Darrell Jones says B.C. at a crossroads as he runs for Conservative leadership

SURREY — Former grocery executive Darrell Jones is running for the leadership of the Conservative Party of B.C., saying that the province stands at a “crossroads.”

Jones, the former president of the Pattison Food Group who was known for his Darrell’s Deals advertisements, says he knows how to deliver results, having gone from the “stock room to the board room.”

His announcement in front of about 100 supporters in Surrey puts him in a race with six other declared candidates, including Conservative MLAs Peter Milobar and Sheldon Clare, and entrepreneur Yuri Fulmer.

Others vying to fill the vacancy left by John Rustad also include political commentator Caroline Elliott, former BC Liberal minister Iain Black and Rossland contractor Warren Hamm.

Jones, who was on stage with his son and wife, says Premier David Eby’s NDP has “squandered” B.C. with taxes, deficits and policies “that prioritize ideologies over results.”

He says he plans to repeal the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

Jones had said last month as he considered a run for the leadership of British Columbia’s opposition that he would to apply lessons learned from his former boss, B.C. billionaire Jimmy Pattison, to the political world.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2026.

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press