Popham returns as B.C. ag minister

British Columbia’s former minister of agriculture has been re-appointed to handle the file after two years on the tourism portfolio.

Lana Popham was named Monday as minister of agriculture by returning Premier David Eby, following the New Democrats’ whisker-thin return to majority government in the Oct. 19 election.

A co-founder of Vancouver Island organic vineyard Barking Dog Vineyard and former president of the Vancouver Island Grape Growers Association, Popham has been the MLA for Saanich South since 2009.

Before entering politics she also served as chair of the certification committee for the Islands Organic Producers Association, and a member of the province’s Investment Agriculture Board.

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While on the opposition benches, she served as critic for agriculture and later for tourism, then served as the NDP’s ag minister from 2017 to 2022, before being shuffled to the tourism, arts, culture and sport portfolio. On Monday she was also named as vice-chair of the legislature’s environment and land use committee.

Eby’s incumbent ag minister, Pam Alexis, lost her seat in last month’s election while Popham defeated Conservative challenger Adam Kubel by a spread of 5,335 votes.

After days of official counting and recounts, the election saw Eby’s NDP hang onto majority status with 47 of 93 seats, while John Rustad’s Conservatives won 44 and the Green Party two.

Eby on Monday also announced Harwinder Sandhu, the MLA since 2020 for what’s now Vernon-Lumby, as Popham’s parliamentary secretary for agriculture.

Sandhu, who before the election was parliamentary secretary for seniors’ services and long-term care, is a registered nurse by profession; her biography notes she comes from a farm family and has lived in rural communities across the province.

Among other cabinet appointments Monday of interest to farmers, Randene Neill was named minister for water, land and resource stewardship; Kelly Greene, minister for emergency management and climate readiness; Tamara Davidson, minister of environment and parks; and Rick Glumac, minister of state for trade.