Both sides of Nina Krieger's family are from Eastern Europe. Her father's side immigrated to North America before the Second World War, foreseeing the rise of antisemitism in Germany and beyond. Her mother's side, however, endured “significant hardships” during the war before eventually coming to Canada in the years that followed.
Born and raised in Vancouver, Krieger credits her upbringing in B.C., along with her parents' teachings and cultural heritage, for instilling in her a deep understanding of Canadian values.
“I grew up with grandparents and parents who just never missed an opportunity to remind me, my siblings and cousins, how lucky we were to live in Canada and B.C. in particular,” she said. “I also grew up in a home permeated by the values of social justice, education and truth.”
Krieger pursued studies in history which brought her to the United Kingdom. Once back in B.C., she started working at the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. A few years back, the opportunity to become the organization’s executive director presented itself. Honoured, she jumped on.
This year, Krieger entered the world of politics as the NDP candidate for Victoria-Swan Lake.
Although this transition might be unorthodox, she believes her personal and professional experiences prepared her for this role.
“It may be a leap, but I do believe there are so many transferable skills in my role as a non-profit leader [to politics],” she said. “That notion of working together to build a more just and inclusive society has always been core to my values and my work.”
With empathy at the root of her leadership, Krieger explained joining forces with the NDP for their “people-centred” approach.
As a mother of one and the daughter of aging parents, the aspiring politician prioritizes health care and child care. In addition, affordability and access to essential services like housing and education are also central to her political agenda.
Humbled by the opportunity to represent her community, Krieger said being committed to dedicating her time and efforts to improving the riding she calls home.
“We all want a community where people can ideally live, work, play and thrive,” she said. “There's no project more important than making sure the lives of people in this province are good.”
While the fate of the Victoria-Swan Lake riding will be decided on election night, Krieger benefited from the guidance of a unique mentor throughout her campaign.
“I'm very fortunate that Rob Fleming, who's done such a tremendous job for so many years, is such a generous mentor. There's a lot to learn from him.”
Set to replace the B.C.'s current Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Krieger aims to continue the “strong track record” of the long-serving MLA.
“I would never attempt to fill his shoes, but I certainly hope to build on his legacy and how he listened so compassionately and worked so proactively for the residents every day,” said Krieger. “I'm deeply committed to working and representing people and their interests.”
