As British Columbians prepare for the Oct. 19 provincial election, a party that's been relegated to the political outskirts for almost half a century is experiencing a dramatic resurgence. 

The Conservative Party of B.C. under leader John Rustad is climbing high in the polls, raking in donations and aiming to field candidates in ridings throughout the province. 

A survey from Mainstreet Research on Tuesday put the B.C. Conservatives in the lead in terms of voting intention at 36 per cent support,…