# Source note — CentreBC appoints Mike Bernier as leader

Date checked: 2026-07-19

## Evidence label
Political-party announcement checked against the official CentreBC release, supplied screenshots, public Facebook screenshot, CentreBC site pages, B.C. Legislature member records and accessible reporting from CTV/CityNews/Vancouver Sun. Party claims about being “socially progressive” or “fiscally responsible” are self-description unless tested by policy, candidates and campaign conduct.

## User-supplied source images
- `centrebc-release-page-1.jpg`
- `centrebc-release-page-2.jpg`
- `centrebc-facebook-post-screenshot.jpg`
- OCR/extraction note: `ocr-note.md`

## Primary sources captured
- CentreBC official release: `centrebc_release.html`
- CentreBC Mike Bernier bio page: `centrebc_bio.html`
- CentreBC team/home pages: `centrebc_team.html`, `centrebc_home.html`
- B.C. Legislature member page: `bc_leg_bernier.html`

## Reporting captured
- CityNews Vancouver: `citynews.html`
- CTV Vancouver: `ctv.html`
- Vancouver Sun: `vancouver_sun.html`

## Verified / reported points
- CentreBC published a July 18, 2026 release saying former Minister of Education and Peace River South MLA Mike Bernier was announced as the new leader of CentreBC in front of the B.C. Legislature.
- The release says Bernier was appointed by CentreBC’s Executive Council after a leadership search, following Founding Leader Karin Kirkpatrick’s resignation in June 2026.
- The release frames CentreBC as a “socially progressive, fiscally responsible” option between the NDP and B.C. Conservatives.
- CTV described CentreBC as a new provincial party seeking centrist voters disillusioned with both the NDP and B.C. Conservatives, and reported that Kirkpatrick founded CentreBC after the 2024 election.
- Vancouver Sun reported Bernier represented Peace River South from 2013 to 2024 under the B.C. Liberal / B.C. United banner and is returning as CentreBC leader.

## Cautions
- NewsForBC has not independently verified membership numbers, candidate recruitment, finances, riding associations or electoral viability.
- The release’s ideological labels are party positioning, not independent findings.
- The party’s future policy substance should be measured against official platform documents, candidate lists, nominations, financial filings and Elections BC records as they appear.