# Nicholas Simons

Nicholas Simons is a Canadian politician. He was the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia, representing the riding of Powell River-Sunshine Coast from 2005 until 2024, as a member of the New Democratic Party.

## Early life and career

Simons grew up in Montreal, with his musician father Jan Simons teaching at McGill University. He studied criminology at university, graduating with a bachelor's degree from University of Ottawa and master's degree from Simon Fraser University.
Before entering politics, Simons worked as a child-protection social worker for the Ministry for Children and Family Development, as a financial assistance worker, and as the crime prevention coordinator for the Northwest Territories. He has been a consultant for the federal, Northwest Territories and First Nations governments in areas of law reform and child welfare.
He served as the executive director of health and social development for the Sechelt Nation from 1997 until 2005. In this role he oversaw health, child welfare, alcohol and drugs, financial assistance and justice programs. He also negotiated funding for innovative preventative health and social services.

## Politics

Simons was a candidate for the New Democratic Party in the 2004 federal election, running in the riding of West Vancouver–Sunshine Coast. While he finished third, the experience convinced him to run as a candidate for the British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP) in the provincial election the following year, in which he was elected MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast. He was re-elected in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2020. He is one of four openly gay members of the provincial legislature.
In the legislature, Simons has served as chair of the Caucus Social Policy Committee, critic for Tourism, Sport and the Arts, and as critic for the Ministry for Children and Family Development.
He is rumoured to be one of thirteen provincial caucus members who forced the resignation of Carole James from her position as leader of the BC NDP. James announced her resignation on December 6, 2010, after consulting with a group of caucus members opposed to her continued leadership. Simons declared his candidacy in the subsequent leadership race on January 5, 2011, but withdrew on April 7 and threw his support behind John Horgan.
On November 26, 2020, he was appointed Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. With the announcement of Premier David Eby's new cabinet on December 7, 2022, Simons was replaced in that role by Sheila Malcolmson, and was instead named NDP caucus chair. On September 1, 2023 he announced that he would not be a candidate in the next provincial election. He was succeeded by Randene Neill.

## Electoral record

vte2020 British Columbia general election: Powell River-Sunshine Coast :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Nicholas Simons | 12,701 | 50.88 | +0.18 | $36,504.80 |
| | Green | Kim Darwin | 8,104 | 32.47 | +8.30 | $18,011.22 |
| | Liberal | Sandra Stoddart-Hansen | 4,156 | 16.65 | −7.88 | $15,266.38 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 24,961 | 99.28 | – |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 182 | 0.72 | +0.43 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,143 | 59.98 | –9.63 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | 41,921 |
| | New Democratic hold | New Democratic hold | Swing | Swing | –4.06 |
| Source: Elections BC |||||||
vte2017 British Columbia general election: Powell River-Sunshine Coast :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Nicholas Simons | 13,646 | 50.70 | −4.50 | $42,438 |
| | Liberal | Mathew Wilson | 6,602 | 24.53 | −8.25 | $65,433 |
| | Green | Kim Darwin | 6,505 | 24.17 | +12.15 | $20,298 |
| | Cascadia | Reuben Richards | 160 | 0.60 | – | $125 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 26,913 | 100.00 | – |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 78 | 0.29 | −0.10 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,991 | 69.60 | +6.36 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | 38,778 |
| Source: Elections BC |||||||
vte2013 British Columbia general election: Powell River-Sunshine Coast :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Nicholas Simons | 13,120 | 55.20 | -3.08 | $66,335 |
| | Liberal | Patrick Muncaster | 7,792 | 32.78 | -1.54 | $41,207 |
| | Green | Richard Carl Till | 2,856 | 12.02 | +5.72 | $4,537 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 23,768 | 100.00 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 92 | 0.39 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,860 | 63.24 |
| Source: Elections BC |||||||
vte2009 British Columbia general election: Powell River-Sunshine Coast :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Nicholas Simons | 13,276 | 58.28 | +14.83 | $66,566 |
| | Liberal | Dawn Miller | 7,818 | 34.32 | +4.17 | $102,008 |
| | Green | Jeff Chilton | 1,436 | 6.30 | -19.48 | $350 |
| | Refederation | Allen McIntyre | 249 | 1.10 | +0.48 | $1,110 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 22,779 | 100 | – |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 102 | 0.45 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,881 | 63.02 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | |
vte2005 British Columbia general election: Powell River-Sunshine Coast :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Nicholas Simons | 11,099 | 43.45 | +26.30 | $108,403 |
| | Liberal | Maureen Clayton | 7,702 | 30.15 | -12.21 | $102,008 |
| | Green | Adriane Carr | 6,585 | 25.78 | -1.23 | $350 |
| | Refederation | Allen McIntyre | 249 | 0.62 | New | $1,110 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 25,542 | 100 | – |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 109 | 0.43 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,651 | 72.43 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | |
2004 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Conservative | John Reynolds | 21,372 | 35.29 | -22.04 | $81,933 |
| | Liberal | Blair Wilson | 19,685 | 32.51 | +5.91 | $81,023 |
| | New Democratic | Nicholas Simons | 13,156 | 21.72 | +15.43 | $29,779 |
| | Green | Andrea Goldsmith | 5,887 | 9.72 | +4.83 | $28,167 |
| | Canadian Action | Marc Bombois | 321 | 0.53 | -1.30 | $117 |
| | Marxist–Leninist | Anne Jamieson | 123 | 0.20 | – | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 60,544 | 100.0 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 139 | 0.23 | -0.06 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 60,683 | 66.00 | +2.81 |
| | Conservative notional hold | Conservative notional hold | Swing | Swing | -13.98 |
| Conservative change is from the combination of Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance vote. |||||||

## Personal life

Simons is a cellist, whose musical credits include several tracks on Rise Against's 2004 album Siren Song of the Counter Culture. Simons and Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson both perform on country-punk musician Slim Milkie's 2010 album Silverado; Milkie, whose real name is Scott Scobbie, is Simons' partner.