SURREY, B.C. - When voters in Surrey City Centre head to the polls on October 24, one name on the ballot will be new to provincial politics but well known in B.C.’s construction industry: Raman Sharma, the CentreBC candidate and founder of the Tradesman Association of BC.
Sharma arrived in Canada in 1998 and has spent more than 28 years building businesses and community organizations in Surrey and across British Columbia. In 2016 he founded the Tradesman Association of BC and still serves as its president. Through the association, he has created training and professional opportunities for builders and tradespeople, including builder licensing preparation, energy advisor education, safety training and professional development.
Sharma also founded the Annual Construction Expo, which brings together thousands of builders, tradespeople, businesses and community members, and the South Asian Construction Excellence (SACE) Awards, which recognize achievement and professionalism in the construction industry. His party biography says that work has helped hundreds of construction professionals strengthen their qualifications and advance their careers in B.C.
His community record runs alongside his business career. Sharma has volunteered for more than 22 years with the Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple in Surrey, supporting community, cultural and charitable activities, and he serves as a director with Unite to Help, contributing to humanitarian initiatives, food bank programs and community outreach. His contributions have been recognized with a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Pin, recognition by Premier David Eby, recognition by MLA Jagrup Brar at the Legislative Assembly, and recognition in the House of Commons by MP Sukh Dhaliwal.
Sharma is running for CentreBC, the centrist party founded in 2025, which is contesting the election under leader Elenore Sturko. The party campaigns on affordability, safety and opportunity, and Sharma’s biography says he believes public leadership is about listening to people, understanding community needs and turning ideas into practical action.
He is running in one of the closest ridings in Surrey. In 2024, BC NDP candidate Amna Shah won Surrey City Centre with 6,726 votes, just 232 ahead of Conservative Zeeshan Wahla at 6,494. Both Shah and Wahla are on the ballot again this year, alongside Sharma and OneBC candidate Oliver Wildfong, in a four-way race for Surrey’s downtown core riding.
Advance voting in Surrey City Centre runs October 16 to 21, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Creekside Elementary School, Forsyth Road Elementary School and Surrey Traditional School, with A.H.P. Matthew Elementary School and Queen Elizabeth Secondary School open on October 20 and 21. General voting day is Saturday, October 24.
Photo: CentreBC (centrebc.ca)
Sources: centrebc.ca; Elections BC; StudioX News
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