Why do some B.C. cities have political parties?

ABC, BCA, Green Party, Liberals? Some cities have political parties and others don't. But why is that? It can be pretty confusing, with a bunch of names that can all sound the same, but they are different. Long story short, all it takes is for someone to register a party. I'm talking about the municipal elections that are happening all across BC on October 17th. This is when you'll vote for mayor, and it's not to be confused with the provincial election when we'll elect a premier. For municipal elections, political parties have a fancy official name. They're called elector organizations and they endorse certain candidates and promote them during the campaign. The party's name goes beside the candidate on the ballot. These civic parties register with Elections BC. They need a name and they need to have at least 50 members in the city that they're trying to get elected in. These civic parties can be aligned with the provincial and federal parties, like the federal Conservatives, NDP or Liberals, but they don't have to be. In the case of the Vancouver Liberal Party, they are not affiliated with the Federal Liberal Party or even the former Provincial Liberal Party, which some of you might remember. Candidates can run as independents, meaning no party affiliation, but it does make it harder to stand out in the bigger cities. Many civic parties try to distinguish themselves on local issues, like swimming pools, zoning, traffic, and taxes. Election Day is Saturday, October 17th. See you at the polls. For more information on the upcoming local elections, follow CBC News BC.