Official Local Gov't Candidates - Cariboo-Chilcotin Region

This past Friday was the deadline for candidates to withdraw from the November 19th civic election

Find below - the official/confirmed list of candidates for local elected offices in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, by community:

District of Wells:

Mayor - Robin Sharpe (elected by acclamation - official)
Councillor: (4 to be elected):

1) Judy Campbell
2) Carol Pinette
3) Mike Wallace
4) Virginia Wilkins
5) Richard Wright

City of Quesnel:

Mayor (1 to be elected) - Mary Sjostrom (incumbent) vs Ron Craigmyle vs Ron Paull
Councillor (6 to be elected):

1) Mike Cave (incumbent)
2) Laurey-Anne Roodenburg (incumbent)
3) Sushil Thapar (incumbent)
4) Ed Coleman (challenger)
5) Cory Delves (challenger)
6) Scott Elliott (challenger)
7) Trevor Guldbransen (challenger)
8) Paul Kainth (challenger)
9) Mitch Vik (challenger)
10) John Brisco (challenger)

School District #28 (Quesnel):

7 to be elected:

1) Ron Caskey (incumbent)
2) Caroline Mitchell (incumbent)
3) Tony Goulet (incumbent)
4) George Natalizio (incumbent)
5) Gloria Jackson (incumbent)
6) Cody Dillabough (challenger)
7) Charlotte Kurta (challenger)
8) Howie Schonke (challenger)
9) Blanca Schorcht (challenger)
10) Betty Walters (challenger)

City of Williams Lake:

Mayor (1 to be elected) - Kerry Cook (incumbent) vs Walt Cobb vs Scott Nelson
Councillor (6 to be elected);

1) Geoff Bourdon (incumbent)
2) Surinderpal Rathor incumbent)
3) Laurie Walters (incumbent)
4) Sue Zacharias (incumbent)
5) Ivan Bonnell (challenger)
6) Mike Bouchard (challenger)
7) Peter Bowman (challenger)
8) Tanessa Fairburn (challenger)
9) Steve Forseth (challenger)
10) Danica Hughes (challenger)
11) Mike Jacobsen (challenger)
12) Paul Kandola (challenger)
13) Gordon Keener (challenger)
14) Richard Vollo (challenger)

School District #27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin):

Zones 1 to 3 - all acclaimed
Zones 4 to 7 - one to be elected

Zone 1 - Will Van Osch (elected by acclamation until Nov 1st, 2014 - official)
Zone 2 - Tanya Guenther (elected by acclamation until Nov 1st, 2014 - official)
Zone 3 - Patricia Baker (elected by acclamation until Nov 1st, 2014 - official)
Zone 4 - Heather McKenzie (incumbent) vs Jackie Austin (challenger)
Zone 5 - Sheila Boehm vs Oleh Lazarchuk vs Jim Ritchie (all challengers)
Zone 6 - Dr. Doug Neufeld vs Rob Zacharias (both challengers)
Zone 7 - Richard Elliot (incumbent) vs Joyce Cooper (challenger)

District of 100 Mile House:

Mayor (1 to be elected) - Mitch Campsall (incumbent) vs Maureen Pinkney (challenger)
Councillor:

1) Ralph Fossum (elected by acclamation until Nov 1st, 2014 - official)
2) Bill Hadden (elected by acclamation until Nov 1st, 2014 - official)
3) Spence Henderson (elected by acclamation until Nov 1st, 2014 - official)
4) Dave Mingo (elected by acclamation until Nov 1st, 2014 - official)

Cariboo Regional District:

One to be elected in Electoral Areas 'E', 'H', 'J' and 'L'

Area A - Ted Armstrong (elected by acclamation until Nov 1st, 2014 - official)
Area B - Heloise Dixon-Warren (elected by acclamation until Nov 1st, 2014 - official)
Area C - John Massier (elected by acclamation until Nov 1st, 2014 - official)
Area D - Deb Bischoff (elected by acclamation until Nov 1st, 2014 - official)
Area E - Bill Carruthers vs Brandy Dickey vs Byron Kemp vs Stacy Wong (all challengers)
Area F - Joan Sorley (elected by acclamation until Nov 1st, 2014 - official)
Area G - Al Richmond (elected by acclamation until Nov 1st, 2014 - official)
Area H - Ron Lister vs Margo Wagner (both challengers)
Area I - Jim Glassford (elected by acclamation until Nov 1st, 2014 - official)
Area J - Alex Bracewell (incumbent) vs Roger William (challenger) vs Ted Hlokoff (challenger)
Area K - Chad Mernett (elected by acclamation until Nov 1st, 2014 - official)
Area L - Bruce Rattray (incumbent) vs Tom Baraniak (challenger)

Next Steps:

1) Voting Days/Location to be announced by the Districts of 100 Mile House/Wells, the City of Quesnel and the Cariboo Regional District.  Once confirmed, I'll post those here, by community

2) A number of all candidates forums have been or are likely to be scheduled: (I'll post further all candidates forums in Wells, Quesnel, Williams Lake, 100 Mile or in the CRD - Areas E, H, J and L here)

3) A Candidates Meeting (City of Williams Lake) will be held in WL Council Chambers on Tuesday, October 25th at 10:00am

All Candidates Forums:


In Williams Lake:

Oct 24th - SD #27 All Candidates Forum at Thompson Rivers University (1250 Western Avenue, Williams Lake) which starts at 7pm.  Co-hosted by the local District Parent Advisory Council & the Cariboo-Chilcotin Teachers Association
Nov 2nd - Councillor Candidates only at the Tourism Discovery Centre from 5:30-8:00pm
Nov 3rd - Mayoralty Candidates Forum at Beeotcheese's Restaurant (160 2nd Avenue, Williams Lake) from 11:30 - 1:00pm then at 7:00pm - forum at WL Seniors' Village (1455 Western Avenue, Williams Lake)
Nov 14th - Forum at Thompson Rivers University (1250 Western Avenue, Williams Lake) from 7-8:30pm

Note - No forum format has been established for the above forums

In Quesnel:

Oct 27th - Quesnel & District Chamber of Commerce to host an All-Candidates at Correlieu Secondary School (850 Anderson Drive, Quesnel) from 6:50pm to 9:15pm

60 Days to General Election Day

On November 19th or 60 Days from today - residents in the Cariboo-Chilcotin will be going to polling booths to select School District Trustees, City or District Councillors, Mayors' and Electoral Area Directors (Cariboo Regional District).  Note - those choosing to take advantage of the two Advance Voting Days - that will occur in 50 days but no more than 60 days from today

As we race towards the two Advance Voting Days (early to mid-November) and General Voting Day on November 19th, let's take a look at who has announced so far, grouped by local government

District of Wells - no announcement to date
City of Quesnel:

Office of Mayor - Mary Sjostrom (incumbent Mayor).  No challengers yet to declare
Office of Councillor - Peter Couldwell announces he is retiring.  No others announcing their retirements or challenging for the 6 Council seats

School District #28 - No announcements to date
City of Williams Lake:

Office of Mayor - Kerry Cook (incumbent Mayor), Walt Cobb and Scott Nelson
Office of Councillors - Steve Forseth, Laurie Walters (incumbent) and Surinderpal Rathor (incumbent).  No others have announced - either retiring or challenging for the 6 Council seats

School District #27:

Zone 1 - no announcement
Zone 2  no announcement
Zone 3 - no announcement
Zone 4 - no announcement
Zone 5 - no announcement
Zone 6 - Sheila Boehm (Facebook rumour that Rob Zacharias will launch bid to get his old job back)
Zone 7 - no announcement

District of 100 Mile House - No announcement yet
Cariboo Regional District:

Area 'A' - Ted Armstrong seeks re-election (no challengers yet to declare)
Area 'B' - No announcement
Area 'C'  No announcement
Area 'D' - No announcement
Area 'E' - Steve Mazur retiring.  (No challengers yet to declare)
Area 'F' - Joan Sorley seeks re-election (no challengers yet to declare)
Area 'G' - Al Richmond seeks re-election (no challengers yet to declare)
Area 'H' - No announcement yet
Area 'I' - No announcement yet
Area 'J' - Alex Bracewell seeks re-election (No challengers yet to declare)
Area 'K' - No announcement yet
Area 'L' - Bruce Rattray seeks re-election (No challengers yet to declare)

With 16 days until candidates can begin to file election papers' with their respective local governments on October 4th at 9am - I expect that others will begin to come out in the next two to three weeks, thus preventing any talk about acclamations, especially in the municipal races in Wells, Quesnel, Williams Lake 100 Mile House, School Districts #27 and 28.  Acclamations in the Cariboo Regional District are a distinct possibility - especially in CRD Electoral Areas A, B, C, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L.  I further expect that everyone running for public office will have announced by the deadline to file election papers which is Friday, October 14th at 4:00pm at your local municipal, regional district or school board offices

SBF

1st SD #27 Candidate announces

In the Cariboo Advisor today:

Sheila Boehm announces that she will be seeking a seat on the Board of Education - School District #27.  Although she doesn't say which Zone she'll be running in, this will be put her against the following:

Zone 4 (150 Mile and CRD Area 'F') - Heather McKenzie (no word yet if McKenzie plans to seek re-election)

Zone 5 (CRD Area 'D' to boundary with SD #28 and CRD Area 'E' not in City of WL Boundary) - current SD #27 Chair Wayne Rodier

Zone 6 (City of Williams Lake) - current SD#27 Vice-Chair Bruce Mack (no word if he plans to seek re-election) and former Zone 6 Trustee Rob Zacharias (he has confirmed, via Laurie Walters re-election Facebook page (see that page here), that he intends to seek election once again in Zone 6)

Nevertheless - it'll be interesting, for myself, to follow the School District elections in all Zones, but especially in Zones 4, 5, and 6

SBF

2011 Local Gov't Election Campaign Documents Available

Today is the 1st day that most, if not all, local government (municipal/regional district) jurisdictions should be making the necessary nomination papers for either Mayor, Councillor or Electoral Area Director available at your local government office(s) for the 2011 Local Government Election.  In some cases, some municipal or regional district offices will have the necessary papers to file for School District Trustee as well

More closer to home...

I have confirmed that both the Cities of Quesnel and Williams Lake will have the necessary nomination documents to file for either Mayor or City Councillor for the 2011 Local Government Election available for pick-up today (Friday, August 26th).  See info for the City of Quesnel "2011 Local Government Election" here.  The City of Williams Lake website has no local government election information, at the moment (perhaps this will be corrected later but the City of Quesnel, like other muncipal governments has had information on the November civic election up since May of this year)

Reminder - though you can pick up the relevant nomination document for the Office of Mayor or Councillor today, you are still unable to formally file the necessary document until October 4th at 9am at your local municipal hall

I have been informed that the Cariboo Regional District will be making these same documents available to those who want to seek the Office of Electoral Area Director for CRD Areas 'A' to 'L' on September 5th.  A formal press release will be issued when the CRD Nomination document is available for pick-up

School District #27 will have their nomination documents for the Offices of School District Trustee (Zones 1-7) available from their Williams Lake or 100 Mile House offices on Monday, September 12th.  See more information here

I have no confirmation from either the District of Wells/100 Mile House that the nomination document for the Offices of Mayor/Councillor are available today as well as any school trustee election information for School District #28 (Quesnel)

For more information, please contact the following:

District of Wells - (250) - 994-3330 or wells@goldcity.net

City of Quesnel - (250) - 992-2111 (ask for Lori Scott - Chief Election Officer or Sandy Brunt - Deputy Chief Election Officer) or email Ms. Scott at lscott@quesnel.ca or email Ms. Brunt at sbrunt@quesnel.ca

City of Williams Lake - (250) - 392-2311 (ask for Cindy Bouchard - Chief Election Officer or Cindy Walters - Deputy Chief Election Officer) or email Ms. Bouchard at cbouchard@williamslake.ca or email Ms. Walters at cwalters@williamslake.ca

District of 100 Mile House - (250) - 395 - 2434 (ask for Donna Bellingham - Chief Election Officer) or email Ms. Bellingham at dbellingham@dist100milehouse.bc.ca

Cariboo Regional District - (250) - 392-3351 or 1-800-665-1636 (ask for Alice Johnston - Chief Election Officer or Rick Hodgson - Deputy Chief Election Officer) or email Ms. Johnston at ajohnston@cariboord.bc.ca or Mr. Hodgson at rhodgson@cariboord.bc.ca

School District #28 - (250) - 992-8802

School District #27 - (250) - 398-3833 (ask for Bonnie Roller - Chief Election Officer or Connee Newberry - Deputy Chief Election Officer) Email Ms. Roller at bonnie.roller@sd27.bc.ca or connee.newberry@sd27.bc.ca