The exodus of legislators from British Columbia’s Opposition Conservatives now has an Alberta connection. Donegal Wilson and Scott McInnis quit the B.C. Conservative caucus on Wednesday, both citing leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay’s reported connections to Alberta separatists as part of their concerns about her leadership. Wilson, who is MLA for Boundary-Similkameen, said in her resignation letter that experienced party staff have been fired and “more than one” of Findlay’s senior appointees “have been reported to have links to Alberta’s separatist movement.” McInnis, the MLA for Columbia River-Revelstoke, also mentioned those appointments as concerns, saying Alberta separatism is an “issue which is extremely contentious in Columbia River-Revelstoke, which shares a 200-kilometre border with Alberta.” Wilson and McInnis mark the eighth and ninth defections from the party since Findlay became party leader in May. All departures have happened in the last three weeks. The MLAs who have left currently sit as Independents. The new B.C. Conservative senior staffers in question appear to be Apollo Chung and Jake Bregolisse, according to reporting by the Toronto Star. Chung, who previously worked as executive director of the Republican Party of Alberta, was hired in July to work as the director of operations for the B.C. Conservatives. Findlay announced last week that Chung had been fired, although she offered no reason for the termination. Bregolisse, meanwhile, previously worked for the political consulting firm Sovereign North Strategies. That firm is co-directed by Republican Party of Alberta Leader Cameron Davies. In an interview with the National Post in June, Findlay said she would maintain “economic relations” with Alberta if the province chose to leave Canada. Alberta is slated to decide whether it will hold a binding referendum on separating from Canada in the fall. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has maintained she stands for a “sovereign Alberta in a united Canada” when asked about the possibility of her province leaving Canada and has said she will personally vote to remain in Canada on the October ballot. CTV News has reached out to the premier’s office for comment but did not immediately get a response. With files from Ian Holliday
