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Former Saanich cop who lost his leg in collision running against Elizabeth May

Ron Broda is running in the Saanich-Gulf Islands riding for the People’s Party of Canada
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Ron Broda putting on the lining for his prosthetic leg at his North Saanich home. Broda announced earlier this month that he is running for the People’s Party of Canada. (Black Press Media file photo)

A former police officer who lost his leg after being struck by a vehicle at Victoria’s Ogden Point is running for the People’s Party of Canada in the Saanich-Gulf Islands riding.

“I decided to run in this year’s federal election simply because I cannot vote for the other options available,” said Ron Broda on Facebook announcing his candidacy. Since ‘none of the above’ wasn’t an option, Broda said he decided to offer himself as a “viable alternative” for voters, who “like me, don’t like the other choices.”

RELATED: Ron Broda waiting for a leg up on the Saanich Peninsula

This run appears to be Broda’s first attempt at elected office — a process that apparently started with his decision to create an electoral association from scratch. “Starting an Electoral District Association (EDA) and running as the candidate for a brand new party has been exciting, challenging and a little overwhelming,” he said.

Broda lost his leg in July 2013 after an SUV struck him while he was riding his motorcycle. Broda, who said he has no memory of the crash, later sued the driver of the SUV, claiming he had been deliberately struck. The driver received 60 days in jail and a driving prohibition of five years in October 2016, after being found guilty of dangerous driving causing bodily harm. In September 2017, a court upheld this sentence.

But that’s not the only crash Broda has been involved in that has made headlines. In 2006, while driving an 18-wheeler, Broda struck a six-year-old walking on Blanshard Street. The collision left the boy with crushed legs and other injuries. Broda has publicly acknowledged the pain he has caused because of this incident.

RELATED: People’s Party of Canada still looking for people in Greater Victoria

According to his professional online profile, Broda currently works as a teacher and speaker, offering workshops, seminars, and other personal growth services.

Before this current career, Broda spent 14 years with the Vancouver Police Department, 14 years with the Saanich Police Department and seven years with the Canada Border Services Agency.

The events of 2013 loom large in Broda’s profile. “That experience drove home to me how precious and uncertain that life can be. I have a much greater appreciation for living each day to the fullest. I have a greater sense of urgency to accomplish what I am meant to with my life,” he writes.

Little is known of Broda’s political views, but his Facebook questions human-caused climate change, a familiar argument among populist circles in North America and Europe.

Also running in Saanich–Gulf Islands is incumbent and federal Green Party leader Elizabeth May, along with Liberal Ryan Windsor, Conservative David Bush, and New Democrat Sabina Singh.


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wolfgang.depner@peninsulanewsreview.com



Wolf Depner

About the Author: Wolf Depner

I joined the national team with Black Press Media in 2023 from the Peninsula News Review, where I had reported on Vancouver Island's Saanich Peninsula since 2019.
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