others” makes him an “exceptional” candidate for BC United.
Dahling co-founded Lumara, a registered charity that provides education and support to people dealing with serious illness, grief and bereavement. He runs the charity alongside his wife, Dr. Heather Mohan.
This is not Dahling’s first foray into politics: he ran for Port Alberni city council in the 2022 election but failed to earn a seat.
“If anything, the municipal process gave me a little bit of insight into what I should do,” he added. “I believe I can make a difference.”
Dahling has shown up recently volunteering at community events around the Alberni Valley.
Voters in British Columbia will go to the polls in October to choose their provincial representatives.