Stephen Andrew gets emotional as he shares a story borne of his own 2006 late-stage cancer diagnosis.
Given his role as a journalist in Greater Victoria, Andrew shared his journey and along the way heard stories from community members spurred to get checkups.
The one that makes him emotional was a firefighter who said he went in for a checkup and while he was cleared of the dreaded prostate cancer, the doctor noted something on his face – averting a potentially lethal bout with melanoma.
It’s a testament to the good that can come from fighting for what’s right. Those ripples are the kind he hopes to continue making, running as the Conservative candidate in the Oak Bay-Gordon Head riding this provincial election.
“You realize then how you can change someone’s life,” said Andrew, also former City of Victoria councillor.
Still carrying the English accent of his youth, Andrew came to Canada as a teen, landing in Ontario.
After stints working in hospitality, writing for local news and on the longtime morning national news show Canada AM, he came west because a friend had a job lined up for him at Kaleidoscope Theatre.
“I came out for six weeks work … that six weeks just kept turning into more work.”
Decades later, folks will be likely familiar with his face and voice for his journalism with CFAX and CTV.
Andrew cites specific examples of fighting for those without a voice: including reporting that exposes a landlord cheating students out of rent and exposing an employer not paying staff. During his fight with cancer, he also advocated for coverage of an experimental drug that saved his life.
“By doing something, by fighting or giving a voice to those that don't have a voice, you can make a difference to that one small thing,” he said. “I’m like a dog with a bone when something is wrong.”
Healthcare, the economy and public safety are all atop his agenda of concern this election.
“One of the main reasons I'm running is because I am a great believer in recovery and treatment,” he said. “I believe we haven’t done enough in recovery. We’ve been focused so intentionally on what they call harm reduction. We need to expand our thinking.”
Andrew’s work as a journalist has been recognized with regional, national, and international awards. Outside of his career, Andrew has served as executive director of a national cancer patient support group and he played a pivotal role in getting B.C. to pay for a critical cancer drug for patients without private plans.
He is a past board member for Lifetime Networks and is active on the board of the RunSport Victoria Society, as well as the board of a community association that provides childcare, financial literacy, and support for youth, seniors and families facing financial barriers.
While Andrew and his husband don’t live in the riding, he’s been all over it as a journalist, and there was that Oak Bay Half Marathon he finished a couple weeks before the cancer diagnosis.
“I was asked to run and it was the available riding,” he said, seated at the marina on a sometimes-sunny September day. “I’ve been all over as a journalist and, I thought, yeah, I'd love to do it and I love Oak Bay and I know many people here.”
