Cariboo RD Area "H" Director launches bid for 5th term

In her recent column in the 100 Mile Free Press -- current Cariboo RD Area "H" Director (Forest Grove/Canim Lake) and 2025-26 Cariboo RD Board Chair Margo Wagner announced that she would seek a 5th term on the Cariboo Regional District Board for the elected term of 2026-2030 (see above picture)

She was first elected onto the Cariboo Regional District Board in November of 2011 and was acclaimed in the Cariboo Regional District local general elections of 2014, 2018 and 2022

In addition to Director Wagner -- Cariboo RD Area "A" Director Nicole Audet will be seeking her 1st full term this October following a by-election win this past February of 2026; Cariboo RD Area "F" Director Maureen LeBourdais will be seeking her 3rd consecutive term while Cariboo RD Area "D" Director Steve Forseth seeks his 4th consecutive term.  The Cariboo RD Areas B,C,E,G,I,J,K,L Directors (Barb Bachmeier, John Massier, Melynda Neufeld, Al Richmond, Jim Glassford, Tolin Pare, Betty Anderson and Eric DeVries) have yet to publicly state if they plan to seek re-election this October

Cariboo Regional District Candidate Nomination Period commences Tuesday, September 1st, 2026 at 9am and concludes on 4pm sharp! on Friday, September 11, 2026 EXCLUDING Saturday-Sunday-Monday September 5-6-7, 2026 due to the Labour Day Long Weekend...

More information on the Cariboo Regional District Electoral Area Director local election process can be accessed at https://www.cariboord.ca/regional-government/feedback-and-engagement/2026-local-election-information/

Day to Day Democracy Podcast interviews Cariboo RD Chair Margo Wagner

In Episode 7 of "Day to Day Democracy": a podcast which looks at serving in BC Local Government and co-hosted by former Kamloops Councillor Arjun Singh and current Vanderhoof Councillor Brian Frenkel -- they interview Cariboo Regional District Board Chair (and Cariboo RD Area "H" Director) Margo Wagner

They cover:

* What is a Regional District?

* Role of a Regional District Board Chair?

* Role of an Electoral Area Director

* Regional District Advocacy

* Understanding needs in an unincorporated community and how to respond?

* Communications during Emergencies/Non-Emergencies

* Cooperation with Indigenous Nations especially during emergencies

* FireSmarting in a rural, unincorporated community context

The episode can be viewed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRX4TwlkI98

#CaribooRD South Cariboo Wildfire Update - July 20th, 2021

Courtesy of the Cariboo Regional District:

Video version of this update can be viewed here

Cariboo Regional District Chair Margo Wagner, District of 100 Mile House Mayor Mitch Campsall, and Kyle Young, Information Officer for the BC Wildfire Service gathered today to provide a brief update on the current wildfire situation in the Cariboo region, with a focus on 100 Mile House and the surrounding area. 

CRD Chair urges everyone to be prepared and ready

“I want those of you on evacuation order to know that we are making every effort to secure your home and property until your safe return. And we will continue to assist you however we can until that time has come.” stated CRD Chair Margo Wager.  “For everyone else, be prepared and be ready. If you receive an evacuation order… stay calm, secure your home and get going. By evacuating when ordered, it allows responders to focus on protecting natural and human-made assets from further loss.”

100 Mile House working hard to maintain local shopping and business access

District of 100 Mile Mayor Mitch Campsall said “I want the people of 100 Mile House and our surrounding neighbours to know that we are working as hard as we can to keep you safe here at home, so you can continue to shop, work, and live in our community. We hope for the best, but are preparing for every possible outcome.”

BC Wildfire Service sees progress on Flat Lake wildfire
Kyle Young of the BC Wildfire Service provided a brief update on wildfire fighting efforts in the South Cariboo, “The Flat Lake wildfire is active but the crews are making progress. “There hasn’t been a lot of growth on the northeast flank closest to 100 Mile House.  We want to ensure the safety of everyone before the evacuation orders and alerts are rescinded.”

What to do if you are evacuated.
The following are some key points and reminders for those who receive an evacuation order:

• Stay calm, secure your home – avoiding panic will avoid traffic issues and delays
• Follow the evacuation route and instructions on your official evacuation order
• Register at the Emergency Support Services (ESS) Centre location named on your official evacuation order.  Residents can pre-register at ess.gov.bc.ca

We recognize that being on an evacuation order and out of you home can be stressful.  Please remember that there is a hard working team that is doing their best to get you home as soon as it is safe to do.

It is also important to remember that preparedness starts at home. For more information about what do when you are evacuation alert or order or how to be prepared visit www.cariboord.ca or contact the public information line at 1-866-759-4977. 

Residents are also strongly encouraged to register for the Emergency Notification System at www.cariboord.ca/CRDEmergsignup to be notified when your property is put on evacuation order or alert and when those orders or alerts are lifted.  If you are all ready registered, you are encouraged to login and make sure all you information is up to date and you have confirmed your address point is correct.

Successful Controlled Burn at Deka Lake

Courtesy of the Cariboo RD's Emergency Operations Centre:

A successful controlled burn in the battle against wildfires in the Deka Lake area on Monday has Volunteer Fire Chief Al Boyce grateful for the hard work and dedication of his crew, the community, and all the other firefighters who helped with the effort.

“I’m so impressed with the dedication of the volunteers of the Deka Lake Volunteer Fire Department and our fellow volunteer halls across the Cariboo, the work of BC Wildfire Service, and the responders who are coming from around the province to assist us,” says Boyce. “The controlled burn removed available fuel between the fires edge and the fuel free guard. This strategy slows down and helps limit the spread of the wildfire by decreasing the amount of fire perimeter that must be managed by BCWS staff.”

Boyce notes that there have not been any structures lost to date, roadblocks are in place, and patrols are maintaining security while the evacuation order is in place.

“I want our residents to rest assured that their community is still here,” says Boyce

Cariboo Regional District Board Chair Margo Wagner is also praising the work of fire crews and first responders.

“Cariboo firefighters have hard-won experience battling wildfires from previous years. That expertise is paying dividends across the region in 2021. Our local first responders and all those answering the call from other parts of the province are doing an incredible job under challenging circumstances.”

Local Gov't Nomination Information Website

Interested in when someone files in a municipality, regional district or school district...?

CivicInfoBC - a website for all things local government will post the information online as it is forwarded by local Chief Election Officers.  See that website here

For example:

Cariboo Regional District:

CRD Chair/Area 'G' Director Al Richmond and Area 'I' Director Jim Glassford have filed their nomination papers as well as CRD Area 'H' Director hopefuls Ron Lister and Margo Wagner

City of Williams Lake:

No official names

City of Quesnel:

No official names

District of 100 Mile House:

No official names

District of Wells:

No official names

School Distict #28:

No official names

School District #27:

Tanya Guenther in Zone 2
Sheila Boehm in Zone 5
Oleh Lazarchuk in Zone 5

Election Races in both CRD Area 'H' and SD #27 - Zones 4/5

Today, in the 100 Mile Free Press, they report that Area 'H' residents Ron Lister (Deputy Chief of the Forest Grove VFD) and Margo Wagner (Canim Lake resident and retiree for the past seven years, she arrived from England 36 years ago and worked as a nurse in Alberta) will both compete for the Directorship of CRD Area 'H'. See more here

Note - current CRD Area 'H' Director Art Dumaresq is on public record backing the election bid of Ron Lister to become the new CRD Area 'H' Director

Meanwhile - in Williams Lake, the Cariboo Advisor reports that 150 Mile resident Jackie Austin wants to become the new Zone 4 Trustee.  So - it'll be an interesting election battle to watch as Ms. Austin goes up against current Zone 4 Trustee Heather McKenzie and to observe what the election issue(s) that will be raised by both parties will be.

Finally - Sheila Boehm, who has previously announced, has file nomination papers yesterday seeking the Zone 5 Trustee seat (WL Fringe) which is being vacated by outgoing SD #27 Board Chair Wayne Rodier