The B.C. Conservative Party, led by John Cummins (pictured), has not commented on the circumstances that led to Jeff Sprague’s departure from the campaign, except to call it an “unfortunate personal incident.”Eric Dreger/The Canadian Press
The B.C. Conservative Party has announced a replacement for North Vancouver-Lonsdale candidate Jeff Sprague, who resigned amid allegations of impaired driving. Mr. Sprague, who has been active with the party since 2011, resigned Sunday night to deal with "an unfortunate personal incident," according to the party. No other details have been released and Mr. Sprague's candidate profile has been pulled from the party's website.
North Vancouver RCMP Corporal Richard De Jong confirmed the department launched an impaired driving investigation on Thursday after a vehicle struck several parked cars at the corner of St. Davids Avenue and East 2nd Street and left the scene. However, police could not confirm Mr. Sprague was behind the wheel as the driver had not yet been formally charged as of Monday afternoon. Just 12 hours after Mr. Sprague's resignation, the B.C. Conservative Party had inserted a place-holder page for a candidate named Allan Molyneaux in North Vancouver-Lonsdale. Mr. Molyneaux studied at the University of Victoria and worked as a real estate appraiser, according to his Facebook page.
"The present B.C. Government is now making noices [sic] about the challenges to balance the Budget," he wrote in a December, 2011, status update announcing he had joined the B.C. Conservative Party. "They appear unwilling to do the tough things necessary to get the job done. We need a new approach and new Leadership in BC to ensure that what is happening in Europe does not happen in B.C."
The party is running 55 candidates across B.C.'s 85 ridings.
Andrea Woo