Impact of stormy US election forecasts in BC

Across the choppy seas of Victoria Monday, the end of a turbulent US election campaign was just hours away and many British Columbians were watching intently to see who would become the next president.

Whether it’s Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, the outcome will undoubtedly impact people across the province.

“We have two candidates with essentially very different views of the world and the way it should work,” UBC political scientist Stewart Perst said Monday, the day before the election.

Perst says a Trump presidency would mean less action to combat climate change and less value placed on historic alliances.

“Mr. Trump is much more focused on a negotiating relationship with the rest of the world, and that includes Canada,” Prest said.

Whoever prevails south of the border, it will likely mean some economic headwinds in B.C

On trade, Trump has already indicated he will impose tariffs on many Canadian goods, while Harris has also indicated support for protecting U.S. products — meaning B.C.’s resource industries could face challenges.

“Especially economic sectors that could be affected by trade negotiations, such as softwood lumber or the energy movement,” said Prest.

The stakes are literally high, even for gamblers. BC Lottery Corporation expects Tuesday’s election to be similar to the previous one in 2020, when a record 16,000 online bets in BC wagered $4.5 million on the presidential race.

“We will see more money bet on the 2024 US elections than on the Superbowl in recent years, so I think that shows how popular the US elections are here in British Columbia,” said BCLC’s Matt Lee.

As people here try to predict the outcome of a race that is predicted to be close and possibly stormy even after the polls close Tuesday night.