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Black pitches 'stable' representation of the north in Victoria, if elected
Published 11:33 am Friday, October 2, 2026Diane Black will be running as the Conservative candidate for Nechako Lakes riding on Oct.24 The Conservative Party of British Columbia has announced Diane Black as its candidate for the Nechako Lakes riding in the Oct.24 provincial election.
Black is a Vanderhoof-raised accountant who arrives in the race with, by her own admission, little political experience. She will be stepping in for John Rustad, who held the Nechako Lakes seat for almost two decades. Rustad announced last month that he will not be seeking reelection. There were atleast three other contenders for the nomination for the riding, including Clint Lambert, a director with the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, and Houston mayor Shane Brienen.
Born in Vanderhoof in 1979, Black comes from a multi-generation farming family. She describes herself as the third generation on the land, in what is now a fifth-generation operation, Little Valley Farms. Her family also worked in logging. Black is a designated accountant with an MBA, has worked in the advanced education sector and in agriculture.
Her husband works for the local school district and together they are raising three teenagers. Black says she considered running in the last election but did not. This time, she says, “John Rustad reached out and said, ‘You have the kind of background that we’re looking for and the skill set.
'” She says she is “quite excited” after collecting signatures and talking to residents, and that Rustad has promised to help her learn the issues and history of the riding. Black described her motivation for entering politics as coming from dealings with leaders who, in her view, did not understand the challenges of the North.
She observed that some political figures focus mainly on winning votes in the south while failing to grasp the economic and environmental realities of northern industries such as logging and mining. Asked about the recent rearrangements within the Conservative Party, Black acknowledged “some chaos” but played down the politics.
“I feel like the North needs representation that’s stable and just a common sense approach to government,” she said. “I can only control things within my control. ” Her stated priorities for Nechako Lakes riding begin with cutting red tape. She cited a local company that waited two years for approvals and said helping “move business forward and remove red tape” would be a priority.
She also criticized land rules such as those governing the Agricultural Land Reserve as “made in the south for the south,” saying they may not suit northern conditions. On the environment, she said she wants insight into how projects are approved and wants her family to have “a healthy environment to live in in the north” alongside economic opportunity.
“If we’re encouraging investment and industry, there has to be something for the people,” she said. “Once the industry’s gone or come through, there needs to be some benefit for the people that live here. ” Black also pointed to what she sees as an economic disconnect between the North and the south. In her view, tax revenue from northern resources, such as logs, flows south without enough being reinvested in local infrastructure.
She emphasized that northern residents do dangerous work and need localized support systems suited to their environment. Black was asked directly where she stands on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act , given that the Conservative Party has been vocal about repealing it and that the Nechako riding is home to several First Nations. Black did not mention DRIPA or the party’s position by name. Instead, she spoke about family ties and the local economy.
“My sisters have married First Nations, and we’re intertwined. Like in the area, all of the families are intertwined. I shouldn’t say all the families, but there’s an integration on many levels. So I think it’s in everyone’s best interest that we figure out how to move forward in a good way, and … our economies are really struggling, and in a lot of ways, the First Nations presence is actually helpful to our economy.
Many of my nieces work for First Nations, and I do think that we need to look at as an opportunity to work together. ” She acknowledged friction in the process.
“Obviously, there’s challenges because … some of the processes are taking a while to get through. She said government can get in the way and the issue becomes politicized.
“I think that’s the challenge: is to try and keep it in the middle rather than try and make it very political,” she said. “It has to be good for the people that live here on the ground. ” On her qualifications, Black said that while she does not have as much political background, she has real world perspective that other people might not have.
“I am ready to fight for the North. ” Asked whether all communities in the riding, including Burns Lake, Houston,Fraser Lake, Granisle, Fort St. James and Vanderhoof can expect equal attention on healthcare, housing, transportation and forestry, she answered “Absolutely. ” She said her family has historically been “the one that’s going up and down the politicians saying you need to be doing more.
” She pointed to the strain on forestry-dependent families, including a Houston logging family her own family stayed with while travelling for their children’s sports. That family, she said, was on her mind when she decided to run: “someone has to be fighting to get resources in the north. ”
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