Surrey resident Darrell Jones makes bid for B.C. Conservative leadership
Published 11:45 am Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Former Save-On-Foods president Darrell Jones is officially in the running for the B.C. Conservative leadership.
Jones, who grew up in Cranbrook, is probably best-known in B.C. for his years of being the face of Save-On-Foods and its commercials.
“As someone who has built a career from the stock room to the boardroom. I know what it takes to deliver results. I’ve managed budgets, created thousands of jobs, and navigated challenges,” he told the room full of supporters during the announcement in Surrey Tuesday (Jan. 27).
Jones is the latest of the officially announced candidates that include Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar, former B.C Liberal minister Iain Black, Capilano University Chancellor Yuri Fulmer, and Prince George-North Cariboo MLA Sheldon Clare. Political commentator Caroline Elliott also launched a leadership bid on Jan. 16 with a video on social media.
Jones said that as a long-time Surrey resident, who has travelled the province “so many times,” he understands the “heartbeat of our community, 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.”
Jones served as president of Save-On-Foods for more than 13 years, working in roughly two dozen locations throughout the province. He said through that work, he learned first-hand what matters to families and workers.
“I remember so vividly that time and that experience,” he said. “It’s just incredible, bagging groceries for my customers, stocking shelves and learning the business from incredible people in the company.
“It sparked a passion for me, passion for taking care of their wants, their needs, and helping everyday people any way I could.”
Jones said he’s called Surrey home for more than 30 years, raising his family in the “dynamic city.” He was joined by his family onstage and his son, Zack, introduced him at the event.
“I’m proud to be standing here today, not just because my dad is stepping up, but because I’ve had a front row seat to how he lives his life, how he shows up every day, and how he leads. Most people know my dad as a business leader, a community advocate,” Zack said.
Jones said in his time in Surrey, he’s seen the city “evolve from a growing suburb into a bustling, innovative culture with with opportunities,” but noted he’s also seen the challenges up close.
He spoke about witnessing housing prices “shoot through the roof,” and the affordability crisis worsening for many in B.C. Jones added B.C. has “some of the highest tax rates in North America.”
“It’s not just housing, but it’s the pricing of everything from gas to coffee. We all see that our province is one of the most expensive places to live on planet Earth, and yet our government seems blind to these problems.”
Jones also pointed to public safety.
“Our streets have been insecure and unsafe for people. They’re afraid to leave their home, whether it’s random assaults or daily shootings in the Lower Mainland or street disorder across B.C.”
He said these are “symptoms of a deeper problem,” adding inadequate justice and public safety measures have “failed to protect” British Columbians.
‘Families shouldn’t live here in fear when they’re up to celebrate their lives, their joys, going for a walk in their neighborhood or going out for coffee with friends. Business owners shouldn’t be extorted for simply trying to make a living and have to battle and deal with this lawlessness.”
Another focus of his announcement was property rights in B.C., which he described as “one of the biggest concerns of freedom, of economic stability” that B.C. has seen in decades.
He called for the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) to be repealed.
“Don’t get me wrong. Indigenous people are important, and it’s something that every person in British Columbia takes seriously, but we have created uncertainty for all British Columbians,” he said.
Jones later told media the province and First Nations need to “have a sit down, have the right conversation, solve the different problems and still keep this province together.”
