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

To most British Columbians, Darrell Jones is best known for his folksy Save-On-Foods commercials.

SURREY — Former grocery executive Darrell Jones has announced his bid for leadership of the Conservative Party of British Columbia, saying the province stands at a “crossroads.”

Jones, a former president of Pattison Food Group who was known for his Darrell’s Deals advertisements, said he knows how to deliver results, having gone from the “stockroom to the board room” during his 48-year career with the company.

“I’ve managed budgets, created thousands of jobs and navigated challenges,” Jones told a crowd of about 100 supporters in Surrey, B.C., on Tuesday.

“As a long time Surrey resident, who has travelled this province so many times, I understand the heartbeat of our communities, from the farms of the Fraser Valley and southern Interior to the mills of the North and the Interior and the tech hubs, ports and manufacturers of this great province of British Columbia.”

His announcement 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 include political commentator Caroline Elliott, former BC Liberal minister Iain Black and Rossland contractor Warren Hamm.

Standing on a stage surrounded by his family, including his wife, Elizabeth, Jones said his parents instilled in him the belief that anything is possible in B.C.

He said Premier David Eby’s New Democrat government had “squandered” B.C., with taxes, deficits and policies “that prioritize ideologies over results.” Jones listed several areas he said require reform, including housing.

“We all see that our province is one of the most expensive places to live on planet Earth,” he said. “And yet our government seems blind to these problems.”

Jones said B.C. has one of the highest tax rates in North America. “When everything is so expensive, how is anyone supposed to be able to have a great life, when they are taxed to death?”

He also said violence is scaring people in his city, including acts of extortion targeting members of the South Asian community.

“Whether it’s random assaults by daily shootings in the Lower Mainland or street disorder across B.C., it’s clear our province has failed to keep our people safe.”

Jones said he would “crack down on this lawlessness,” supporting police and the justice system to build safer communities across the province.

He promised to repeal the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, saying “Conservatives believe in strong property rights.”

“Do not get me wrong — Indigenous Peoples are important and it is something every person in British Columbia takes seriously,” he said. “But we have created uncertainty for all British Columbians.”

The legislation has “scared” investors, stalled projects in the resource sector and “let everyday folks in their homes and livelihoods be very insecure,” Jones said.

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

Sunita Dhir, New Democrat MLA for Vancouver-Langara, said in a statement from the B.C. NDP caucus that Jones has had a “disappointing record of making life harder and more expensive for people in order to pad corporate profits.”

Dhir said Jones hiked grocery prices beyond inflation and cut pay for front-line workers during the pandemic, even as competitors continued to support their staff.

“Working British Columbians can’t trust him not to make life harder and more expensive for people,” she said.

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