Elenore Sturko
{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Elenore Sturko
| honorific_suffix = MLA
| assembly = British Columbia Legislative
| constituency_AM = Surrey-Cloverdale
| termstart = October 19, 2024
| predecessor = Mike Starchuk
| successor =
| term_end =
| assembly1 = British Columbia Legislative
| constituency_AM1 = Surrey South
| termstart1 = September 10, 2022
| predecessor1 = Stephanie Cadieux
| successor1 = Brent Chapman
| term_end1 = October 19, 2024
| party = BC Conservatives (since 2024)
| otherparty = BC Liberal/United (2022-2024)
| residence = Surrey, British Columbia
}}
Elenore Sturko is a Canadian politician who currently serves as a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia. First elected in a 2022 by-election in Surrey South as a member of the BC Liberal Party (later renamed BC United),{{Cite news |title=BC Liberal Elenore Sturko wins Surrey South by-election |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9120507/bc-liberal-elenore-sturko-wins-surrey-south-by-election/ |date=2022-09-12 |access-date=2022-09-23 |website=Global News |first=Richard |last=Zussman |language=en-CA}} she crossed the floor to join the BC Conservatives in June 2024,{{Cite web |date=June 3, 2024 |title=Rob Shaw: MLA Elenore Sturko defects to Conservatives in stunning blow to BC United |url=https://www.theorca.ca/commentary/rob-shaw-mla-elenore-sturko-defects-to-conservatives-in-stunning-blow-to-bc-united-8961241|access-date=June 3, 2024 |website=The Orca}}{{Cite web |date=June 3, 2024 |title=Surrey South MLA Elenore Sturko Joins Conservative Party of BC |url=https://www.conservativebc.ca/surrey_south_mla_elenore_sturko_joins_conservative_party_of_bc|publisher=Conservative Party of British Columbia |access-date=June 3, 2024}} and was elected in Surrey-Cloverdale in that year's provincial election.{{cite news | url=https://www.surreynowleader.com/local-news/bc-election-2024-results-in-surrey-cloverdale-trickling-out-7597513 | title=ELECTED: Elenore Sturko takes Surrey-Cloverdale for Conservatives | date=20 October 2024 }}
Biography
Sturko resides in Surrey with her wife Melissa and their three children.
Sturko graduated from Kamloops Senior Secondary, then entered the broadcasting industry by joining CFJC-TV in Kamloops. She became a reservist with the Canadian Forces Air Command in 2007, serving with the Yellowknife-based 440 Transport Squadron.
She then joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in 2009, eventually attaining the rank of staff sergeant. During this time she initially served in Langley before transferring back to Yellowknife in 2012 working as a frontline police officer and later as a community policing and media relations officer.{{Cite web |title=Elenore Sturko at Conservative Party of BC |url=https://www.conservativebc.ca/elenore |access-date=2025-02-07 |publisher=Conservative Party of British Columbia |language=en-CA}} She traveled extensively in the North, working with Indigenous communities, and participated in the Arctic Sovereignty Patrol.
Sturko and her family moved to Ottawa in 2016, joining the RCMP Musical Ride and also participating in the 2017 cross-country tour celebrating Canada 150. Stationed in Surrey since 2018, she became a spokesperson for the Surrey RCMP. Throughout her career she has served as an advisor on issues related to gender, sexual orientation, and harassment.{{Cite news |last=Jordan |first=Malin |date=2024-10-21 |title=Elenore Sturko wins Surrey-Cloverdale for Conservative Party of B.C. |url=https://www.surreynowleader.com/local-news/elenore-sturko-wins-surrey-cloverdale-for-conservative-party-of-bc-7601132 |access-date=2025-02-05 |publisher=Surrey Now-Leader |language=en-CA}}
Political Career
Following Stephanie Cadieux's resignation as Surrey South MLA, Sturko was approached by BC Liberal leader Kevin Falcon to run as the party's candidate,{{Cite news |last=Holmes |first=Tracy |date=2022-05-06 |title=Face of Surrey RCMP taking run at Surrey South seat for BC Liberals |url=https://www.surreynowleader.com/news/face-of-surrey-rcmp-taking-run-at-surrey-south-seat-for-bc-liberals-2987850 |access-date=2025-02-05 |publisher=Surrey Now-Leader |language=en-CA}} and was elected to the legislature in the September 2022 by-election. She was named the official opposition education critic that October,{{Cite news |last=Greenizan |first=Nick |date=2022-10-03 |title=Newly elected Sturko sworn in as MLA for Surrey South |url=https://www.surreynowleader.com/news/newly-elected-sturko-sworn-in-as-mla-for-surrey-south-2993091 |access-date=2025-02-05 |publisher=Surrey Now-Leader |language=en-CA}} and became shadow minister for Mental Health, Addiction, Recovery and Education that December.{{cite web |date=2022-12-08 |title=Kevin Falcon announces Official Opposition Shadow Ministers |url=https://www.bcliberalcaucus.bc.ca/2022/12/kevin-falcon-announces-official-opposition-shadow-ministers/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208232757/https://www.bcliberalcaucus.bc.ca/2022/12/kevin-falcon-announces-official-opposition-shadow-ministers/ |archive-date=2022-12-08 |website=British Columbia Liberal Party}}{{Cite news |last=Browne |first=Alex |date=2022-12-10 |title=Semiahmoo Peninsula MLAs gain 'shadow minister' portfolios |url=https://www.surreynowleader.com/news/semiahmoo-peninsula-mlas-gain-shadow-minister-portfolios-2995703 |access-date=2025-01-25 |publisher=Surrey Now-Leader |language=en-CA}}
On June 3, 2024, she announced her decision to leave BC United and sit in the legislature as a Conservative, becoming the party's fourth MLA.{{cite news |last1=DeRosa |first1=Katie |title=B.C. United MLA Elenore Sturko defects to Conservatives |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sturko-bc-conservatives-1.7222911 |access-date=3 June 2024 |website=CBC News}}{{Cite news |last1=Weel |first1=Tricia |last2=Depner |first2=Wolfgang |date=2024-06-04 |title=Elenore Sturko decision to defect to BC Conservatives shocks BC United |url=https://www.surreynowleader.com/local-news/elenore-sturko-decision-to-defect-to-bc-conservatives-shocks-bc-united-7370602 |access-date=2025-02-05 |publisher=Surrey Now-Leader |language=en-CA}} She contested the electoral district of Surrey-Cloverdale in that October's provincial election, defeating the incumbent New Democratic Party candidate Mike Starchuk to become that riding's MLA. She was named to Conservative leader John Rustad's shadow cabinet that November, serving as critic for Solicitor General and Public Safety.{{Cite news |last=Andreas |first=Jeff |date=2024-11-20 |title=BC Conservative shadow cabinet revealed |url=https://www.radionl.com/2024/11/20/john-rustad-reveals-bc-conservative-shadow-cabinet/ |access-date=2025-02-05 |publisher=Radio NL |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Zillich |first=Tom |date=2024-11-20 |title=Surrey, Delta MLAs named to Rustad's 'shadow cabinet' of Conservatives in B.C. |url=https://www.surreynowleader.com/local-news/surrey-delta-mlas-named-to-rustads-shadow-cabinet-of-conservatives-in-bc-7659387 |access-date=2025-02-05 |publisher=Surrey Now-Leader |language=en-CA}}
A leaked letter signed by 13 BC Conservative MLA's attacking Sturko exposed a rift within this new party weeks after it became the official opposition.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-06 |title=B.C. Conservative leader faces test after colleagues' letter attacks Surrey MLA |url=https://www.wltribune.com/news/bc-conservative-leader-faces-test-after-colleagues-letter-attacks-surrey-mla-7692482 |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=The Williams Lake Tribune |language=en}} This group sent a letter to party leader John Rustad raising concerns about public comments Sturko made on November 23, 2024 regarding the appropriateness for the Vancouver Police Board to accept the resignation of vice-chair Comfort Sakoma-Fadugba after Sakoma-Fadugba made anti-immigration, racist, and transphobic comments on social media. This letter was sent by BC Conservative MLAs who rallied behind Sakoma-Fadugba calling her a victim of cancel culture, and called Rustad to ask Sturko, whom they believe spoke out of turn, to send a written apology to Sakoma-Fadugba.{{Cite web |last=Press |first=Dirk Meissner and Brieanna Charlebois The Canadian |date=2024-12-10 |title=Rustad says he expects defiance in B.C. Conservative ranks amid row over core values |url=https://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/prairies/bc/article_74386d99-4101-550f-adeb-0684e2829b95.html |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Kelowna Courier |language=en}} Sturko responded saying she has no plans to change her statement.
Electoral record
{{2024 British Columbia provincial election/Surrey-Cloverdale}}
{{2022 British Columbia provincial by-elections/Surrey South}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{British Columbia MLAs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sturko, Elenore}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)
Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians
Category:Women MLAs in British Columbia
Category:British Columbia Conservative Party MLAs
Category:Canadian LGBTQ people in provincial and territorial legislatures
Category:Canadian lesbian politicians
Category:People from Surrey, British Columbia
Category:Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers
Category:21st-century Canadian LGBTQ people
Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia