Quesnel Mayor + Council All Candidates Forum 2026

Joining my Cariboo RD Areas "A" + "C" colleagues -- I observed tonight's All Candidates Forum for both Quesnel Mayor and City Councillor (6) -- all but one of the 18 running for Quesnel Councillor and all three people running for Quesnel Mayor (Ron Paull, Coralee Oakes, Brian Waters) were in attendance

In the 2.5 hour session -- candidates for both Quesnel Mayor + City Councillor, after introductory and closing comments, answered questions relating to public safety,  working with local social agencies, sustainable growth,  attracting investment to Quesnel, understanding the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations and how to apply those learnings to Quesnel 

Questions asked of candidates for Quesnel City Councillor: 

* measurable results  for safe downtown core

* Long Term Planning for Sustainable Growth

While questions asked of those running for Quesnel Mayor were: 

* Balance needs of vulnerable residents and community members, business, etc ….

* Attracting investment to Quesnel 

* How would you work with local First Nations, the Cariboo Regional District and provincial/federal governments to coordinate infrastructure investments across the region

* Do you believe bylaws are being enforced fairly in the downtown core 

* What are Quesnel Council's responsibilities in supporting the 2SLGBTQIA+ community?

* What would you do to simplify permitting, regulations, and approval process to make it easier for businesses to get started, and grow?

* How will you include the needs of the youth of Quesnel in your planning and decision making?

* What is your understanding of the respective roles of Bridges, The Grace, and shelter, and how they work together to support people who are unhoused or at risk?

* What strategies would you implement to support infrastructure renewal and attract new investment to Quesnel?

* Taxpayers are tired of seeing public monopolized by addiction and disorder what is your timeline for restoring law and order to help our businesses disorder

* How will you contribute to TRC and its recommendations as it relates to “Highway of Tears” aka Highway 16 

* If elected, what staff cutbacks would you like to see….. 

One question that raised eyebrows during the Quesnel Mayoral debate was criticism of Quesnel City Manager Joel McKay not residing in the City of Quesnel proper which saw a strong rebuke of the question from incumbent Quesnel Mayor Ron Paull and his chief opponent, Coralee Oakes as being inappropriate and that the City of Quesnel was very lucky indeed to have Joel McKay as its' City Manager which earned a strong round of applause.  The question asked here does go against unspoken practice that CAO or Chief Administrative Officers' are "off-limits" when it comes to all candidates forums and questions for elected officials

It was acknowledged, by way of intervention of incumbent Quesnel Councillor Scott Elliott, at the end of the Quesnel Councillor debate that incumbent Quesnel Councillor Deb McKelvie wanted to attend the All Candidates Forum but was unable to do so and her absence was acknowledged by way of a round of applause 

Certainly -- voters in Quesnel have its' work cut out for them to select 6 people (among 18) for Quesnel City Councillor and to select 1 one from among 3 to become the next Mayor of Quesnel 

2026 Unofficial Candidate List - City of Quesnel

From the City of Quesnel:

As of 4:01 pm on September 11, 2026, the following candidates have been nominated for the Office of Mayor and Council in the 2026 City of Quesnel Local Government Election:

Candidate for the Office of Mayor (alphabetical):

• OAKES, Coralee
• PAULL, Ron
• WATERS, Brian

Candidates for the Office of Councillor (alphabetical):

• ADAMS, Ryan
• CAVE, Michael
• DAVIS, Joni
• DREW, Jeremy
• ELLIOTT, Scott
• FREEMAN, Ben
• GOULET, Tony
• JARDOSH, Jay
• LECLERC, Robert
• MACNEILL, Susan
• MCKELVIE, Debra
• NELSON, Linda
• ROODENBURG, Laurey-Anne
• RUNGE, Martin
• SCHULTZ, Duane
• STUMP, Chad
• SUTTON, Richard
• VIK, Mitch

This list remains unofficial, pending nomination challenges and the close of the withdrawal period on Friday, September 18, 2026, at 4:00 pm.

For detailed information on the candidates above, visit the CivicInfo BC website at www.localelections.ca.

To learn more about the 2026 Local Government Elections, visit the City of Quesnel website at https://www.quesnel.ca/city-hall/elections/2026-local-government-elections

Coralee Oakes runs for Mayor of Quesnel

Courtesy of Coralee Oakes - candidate for Mayor of Quesnel:

Coralee Oakes has officially announced her campaign for Mayor of Quesnel, focused on community safety, economic growth, workforce development, responsible infrastructure planning and strong partnerships with other levels of government. 

Oakes says her campaign is rooted in a belief that Quesnel's future depends on pragmatic, experienced, solution-orientated leadership willing to tackle challenges while recognizing the tremendous opportunities that exist within the community. 

“I believe Quesnel can be a safe, affordable and growing community where families and young people can build a future, seniors are well cared for, businesses can invest and create good jobs, and residents can have confidence in the services their city provides,” said Oakes. 

Oakes brings 18 years of experience serving residents in elected positions at different levels of government, including Quesnel City Council, the Cariboo Regional District and the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. She also served in Cabinet as Minister responsible for Local Government and later as Minister responsible for Small Business and Reducing Red Tape. In addition to her government experience, Oakes spent 14 years as Manager of the Quesnel & District Chamber of Commerce and is trained as a Business Retention and Expansion specialist. “I've had the privilege of serving this community in many different capacities,” said Oakes. “I've learned that leadership is about listening, bringing people together, understanding responsibilities and finding practical ways to deliver results.” 

Community safety is one of the campaign's central priorities. Oakes is proposing stronger coordination among the RCMP, municipal bylaw, Fire and Emergency Services, outreach teams and community service providers. It also includes working with senior levels of government to prioritize Quesnel for RCMP recruitment.  Coralee proposes a regional (Prince George, Williams Lake and Quesnel)  Repeat Property Crime Offenders pilot based on the Federal online reporting tool to address car theft, amendment of bylaws to address street disorder and enforcement.  Oakes would like to increase pressure and build more partners to deliver accessible, timely addiction treatment and recovery services, including in-patient treatment beds, step-down care and sober-living opportunities. “Community safety requires both accountability and effective supports,” said Oakes. “We need to address public safety while also working toward better outcomes for people struggling with addiction, mental health and homelessness. The status quo is not working.”

Oakes says City Hall needs a stronger business-focused perspective. Her campaign emphasizes business retention, economic diversification, industrial land development, reducing unnecessary red tape, improving development timelines and responsible fiscal management. “Local businesses are the foundation of our economy,” said Oakes. “Business retention is every bit as important as attracting new investment. Existing businesses create jobs, support families and contribute enormously to our community.” 

She also commits to continuing strong advocacy for Quesnel's forestry sector while exploring opportunities for manufacturing and economic diversification.  “I see Quesnel becoming the service hub for the expanding Mining sector in the region and would like to encourage other Natural Resource Corporate Operating Offices to re-locate to Quesnel, similar to West Fraser.”

Building Quesnel's Future Workforce development is another major pillar of the campaign. Oakes is proposing a Mayor’s Task Force that will develop a workforce strategy that brings together employers, Northern Health, RCMP, School District 28, CNC, UNBC, First Nations education partners and community organizations to identify labour shortages and expand local access to education and training. “Our goal should be straightforward,” said Oakes. “Give people the opportunity to train locally, find meaningful work locally and build their future in Quesnel.” 

Oakes believes population growth can strengthen Quesnel's tax base and help maintain and improve municipal infrastructure and services. However, she says growth must be planned rather than simply reacted to. She proposes a regional readiness plan to identify infrastructure needs, service pressures and community impacts while these major regional projects move forward. “Growth should be planned-not simply reacted to,” said Oakes. “We need to understand what Quesnel will need tomorrow, not just what requires investment today.” 

A key theme throughout Oakes' campaign is collaboration. She says her experience working in local and provincial government has taught her the importance of respecting jurisdictional responsibilities while advocating strongly for local communities. “I believe my past experiences provide me with a unique set of skills and relationships that will support Quesnel during this pivotal and volatile time,” she said. “I don't believe every problem can be solved overnight. But I do believe we have to try.” Oakes says she is committed to developing a short-, medium- and long-term strategic plan with measurable priorities, clear responsibilities and transparent reporting to residents. “Quesnel is my hometown and I care deeply for it’s success. I believe in our people. I believe in our businesses. And I believe our strongest future is still ahead of us.” 

Mike Cave seeking to serve on Quesnel Council again

 

Mike Cave, who previously served on Quesnel City Council from December 2008-November 2014, is looking to get back on Quesnel City Council this October...

He goes over what he hopes to accomplish, if elected, with My Cariboo Now -- click here

Mr. Cave is the first councillor candidate, either incumbent or challenger, to announce their intentions to run for Quesnel City Council for this October's local election in Quesnel.  Meanwhile -- no mayoral challengers to incumbent Quesnel Mayor Ron Paull so far for Quesnel's Mayor Chair... 

The formal candidate nomination period gets underway from September 1-11, 2026 with General Voting Day to elect a new Quesnel Mayor + 6 City Councillors to occur on Saturday, October 17, 2026 

Quesnel/Williams Lake Mayor or Councillor 2026 Nomination Packages now available

Starting today (August 4, 2026) until September 11th, 2026 -- people who wish to run for City of Williams Lake or City of Quesnel Mayor or Councillor can pick up their candidate nomination package at both Quesnel City Hall (410 Kinchant St, Quesnel) or Williams Lake City Hall (450 Mart St, Williams Lake) during normal business hours from Monday to Friday excluding stat holidays

For those candidates running for Quesnel Mayor or Councillor -- you can also download the Candidate Nomination Package from the City of Quesnel website at https://www.quesnel.ca/city-hall/elections/2026-local-government-elections or contact the Chief Election Officer for the City of Quesnel by phone at 250-991-7477 or email elections@quesnel.ca

More information is available for those wishing to run for Williams Lake Mayor or Councillor on the City of Williams Lake Election 2026 website at http://www.williamslake.ca/562/Election-2026 or contact the Chief Election Officer for the City of Williams Lake by phone at 250-392-2311 or by email at elections@williamslake.ca

It is strongly recommended to make an appointment with either Williams Lake or Quesnel Chief or Deputy Chief Election Officer prior to picking up the candidate nomination package from either Quesnel or Williams Lake City Halls 

Candidate Nomination Packages for Cariboo Regional District Electoral Area Directors, School Districts #27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin) and #28 (Quesnel) Trustees; District of Wells Mayor/Councillor and District of 100 Mile House Mayor/Councillor are currently anticipated to be available at their local offices in Wells, Quesnel, Williams Lake and 100 Mile House in the next few weeks prior to the official start of the formal Candidate Nomination Period from September 1-11, 2026

~SF

Conservative Electors Association to run local government candidates in Quesnel/Williams Lake this October?

Earlier this week -- the Conservative Electors Association (not connected to the BC Conservative Party) updated their electoral registration paperwork with Elections BC to include new jurisdictions such as Quesnel/Williams Lake to run candidates under the "Conservative Electors Association" banner in local general elections in BC for Mayors, Councillors, Electoral Area Directors this October... 

The Association has 3 key goals -- 

i) Safer Streets

ii) Lower Taxes

iii) Families First 

More about the Conservative Electors Association on their website at https://www.conservativeassociation.ca/

Meanwhile -- the Conservative Electors Association have plans to run candidates in the Kamloops/Kelowna areas and will announce candidates in September.  More from Castanet Kamloops: https://shrlnk.ca/s/Hv4fNLhh

From a historical perspective -- local voters of the Cariboo-Chilcotin have historically rejected those running as a formal slate for locally elected positions (Mayor, Councillor, Electoral Area Director or School Trustee).  

The one and one time that there was a formal slate was in the 2008 Local Election in the District of 100 Mile House under the "100 MIle First" banner who run 1 Mayoral candidate/4 Councillors candidates and the ENTIRE slate was rejected in favour of those who were running independent campaigns and has NOT been attempted since...

It'll be interesting to see if this new slate effort -- *IF* it is attempted in Quesnel/Williams Lake this October -- has any success or goes down to defeat just like the "100 Mile First" slate initiative of 2008.... 

~SF 

Ron Paull to seek a 2nd term as Mayor of Quesnel

Incumbent Quesnel Mayor Ron Paull has publicly declared his intention to seek a 2nd term.  Reasons mentioned for a 2nd term including being Mayor of Quesnel during the City of Quesnel's centennial (100th) anniversary in 2028 ...

More here

He joins incumbent Mayors in Williams Lake (Surinderpal Rathor) and 100 Mile House (Maureen Pinkney) in seeking their own 2nd terms.  Wells Mayor Ed Coleman will not seek re-election in October of 2026 (after being elected in a Wells Mayoral by-election of February of 2022 and subsequently re-elected by acclamation in October of 2022)  

The 4 District of Wells Councillors; the 6 City of Quesnel Councillors; the 4 District of 100 Mile House Councillors, Cariboo RD Directors for Electoral Areas A,B,C,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L nor have School Trustees in School Districts #27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin) or School District #28 (Quesnel) have not made public statements (local or social media) on their intentions for the local general elections in October 2026 

Williams Lake Councillors Joan Flaspohler and Jazmyn Lyons have announced on their social media channels that they will not seek re-election in October of 2026 while I have announced my plan to seek a 4th term as the Cariboo Regional District Electoral Area "D" Director 

Former Cariboo RD Area "B" Director from 2011-2014 Heloise Dixon-Warren has announced on social media her full intention to run for the Cariboo RD Area "B" Director position in October of 2026

No other challengers for Mayor, Councillors, Electoral Area Directors or School Trustees in the Cariboo-Chilcotin have made public announcements' (local or social media) in respect of the local general elections in October of 2026

Nomination packages for all locally elected positions (Mayor, Councillor, Electoral Area Director, School Trustee) are expected to be available for pickup in the first half of August 2026 with the formal nomination period being September 1-11, 2026 and General Voting Day for BC Local Governments' being Saturday, October 17, 2026... 

Finally: people can monitor nominations from September 1-11, 2026 in "real-time" through CivicInfo BC's "BC Local Elections" portal at https://localelections.ca/candidates/index_m.html