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Toronto Sun
11 minutes ago
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Michael Pezzetta knows the road to a job with Leafs will be hard
Before Michael Pezzetta gets in one regular-season fight on behalf of his Maple Leaf teammates, he'll have to battle his way onto the team. That's not news to the 6-foot-1 left winger, whose playing time with the Montreal Canadiens was limited last year, getting no points in 25 games with 24 penalty minutes. But sitting around his old room while contract details were being ironed out this week, he paused to look at his Mats Sundin and Curtis Joseph Toronto-era posters. 'I'm thinking 'how crazy is this?,' Pezzetta said Wednesday on a Zoom call with Toronto media. 'It's a life-long dream of mine. First-time free agency and I had the option to go elsewhere, but couldn't pass this up. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account 'They have a great team and I want to earn my roster spot. I know that come camp time, it's not just a given that I have a spot. The style of game I play is different than a lot of the guys and hopefully that can be an 'X' factor.' A couple of years ago, Pezzetta led the Canadiens in hits and was 10th in the NHL as well as chipping in points. But while Montreal made strides as a team in 2024-25, and Pezzetta did well defensively, he found it hard to get noticed. 'Kind of a weird year, being in and out of the lineup with nothing really going my way,' he said. 'In years prior, I was pretty steady getting my 10 to 15 points and I'm confident I can do that again. 'Part of my game is being someone who is hard to play against, defensively responsible, whom the coach can trust. But then you're going out there and try to change the game with a big hit or a good forecheck, change the energy, on the bench and in the room.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The sixth-round pick in 2016 says he's always been a big off-season worker in terms of conditioning and improving any weak parts of his game. 'It wasn't easy, it took five or six years to get in my first exhibition game with Montreal. But when I did, I was ready for it because I put in all the work.' A couple of his 14 NHL fights came against warhorse Ryan Reaves, now a potential teammate whom he'll likely have to contend with for a bottom six role. 'No hard feelings,' Pezzetta assured. 'A few guys have to do their job and any time you meet guys like that off the ice, they tend to be the nicest. I look forward to meeting him and all the rest of the guys.' After the two-year deal at an $810,500 AAV, the GTHL grad Pezzetta posted an Instagram picture of he and his brother as kids, decked out in Toronto togs. 'We were a Leafs household. That was our first Christmas getting our Leafs' jerseys. It's hard not to get stoked about playing for the Leafs when you're from Toronto. My mom is super-stoked that I get to stay home. It has been a while.' Lhornby@ X: @sunhornby Read More Sports News Money News MLB Editorial Cartoons
The Province
15 minutes ago
- Sport
- The Province
Canucks: Brock Boeser's here to stay — and ready to lead
Boeser knows he has a big role to play. The commitment the Canucks have shown him means a lot to the veteran winger Get the latest from Patrick Johnston straight to your inbox Brock Boeser signed a deal this week that will pay him $7.25 million US per season for the next seven years. Photo by DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS If there is no chaos this coming season, can the Vancouver Canucks be what they thought they would be a year ago? This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Kinda? Maybe? It's hard to see at the moment how this team can re-discover the form they showed in 2023-24 while they are still without any effective replacement for J.T. Miller, especially now that they're also going to have to replace what Pius Suter brought to the table, after the literal Swiss army knife signed a two-year deal with St. Louis on Wednesday. But Brock Boeser does believe his team can be what it is supposed to be. Especially now that he has peace of mind about his own future. 'Maybe I can get a house there now,' Boeser quipped to reporters Wednesday morning while discussing his new contract, which pays him $7.25 million US per season for the next seven years. Last season was, admittedly, a mess. There were issues in the dressing room, which spilled into the public sphere, creating far more 'noise,' as the players have called it, than they were comfortable with. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As it became clear that Miller would be traded, the team's play suffered. And then the speculation around Boeser's own future, whether he would be traded at deadline, which he ultimately wasn't, dragged on Boeser. But the decision to roll most of last year's lineup back, even after a disappointing 90-point season, a group that has generally struggled to make the playoffs, 2024's strong campaign notwithstanding, is a big bet from Canucks management. And to do it with what amounts to a rookie NHL head coach in Adam Foote — who at least does know this roster well — is another big bet. Boeser believes though. He has always believed in himself. 'My heart was still in Vancouver,' he said. 'At the end of the day, I understand what they're trying to do with the Canucks, and, you know, I want to be a part of it.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He thought he was going to go somewhere else, until Canucks GM Patrik Allvin called Boeser's agent Ben Hankinson about an hour before the free agency market was set to open on July 1. Allvin was offering up the deal Boeser had been looking for. 'I had other guys in my ears, like (Garland) and (Demko) and all those guys kind of pushing my buttons to come back, too. So it obviously plays a big part to have such good friends and have belief with the guys in the room,' he added. 'I have so much faith in our team and the pieces that we have,' Boeser explained about the delight he felt about being brought back, even after the frustrating course that management had chosen to take in their negotiations with him. 'And Adam Foote, too. I think he's going to be a great head coach, so I think everything just lined up well.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. That said, it's not just a flip of the switch. The players all do have to play better. It's not just about stepping out on to a fresh sheet of ice, literally and metaphorically. 'Us forwards know that we need to be better,' he admitted. And Boeser knows he has a big role to play. The commitment the Canucks have shown him by locking him up for what could be the rest of his career, plus him being looked to more and more to be a leader, to set the tone, means a lot. 'I definitely think I can speak more in the locker room,' he said. It was no accident Foote and his predecessor as head coach Rick Tocchet put an A on his sweater at points this season. 'Sometimes I feel I might get a little too focused on my individual game and playing the best I can, and I'm all quiet in locker room. So I definitely think I can speak up. But, you know, I think with that, it's always just like the mindset of coming to the rink and working hard and always trying to continue to get better.' Vancouver Canucks Opinion News Celebrity News
Toronto Sun
30 minutes ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Hamas open to ceasefire as Netanyahu says there's no room for them in Gaza
Published Jul 02, 2025 • 5 minute read Palestinian men carry the bodies of children killed earlier in the day in an Israeli strike in Gaza City, during a funeral precession from Baptist Hospital to a cemetary, on July 2, 2025, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas militant group. Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA / AFP via Getty Images CAIRO — Hamas and Israel staked out their positions Wednesday ahead of expected talks on a Washington-backed ceasefire proposal, with the militant group suggesting it was open to an agreement while the Israeli prime minister vowed that 'there will be no Hamas' in postwar Gaza. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Both sides stopped short of accepting the proposal announced Tuesday by U.S. President Donald Trump. Hamas insisted on its longstanding position that any deal bring an end to the war in Gaza. Trump said Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. The U.S. leader has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement. Trump said the 60-day period would be used to work toward ending the war — something Israel says it won't accept until Hamas is defeated. He said a deal might come together as soon as next week. But Hamas' response, which emphasized its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialize into an actual pause in fighting. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the militant group was 'ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement.' He said Hamas was 'ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war.' A Hamas delegation was expected to meet Wednesday with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, because he wasn't authorized to discuss the talks with the media. Disagreement on how war should end Throughout the nearly 21-month-long war, ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over whether the war should end as part of any deal. Hamas said in a brief statement Wednesday that it had received a proposal from the mediators and was holding talks with them to 'bridge gaps' to return to the negotiating table. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Hamas has said it's willing to free the remaining 50 hostages, less than half of whom are said to be alive, in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. Israel says it will only agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and exiles itself, something the group refuses to do. 'I am announcing to you — there will be no Hamas,' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a speech Wednesday. An Israeli official said the latest proposal calls for a 60-day deal that would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a surge in humanitarian aid to the territory. The mediators and the U.S. would provide assurances about talks to end the war, but Israel isn't committing to that as part of the latest proposal, the official said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The official wasn't authorized to discuss the details of the proposed deal with the media and spoke on condition of anonymity. It wasn't clear how many hostages would be freed as part of the agreement, but previous proposals have called for the release of about 10. 'I'm holding my hands and praying that this will come about,' said Idit Ohel, mother of Israeli hostage Alon Ohel. 'I hope the world will help this happen, will put pressure on whoever they need to, so the war will stop and the hostages will return.' On Monday, Trump is set to host Netanyahu at the White House, days after Ron Dermer, a senior Netanyahu adviser, held discussions with top U.S. officials about Gaza, Iran and other matters. Trump issues another warning On Tuesday, Trump wrote on social media that Israel had 'agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize' the 60-day ceasefire, 'during which time we will work with all parties to end the War.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,' he said. Trump's warning may find a skeptical audience with Hamas. Even before the expiration of the war's longest ceasefire in March, Trump had repeatedly issued dramatic ultimatums to pressure Hamas to agree to longer pauses in the fighting that would see the release of more hostages and a return of more aid for Gaza's civilians. Still, Trump views the current moment as a potential turning point in the brutal conflict that has left more than 57,000 dead in the Palestinian territory. Gaza's Health Ministry said the death toll passed the 57,000 mark Tuesday into Wednesday, after hospitals received 142 bodies overnight. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its death count, but says that more than half of the dead are women and children. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Since dawn Wednesday, Israeli strikes killed a total of 40 people across the Gaza Strip, the ministry said. Hospital officials said four children and seven women were among the dead. The Israeli military, which blames Hamas for the civilian casualties because it operates from populated areas, was looking into the reports. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. The fighting has left the coastal Palestinian territory in ruins, with much of the urban landscape flattened in the fighting. More than 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million population has been displaced, often multiple times. And the war has sparked a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, pushing hundreds of thousands of people toward hunger. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The director of the Indonesian Hospital, Dr. Marwan al-Sultan, was killed in an apartment in an Israeli strike west of Gaza City, a hospital statement said. The hospital is the Palestinian enclave's largest medical facility north of Gaza City and has been a critical lifeline since the start of the war. The hospital was surrounded by Israeli troops last month and evacuated alongside the other two primary hospitals in northern Gaza. The bodies of the doctor, his wife, daughter and son-in-law, arrived at Shifa Hospital torn into pieces, according to Issam Nabhan, head of the nursing department at the Indonesian Hospital. 'Gaza lost a great man and doctor,' Nabhan said. 'He never left the hospital one moment since the war began and urged us to stay and provide humanitarian assistance. We don't know what he did to deserve getting killed.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In central Gaza, the Al Awda Hospital said an Israeli strike near the entrance of a school housing displaced Palestinians killed eight people, including three children, and wounded 30 others. The hospital also said Israel struck a group of Palestinians who gathered near the entrance of the hospital's administration building in Nuseirat refugee camp. In other developments, Israel said an airstrike last week killed two Hamas members who allegedly took part in a June 24 attack in which seven Israeli soldiers were killed when a Palestinian attacker attached a bomb to their armoured vehicle. — Bassem Mroue reported from Beirut. Moshe Edri in Tel Aviv, Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut, and Josef Federman in Jerusalem, contributed to this report. Sports News Money News MLB Editorial Cartoons
Toronto Sun
30 minutes ago
- Toronto Sun
Ontario government offers $50,000 reward for Kincardine woman missing for 37 years
Lois Hanna went missing in Kincardine, Ont., 37 years ago at the age of 25 and now the Ontario government is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to her location. Photo by OPP Thirty-seven years after her disappearance, the Ontario government is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the location of Lois Hanna. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Hanna — then 25 — was last seen on Sunday, July 3, 1988, at the Lucknow Homecoming Dance in Kincardine. She and her brothers had gone to elementary school there. A missing persons report was filed with the then-operational Kincardine Police after Hanna did not report for work at MacG's, a women's clothing store in Kincardine which was unusual for the former Miss Mid-western Ontario beauty queen on July 4, 1988. Apparently, Hanna loved her work and her co-workers after studying fashion at Fanshawe College. Recommended video On July 9, 1988, the OPP was called in to help investigate her disappearance and despite an exhaustive search and continued investigation, Hanna was not located. Police are treating her disappearance as a homicide. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. At the time of her disappearance, Hanna was described as 5-foot-4 and 120 pounds, with brown eyes and short brown, curly hair. Anyone with information is urged to contact their local police, or the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. The province is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the location of Lois Hanna, who went missing in Kincardine, Ont., 37 years ago. (OPP) Photo by OPP In a 2004 article, reprinted in 2024, the London Free Press delved into Hanna's disappearance. At the dance, the missing woman kissed her brother, Dave, on the cheek just before midnight and waved goodbye to her friends. She travelled 20 minutes in darkness along Hwy. 86 in her red 1987 Pontiac Grand Am to the Kincardine home she had just moved into and parked in the driveway. After entering the home and locking the door, she reportedly placed her purse and keys in their usual spot – a china cupboard – and hung the pink dress she wore that night in her closet. 'Everything was good right up until the time she walked out of the arena,' her brother, Dave Hanna, told the London Free Press. Sports News Money News MLB Editorial Cartoons
The Province
30 minutes ago
- Health
- The Province
Comox councillor steps forward as leadership candidate for B.C. Greens
Jonathan Kerr, a family doctor by profession, is touting past work on affordable housing and the recruitment of physicians in Comox. Dr. Jonathan Kerr (left) is pictured with his children Gwenyth (middle left) and Tobin (middle right) as well as his wife Christy Wagner (right). Kerr has thrown his name into the ring for consideration to become the next leader of the BC Green Party. Photo by Handout A Vancouver Island municipal official and family doctor has become the first person to announce their candidacy to replace Sonia Furstenau as the leader of the B.C. Greens, with a final vote set for mid-September. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Jonathan Kerr is in the middle of his second term on Comox town council and has served as a family physician for the past 17 years, first in Ontario and now in B.C. He also chairs the doctor recruitment task force for the Comox Valley and says it successfully brought 44 family physicians to the region between 2021 and 2024. In January of last year, he said these efforts had reduced the number of local residents without a family doctor from 14,000 to 2,000. 'Everyone knows that the Greens have the best environmental platform. If you care about our environment and want to stop extracting resources, we're the home for you,' Kerr told Postmedia News on Wednesday. 'What a lot of people don't know in B.C. is that the B.C. Greens have always had the best economic policy as well. I really want to shed light on why voting for the B.C. Greens, by growing our party, is actually going to have economic benefits for our province.' Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As an example of this, Kerr pointed to the clearcutting of the Beaufort Range near Comox, stating that the forestry industry isn't just shipping raw logs overseas and damaging the local ecosystem, but is also offshoring jobs by having the processing of that wood take place elsewhere. He said B.C. needs to find a way to keep jobs in the province and argued that industries like clean tech have been found to create six jobs for every new position in the oil-and-gas sector. According to his recently launched campaign website, Kerr has already received endorsements from former Green leader Jane Sterk, who led the party from 2007 to 2013, and fellow Comox councillor Jenn Meilleur. Kerr said Sterk called him up and urged him to put his name forward and that he had also spoken to Furstenau, who recommended he go for it. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Both Green MLAs, interim Leader Jeremy Valeriote of West Vancouver-Sea to Sky and Rob Botterell of Saanich-Gulf Islands, have declined to run in the leadership race, meaning that whoever takes the reins of the party will be without a seat in the legislature and would either have to wait for an opportunity to run in a byelection or wait for the next provincial election, scheduled for October 2028. 'It's actually a real advantage right now to have a leader outside of the legislature,' said Kerr. 'I've talked with MLAs Valeriote and Botterell about this. A leader that has the time and flexibility to travel the province, meet B.C. Greens in every community, grow the party from the grassroots. That's really going to be what our party needs right now.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Furstenau resigned as leader in January after losing to NDP cabinet minister Grace Lore in the provincial election last October after having been leader since 2020, and handed the role to Valeriote on an interim basis. She told Postmedia on Wednesday that the next leader of the B.C. Greens should be focused on building grassroots support and connecting with people, citing New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani as an example of how to do that properly. This is also why Furstenau agrees with Kerr that it might not be a bad thing to have a leader without a seat in the legislature. 'Speaking from years of experience, it's an enormous task to be an effective and committed MLA, and then also have the constituency duties and then, on top of that, be the leader,' she said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I think there's a real benefit to to somebody being able to devote their time and energy to really building the party from the grassroots up, and getting out and connecting with as many people as possible.' The deadline for candidates to submit their applications was June 14 and the deadline to sign up new members to vote in the contest is Aug. 10. Voting will happen primarily online from Sept. 13 to 23, with the winner set to be announced on Sept. 24. Hamish Telford, a University of the Fraser Valley political scientist, said the key for the Greens won't be who becomes their new leader but rather the party's ability to come up with a plan to grow its voter base within an electoral system that works against them. He also argued that having a leader outside the legislature will create difficulties, regardless of what Kerr might say. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The legislature provides a platform, and the people in the legislature are covered by the legislative press gallery, and they become the public faces of the party, and we've seen the challenges the Greens have faced on leadership at the federal level,' said Telford. 'At one point, Elizabeth May stepped down as leader, but retained her role as MP while the leader was outside and Elizabeth May got all of the attention and the leader got all of the flack to the point where Elizabeth May had to step back in to rescue the party.' Read More Vancouver Canucks Opinion News Celebrity Vancouver Canucks
