Will Manno Theos win Courtenay in vote split? And are these candidates using AI?

Will Manno Theos win Courtenay in vote split? And are these candidates using AI?

by | Sep 14, 2026

Many candidate’s social media posts appear suspiciously similar. A sample, from left, Rosanna Chamberlin, Vasil Beaton and Kam Singhania

Will Manno Theos win Courtenay in vote split? And are these candidates using AI?

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M ost candidates running in the 2026 local government election had filed days before the nomination deadline passed at 4 pm Friday. Other candidates, who everyone knew would run but had not filed, popped their last-minute “Surprise! I’m running!” charade to no one’s surprise.

For the 30 percent of Comox Valley residents who vote in municipal elections, it was an exciting moment. The other 70 percent, who won’t vote, released a deep, collective yawn.

Well, it is true, you won’t find many surprises in this year’s candidate line-up. So, let’s have a look at the Good, the Bad and the Nothing’s New.

 

The Good News

MORE CANDIDATES – Seventy people are running for the 31 Comox Valley elected offices, an increase of 23 percent over the 57 who ran in 2022.

MORE WOMEN – Women account for 41 percent of the candidates (20 of 49) this year, excluding the School District (nine out of 11) ) and the Islands Trust (two out of 10). Comox has the highest percentage of women seeking office (seven out of 12) at 58 percent. That compares to 35 percent in Courtenay (eight out of 23) and 25 percent in Cumberland (two out of eight).

And, a woman is running for the mayor’s chair in Courtenay for the first time in 18 years, since Star Winchester ran for re-election 2008.

 

The Nothing’s New

DEJA VU – It feels like Groundhog Day all over again in Courtenay’s mayoral race, where the late-filing Trish McPhail will split the center-progressive vote, maybe clearing a path to His Honor’s chair for Manno Theos. Comox Valley’s sitting conservative MLA and MP both won their seats thanks to vote splitting between the NDP and Greens. Will it happen again? Maybe. It is highly unlikely that McPhail will take votes away from Theos supporters. Her share will come from Incumbent Mayor Bob Wells. The question here is: Can Wells and McPhail get enough new voters out to both outpoll Theos?

ACCLAIMED – Several candidates have already won their election races because no one challenged them. Comox Mayor Nicole Minions won her second consecutive election by acclamation. In two mayoral terms she has never been opposed. Cumberland Mayor Vickey Brown and Electoral Area A regional Director Daniel Arbour also were acclaimed.

SAME NAMES – Many familiar names dot the candidate list, again. Ken Grant seeks his seventh term on Comox Council, a total of 21 years. Maureen Swift has warmed her council chair for 15 years. Erik Eriksson … filed again. He won a council chair in 1986 and again in 2014. Then, he ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2018 and again in 2022. This will be Jin Lin’s third try for Courtenay council. She came close in 2018 and 2022. Phil Adams got less than a 1,000 votes in 2022, but he’s having another go.

Candidates keep trying, because on election day, anything’s possible. Voters are a little like courtroom juries. Unpredictable. Just look at Brennan Day. Courtenay voters rejected him twice. Now he’s the riding’s MLA.

 

The Bad News

GET OUTTA HERE – We like that candidates have shared their reasons for seeking office on the competing Facebook politics pages. But we don’t like it when their words are almost identical. Check out the social media posts above and below. That’s just a small sampling of what’s being posted by many first-time candidates.

Is this plagiarism? Did some third party group write these posts for multiple candidates? Did these candidates use AI to write their posts? It’s almost certainly not a coincidence. Benvenuti’s post admits that it includes AI content. So what IS going on here? Whatever “it” is, it’s not a good look for these candidates.

BIG MONEY STINKS – We’re gagging on the prolific fake accounts and paid trolls trying to influence our local government elections, primarily for Courtenay City Council and mayor. They post angry and vacuous comments. When you click on their profile, you find nothing. A picture of a human, but no profile. No history of posts or friends. Nada. It’s just garbage littering the Internet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ELECTION DAY OCT. 17

COMOX VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

– Cumberland candidates. 5:30 pm on Monday, Sept. 21 at the Cumberland Cultural Centre location.

– Comox candidates. 5:30 pm on Monday, Sept. 28 at the Comox Legion.

– Courtenay candidates. 5:30 pm on Thursday, Oct. 1 at the North Island College Stan Hagen Theatre.

 

COMOX VALLEY SOCIAL PLANNING SOCIETY

An all-candidates forum on the social determinants of health at 5:00 pm on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at the Westerly Best Western Hotel in Courtenay.

 

ADVANCE VOTING INFORMATION

Polls for the Oct. 17 election will open for advance voting on Oct. 7 and Oct. 14.

 

 

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Will Manno Theos win Courtenay in vote split? And are these candidates using AI?

What’s going on in this year’s local government elections? More candidates. More women candidates. Another possible vote split in Courtenay to favor the underdog. Many long-time veterans still hanging on. Fake social media posters and other trolls. And suspicions surfacing of plagiarism or AI use in candidate statements. Looks like a wild four-week ride. Buckle up!

Overwhelmed by so many candidates? Just vote for the ones you know and like

For many Valley residents, it’s difficult and time consuming to gather the necessary information to make thoughtful selections in municipal elections. And paid trolls and fake posters on social media pages make it even more difficult. Public candidate forums help, but there is a simple solution for frustrated voters

Fact: Courtenay property tax burden equal or lower than most same-sized BC cities

Fact: Courtenay property tax burden equal or lower than most same-sized BC cities

by | Sep 8, 2026

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Fact: Courtenay property tax burden equal or lower than most same-sized BC cities

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The first in a series of articles about City of Courtenay finances

T he dominant issues in local elections usually revolve around money. It makes sense, because municipalities rely almost exclusively on their share of the property tax to keep the community’s water taps flowing and its toilets flushing.

Property taxes are the price homeowners pay for the services the municipal government provides. And just like the cost of eggs and gas, property taxes go up every year.

Not all voters complain about their taxes – many recognize the value they receive in services like recreation, policing, garbage collection and water and sewer infrastructure – but most pay at least casual attention to the annual increase of this household expense.

However, when municipal elections roll around every four years, the property tax burden, and generally how the local government spends your money, takes a front row seat.

This is particularly true in the absence of any overriding issues. In well-run municipalities, new candidates seeking to upset the incumbent mayor and council members historically point fingers at “unnecessary spending” and make promises to “lower your taxes.”

It’s an age-old tactic. What voter doesn’t want lower taxes? But what voter also wants the downside of lowering taxes, such as park closures, reduced hours at recreation centers and pot holes going unfilled in front of their homes?

Every mayor and council member struggles with this problem: how best to balance maintaining services and making improvements with the least necessary tax increase.

It’s difficult because a community has diverse wants and needs. And also because, according to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, local governments are responsible for 60 percent of all infrastructure in Canada but receive only $0.09 out of every dollar of taxes paid in Canada.

Nevertheless, the city finances have enveloped this year’s races for public office.

New candidates for council aligned with former councillor and mayoral candidate Manno Theos are following the “spending is out of control” and “taxes are too high” playbook to build momentum for the Oct. 17 elections.

Theos and his supporters have attacked a handful of projects undertaken over the last four years – such as the Sixth Street pedestrian and cycling bridge, a Back Road traffic circle, bicycle lanes and more – as unnecessary spending on things they believe the community doesn’t want. They also propose to cut taxes and seem to suggest that the city has too many employees who are paid too much money.

“The facts are that this council is doing the politically hard stuff that previous councils were afraid to do,” says incumbent Councillor Will Cole-Hamilton. “Even though they knew these things needed to be done”

These are valid points of view, even though their social media platforms overflow with rage-baiting posts and insulting personal comments that undermine their own credibility.

The public must accept and election challengers should respect that when voters give a mayor and council members the responsibility of deciding how to spend their taxes, they should expect that each group will do it slightly differently.

One mixture of council members might prioritize building a bridge while a different group of councillors would build a convention center. Yet another bunch might choose to spend no money on anything at all.

And it may also be true that each group could have equal amounts of support from separate parts of the community.

The real question for voters, then, is not whether money was spent on this or that, but whether the city’s finances have been managed competently.

So let’s look at some facts.

PROPERTY TAXES

To assess whether a municipality’s property taxes are high or low, the province applies its tax rate to a representative house, a median-value property sometimes called “a typical home.” This standardization makes it easy to compare the tax burden between municipalities.

It’s important to note that about one-third of the property tax total goes to schools, the regional district and hospitals. The municipality is required to collect the total tax and redistribute it.

The total 2025 residential taxes and charges on a representative house in Courtenay was $5,717. That’s lower than both Comox ($5,743) and Cumberland ($5,776).

The accompanying chart shows that Courtenay’s 2025 tax burden was slightly below the middle of similar-sized cities, and near the bottom of Island municipalities.

City of Courtenay staff chart

In the 2026 taxation data released last month, Courtenay’s taxed $6,115 on a typical house. That’s still lower than Comox ($6,121) but slightly higher than Cumberland ($6,049). Here are a few other comparisons from the provincial data, which you can see in total here.

– Langley:: $7,274
– Penticton: $6,190
– Squamish: $8,130
– White Rock: $10,015

The 2026 provincial data shows that the tax burden on Courtenay homeowners is about the same as on residents of similar communities. It’s higher than some and lower than others. It raised taxes by about the same amount as Comox and by less than Parksville.

We have not yet seen any social media rage of “unnecessary spending” in Comox or heard of any candidates there selling the “I’ll lower taxes” promise. Although it did build two controversial traffic circles this year.

If, as the data shows, the tax burden on Courtenay homeowners is not significantly different from similar communities – and it is lower than most – then the claims by some of the new candidates that the city’s taxes are unreasonably high cannot be accurate.

Perhaps Manno and the other candidates simply believe that taxes in general are too high. It’s a valid point of view, but not a fair or meaningful way to assess the city’s financial competency.

 

MANAGING CITY ASSETS

Municipal governments have a limited role and responsibilities. They primarily operate and maintain local infrastructure like roads, water, sewer, public works and garbage collection. They maintain and operate parks and recreation centres. They license businesses, create Official Community Plans to dictate land use and zoning. And they provide fire, police and emergency services.

Connected to those operations, the City of Courtenay has $896 million in assets, which includes water and sewer pipes, roads and parks. Much of it was created 50-plus years ago.

The city estimates that about 10 percent of these assets have been overdue for replacement.

That’s because councils prior to the 2018 election, on which Theos served, had taken a Do Nothing approach. They put off improvements and fixed things only when they broke. Emergency repairs typically cost four times more than planned maintenance.

And when they did repair or replace assets, they funded it with debt.

The Do Nothing strategy was effective in keeping tax increases temporarily and unrealistically low. But in reality those previous councils were just pushing the tax burden of unfunded liabilities onto future councils and taxpayers.

The need did not disappear. The cost just escalated.

“The facts are that this council is doing the politically hard stuff that previous councils were afraid to do,” says incumbent Councillor Will Cole-Hamilton. “Even though they knew these things needed to be done”

For example, when council first recognized that the Fifth St bridge required some repairs, federal and provincial grants would have covered two-thirds of the cost, leaving only a third for local taxpayers. But then-mayor Larry Jangula and former councillor Theos did not prioritize the project.

When the bridge repair could no longer be delayed for public safety concerns, the current council had to ask for an extension to the grant. But the cost had now doubled.

As a result, grant funding only covered one-third of the cost. Local taxpayers paid more.

The planned 2027 water metering project is another example. When it was first discussed, some 14 years ago, the cost estimate was $16 million. But then-mayor Larry Jangula again chose not to push it forward.

Now, as drier climates make water conservation necessary, the price to install meters in Courtenay has jumped to $32 million.

The ideology behind previous councils’ Do Nothing philosophy trickled down to the staff and created a corporate culture of avoiding new projects. In reality, previous councils had also kept staffing levels too low to do anything but the bare minimum.

“The days of two percent tax increases are not coming back anytime soon,” says retiring two-term Councillor Melanie McCollum. “Because to achieve that would require going back to doing nothing, stopping improvements, reducing services and cutting staff.”

The current council, most of whom were first elected in 2018, including Cole-Hamilton and McCollum, has adopted a more structured two-prong approach to financial planning over the last eight years.

They passed a comprehensive Asset Management Bylaw in 2019 and later created a Strategic Infrastructure Investment Program (SIIP).

 

ASSET MANAGEMENT BYLAW

Courtenay was the first city in British Columbia and the second in all of Canada to enact an Asset Management Bylaw. Councillor Cole-Hamilton introduced the motion immediately after taking office.

The bylaw, which only impacts new projects, directs council and city staff to explicitly consider full life-cycle costs — including planning, procurement, creation, operation, maintenance, renewal and decommissioning — when making decisions regarding the acquisition, upgrade or replacement of Tangible Capital Assets.

And it mandates the evaluation and consideration of natural assets (for example, wetlands, urban forests, natural drainage pathways) alongside or as alternatives to traditional engineered and constructed infrastructure wherever feasible.

“The goal of asset management is achieving sustainable service delivery: ensuring that current community services are delivered in a socially, economically, and environmentally responsible manner that does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” said former Chief Administrative Officer David Allen in 2019.

Since then, Courtenay has based its capital budget on up-to-date detailed information about what assets have failed and which are projected to fail within two years. It’s complicated work using a computerized system the city developed to help operate all the existing assets for the longest possible time and the lowest possible cost over their lifespan.

“Managing our assets involves identifying all the renewal needs, planning the work to avoid disruption of service and having a long-term financial strategy to pay for it,” Cole-Hamilton said.

“This means tax increases sometimes but it heads off bigger financial problems and potentially huge tax increases down the line.”

 

STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT PROGRAM

In addition to the Asset Management Bylaw, the city created a Strategic Infrastructure Investment Program (SIIP) three years ago to address its annual asset renewal shortfall of nearly $9 million.

The program’s goal is to set aside funds to maintain the $896 million of assets that already exist. So that when roads, water lines and other assets need repair or replacement the city can avoid massive borrowing that creates debt.

The general rule for municipal infrastructure expenses is 80/20. The initial cost is 20 per cent and the operation, maintenance and replacement is 80 percent over the assets’ lifetime.

To save this money, the city began adding a 1.5 per cent tax increase three years ago that will grow incrementally and compound – 1.5 percent the first year, 3.0 in the second, 4.5 in the third and so on – each year for 10 years. Then the fund will be large enough to maintain its existing infrastructure without borrowing.

“The goal is to not borrow from the future to pay for fixes today,” said McCollum. “People who are using an asset should pay the cost of eventually repairing or replacing that asset when it wears out.”

With these two key initiatives, this council has created a structured work plan, for the first time in decades. McCollum says it took political courage to do, because nobody wants to pay more taxes, “but everybody wants a well-run and maintained city.”

Councillor Doug Hillian, a 17-year council veteran, says any candidate promising to lower taxes must identify what services and which staff they are planning to cut, “because the cost of running a city goes up with the cost of living” higher taxes are necessary each year to maintain the existing level of services.

“People are moving to the Comox Valley to escape wildfire smoke or extreme weather in other places, so the taxes here don’t seem to be an issue,” Hillian says. “In fact, taxes here are the same or lower than where they came from and our taxes are comparable to similar sized communities around the province.”

 

NEXT: Can municipalities be run like a business? And, later, a look at Courtenay’s Capital Plan and its debt.

 

 

 

 

 

KEY ELECTION DATES

Candidate filings end this Friday, Sept. 11. Click our Candidate post for the updated list.

Sept. 11 — candidate filing deadline

Sept. 19 — campaigns can officially begin

Oct. 7 — advance voting begins.

Oct. 14 — a second advance voting opportunity

Oct. 17 — Election Day

 

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More

Will Manno Theos win Courtenay in vote split? And are these candidates using AI?

What’s going on in this year’s local government elections? More candidates. More women candidates. Another possible vote split in Courtenay to favor the underdog. Many long-time veterans still hanging on. Fake social media posters and other trolls. And suspicions surfacing of plagiarism or AI use in candidate statements. Looks like a wild four-week ride. Buckle up!

Overwhelmed by so many candidates? Just vote for the ones you know and like

For many Valley residents, it’s difficult and time consuming to gather the necessary information to make thoughtful selections in municipal elections. And paid trolls and fake posters on social media pages make it even more difficult. Public candidate forums help, but there is a simple solution for frustrated voters

Retiring Courtenay City Councillors recap years of experience

Retiring Courtenay City Councillors recap years of experience

by | Sep 8, 2026

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Retiring Courtenay City Councillors recap years of experience

By

T wo of Courtenay’s six City Council members retired last week, announcing that they would not seek re-election.

Doug Hillian served on City Council for 17 years, winning his first seat in a by-election. Voters elected him four more times, topping the polls once in 2022.

Melanie McCollum served on City Council for eight years, winning two consecutive elections.

Both issued statements recapping their multi-term council experiences.

Melanie McCollum

After eight years serving on Courtenay City Council, I’ve decided not to seek re-election this fall. Serving on Council has been an incredibly rewarding experience, but the time has come for me to re-balance my commitments and focus on other aspects of my personal and professional life.

I’m very proud of the role I have had in local leadership. Courtenay Council has made incredible progress in improving livability throughout the city. We have developed the beginnings of an active transportation network in a relatively short amount of time, opened access to McPhee meadows and made significant improvements to public spaces and parks. During the time I’ve served on Council, local government leaders across our region have taken meaningful steps in reconciliation, building a stronger relationship with K’ómoks First Nation grounded in respect and a genuine commitment to work together. It has been deeply meaningful to me to be a part of this.

As Chair of the CVRD Recreation Commission, I also had the privilege of supporting the delivery of significant investment in recreation facilities for our growing region. Following an extensive Sports Fields Study and years of community engagement, the Recreation Commission delivered a long-awaited second artificial turf field at Vanier Secondary School. The new artificial turf will improve access for thousands of athletes and support the work of the many sports associations serving our active community for generations to come.

I want to thank my colleagues on Council and the Regional District Board, for their patience, thoughtfulness, dedication to our community’s best interests, and their willingness to share a laugh when needed. Local government works best when people are willing to listen, keep an open mind and stay focused on how to achieve the best outcome. I have seen this demonstrated to me more times than I can count. It’s been a gift to participate in decision making and leadership alongside colleagues who do exactly that. I am equally grateful to the City of Courtenay and Regional District staff, whose knowledge and dedication to their work have delivered the many accomplishments that we’ve celebrated as a community in the two terms I’ve served.

Finally, if I could share one thing I’ve learned through my time in politics it’s this: good outcomes require good leadership, and good leadership isn’t always easy to explain in a soundbite. The best decisions aren’t always the most popular ones at the moment. Often doing right by our community means choosing the path that takes longer to show results, or is harder to sum up in a social media comment, over the one that feels easy today but costs us down the road. I hope that those who come next have the courage to lead with a long-term vision for Courtenay – because that’s the kind of leadership that moves a community forward.

DOUG HILLIAN

Courtenay City Councillor Doug Hillian has confirmed that he will not be running in the next civic election set for October 17th. Hillian was first elected in a 2009 by-election and has been re-elected 4 times, topping the polls in 2022. “It has been a privilege to serve our community for 17 years, with all three Mayors and the five Councils I’ve worked with” he says, “and it’s now time for me to retire and make space for others at the Council table”. Hillian notes the changes in Courtenay over his years of service, reflecting on the challenges of governing through the pandemic, the homelessness and housing crises and the continuing growth of the community. “Despite our challenges, we remain a very friendly and liveable community with top notch staff and excellent services”.

Hillian cites new amenities such as the Dingwall Steps, McPhee Meadows, the 6th St Bridge, the pending East Courtenay Firehall, cycling/pedestrian infrastructure and ongoing park and playground development as significant City accomplishments, along with the new Official Community Plan and comprehensive planning underway for Transportation, Recreation and Arts and Culture. He also notes the leadership Courtenay has provided at the regional level, with Councillor Cole-Hamilton chairing the Regional District Board, Councillor Morin the Water Committee and Councillor McCollum the Recreation Commission, while he has chaired the Sewage Commission and the Hospital Board. He is particularly pleased to have served as Courtenay liaison to the Kus-kus-sum project, while also representing the region at the K’omoks First Nation Main Treaty Table.

Hillian looks forward to continuing to contribute to community life while spending more time with family and friends, and is expressing his gratitude to all the staff, elected officials and residents with whom he has enjoyed the privilege of working.

 

 

 

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Overwhelmed by so many candidates? Just vote for the ones you know and like

Overwhelmed by so many candidates? Just vote for the ones you know and like

by | Sep 2, 2026

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Overwhelmed by so many candidates? Just vote for the ones you know and like

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B y the end of next week, Comox Valley residents will know who is officially running for local government offices in our three municipalities, the three regional electoral areas, School District 71 and the Islands Trust.

In the last municipal elections of 2022, there were a total of 57 candidates seeking the 31 local elected offices – seven in Courtenay and Comox, five in Cumberland, seven on the school board, three regional district area representatives and two for the Denman/Hornby Island trust area.

That’s a lot of candidates for voters in each voting jurisdiction to assess. In 2022, there were 14 candidates seeking the seven School District 71 positions alone, and another 18 for Courtenay City Council.

For many Valley residents, it’s just too much work and too confusing to gather the necessary information to make thoughtful selections. It could partly explain why only 30 percent of eligible voters turn out for local government elections.

With no single source of information about each individual candidate – such as comprehensive news media coverage – some eligible voters don’t bother casting a ballot. Others rely on conversations with their friends and neighbors.

Perhaps the best advice for voters is the simplest: You do not have to vote for candidates to fill all the vacant seats.

In response to last week’s pre-election article in Decafnation, subscriber Dede Fitton expressed this wide-spread frustration.

“To be serious, I live in Courtenay and I don’t know how any voter can sort through the “debates” on local (social media) forums. I’d like to make casting an informed vote easier but damned if I can figure out how.

“I think I should keep an open mind about new candidates. And a critical look at present council members. Now, how do I do that? I don’t follow council meetings.
I also know that most of a council member’s job is performed on committees and in the community, not at the public meeting.

“I wish there were criteria for candidates. Even more, I wish there were criteria for voters! (Tongue firmly in cheek).”

Ms. Fitton has identified the main obstacle facing Valley residents seeking factual information about individual candidates: Absent robust election coverage in the Comox Valley Record or the local radio stations’ news websites, people often resort to the Facebook pages devoted to local municipal politics.

But that almost never helps because although some people try to post factual information, they are usually overrun by paid trolls, bots and people hiding behind fake names. The pages are dominated by people who really just want to rant about one thing or another without adding anything useful to the conversation.

For example, when incumbent Courtenay Councilor Wendy Morin recently announced she is running again, her post was greeted with vile comments. Mark Jackson wrote, “No fing way. 18% tax increase a few years back cause (sic) of her. Sooner vote for a dog.” Jonny Valentine wrote, “We need to clean all these usless (sic) politicians out of city hall. Not voting for this chick for sure.”

Both Jackson and Valentine appear to be fake names on empty FB accounts. They might be bots or trolls paid by organizations determined to defeat forward-thinking council candidates.

There are only two elector organizations registered for the Comox Valley with Elections BC. One is the Conservative Electors Association run by David Denhoff, of North Vancouver, and the other is ParentsVoice BC, run by Marc Vella, of Langley.

ParentsVoice BC is a new BC party pushing school board candidates with anti-vaxx and conspiratorial views, per CBC news. Their slogan “Take Back Our Schools” translates to opposing education programs on health, racism, gender and sexuality.

For these reasons, sitting council members, school trustees and mayors generally avoid engaging in social media frenzies. It’s unfortunate, because without these online harassments and personal attacks, people could be getting factual information directly from their local government representatives.

So, how should voters assess this year’s candidates?

Perhaps the best advice for voters is the simplest: You do not have to vote for candidates to fill all the vacant seats.

If you have found a few candidates that you believe will represent you well, just vote for them. Period. You already have all the information you need to cast a thoughtful ballot.

It’s not necessary to fill the ballot with six council members plus the mayor. Just show up and cast a vote for the two or three or four who seem capable. Voting for only three or four candidates makes a perfectly valid ballot.

For many, the overwhelming part is getting a grasp on every candidate instead of just identifying a few worthy of support.

To help people do that, the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce has scheduled three distinct candidate forums in late September.

– A forum for Cumberland candidates at 5:30 pm on Monday, Sept. 21 at the Cumberland Cultural Centre location.

– A forum for Comox candidates at 5:30 pm on Monday, Sept. 28 at the Comox Legion.

– A final forum for Courtenay candidates at 5:30 pm on Thursday, Oct. 1 at the North Island College Stan Hagen Theatre.

The Comox Valley Social Planning Society will also host an all-candidates forum specifically on substance abuse strategies at 5:00 pm on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at the Westerly Best Western Hotel in Courtenay. Candidates are being invited to meet the public starting at 4:00 pm.

There are rumours that Project Watershed and the NIC student union may hold candidate forums. In the past, there have been election events at Gladstones Brewing Co. in Courtenay and at some of the senior assisted living facilities.

That’s not much, but maybe the Record newspaper will engage more deeply during this election cycle. And Decafnation readers can read our upcoming Candidate Survey to compare individual responses.

 

 

 

 

 

WHO HAS OFFICIALLY FILED FOR OFFICE

Here’s a current list of who has filed or declared to run for local government positions this year. Nominations will close Sept. 11. For an updated list, see our separate post, which is updated several times every day.

COURTENAY
Bob Wells — Mayor, incumbent
Will Cole-Hamilton — Council, incumbent
Wendy Morin — Council, incumbent
David Frisch — Council, incumbent
Evan Jolicoeur — Council, incumbent
Manno Theos — Mayor
Dick Clancy — Council
Phil Adams — Council
Guancarlo “Benny” Benvenuti — Council
Rosanna Chamberlin — Council
Erik Eriksson — Council

 

CUMBERLAND
Troy Therrien — Council, incumbent
Vicky Brown — Mayor, incumbent
Nick Ward –Counmcil, incumbent

TOWN OF COMOX
Nicole Minions — Mayor, incumbent

CVRD ELECTORAL AREAS
Daniel Arbour — Electoral Area A, incumbent
Rich Hardy, Electoral Area B, incumbent
Arzeena Hamir — Electoral Area B
Ariel Becherer — Electoral Area C
Norman McPhail – Electoral Area C

ISLANDS TRUST
Sam Borthwick — Denman, incumbent
Perri Gorrara — Denman

 

 

 

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More

Courtenay’s controversial Sixth Street Bridge: Whose idea was it?

The idea for a pedestrian and cycling bridge at Sixth Street originated about 40 years ago and followed a roller coaster ride to completion. It might have never been built without the persuasive pleading from Downtown businesses in 2019. An effusive thumbs up from mayoral candidate Manno Theos might have helped, too.

Will Manno Theos win Courtenay in vote split? And are these candidates using AI?

What’s going on in this year’s local government elections? More candidates. More women candidates. Another possible vote split in Courtenay to favor the underdog. Many long-time veterans still hanging on. Fake social media posters and other trolls. And suspicions surfacing of plagiarism or AI use in candidate statements. Looks like a wild four-week ride. Buckle up!

Overwhelmed by so many candidates? Just vote for the ones you know and like

For many Valley residents, it’s difficult and time consuming to gather the necessary information to make thoughtful selections in municipal elections. And paid trolls and fake posters on social media pages make it even more difficult. Public candidate forums help, but there is a simple solution for frustrated voters

“Liberal Rush” tricked voters in NDP ridings and exposed an electoral system flaw

Despite the positive big picture outcome, this election exposed a glaring vulnerability within our electoral system. And that vulnerability caused otherwise smart people to forget how our Canadian parliamentary system actually works. Namely: We do not have a proportional representation form of government. But there is a simple solution.

COURTENAY: 2022 candidates (most of them) answer our election questions

COURTENAY: 2022 candidates (most of them) answer our election questions

by | Sep 28, 2022

COURTENAY: 2022 candidates (most of them) answer our election questions

Decafnation asked this year’s candidates for public office to respond to three questions. We are publishing their responses by the jurisdictions in which they are a candidate.

 

City of Courtenay

Candidates in 2022

One mayor and six councillors to be elected

Mayor

Incumbent — Bob Wells
Challengers — Erik Eriksson, Aaron Dowker

Council

Incumbents — Doug Hillian, David Frisch, Melanie McCollum, Will Cole-Hamilton, Wendy Morin, Mano Theos

Challengers — Phil Adams, Steffan Chmuryk, Brennan Day, Michael Gilbert, Evan Jolicoeur, Jin Lin, Lyndsey Northcott, Deana Simkin, Starr Winchester

Mayor candidate Aaron Dowker and council candidates Phil Adams, Michael Gilbert, Jin Lin and Deana Simkin did not respond

 

1. In the event that a new dangerous variant of the COVID virus emerges or if a new pandemic arises would you use your position as a civic leader to support federal and provincial public health orders and encourage others to do likewise?

FOR MAYOR

Bob Wells
In early February 2020 I reached out to our Medical Health Officer and learned that the COVID-19 Global Pandemic was nearly a certainty.  I worked with City Staff to ensure we were as prepared as possible.  When the Public Health Orders were issued, I had to make the difficult decision to cancel the Volunteer Fire Department Annual Dinner as I did not want our First Responders being exposed to undue harm. I made the call to close playgrounds until we knew what the risks were of children being exposed to COVID-19 on surfaces. 

I used my social media reach to encourage people to stay home if possible, to wash their hands frequently, to wear masks when out in public and to call the hotline if they were experiencing symptoms.  I encouraged people to get vaccinated when vaccines were available. My message was picked up by local and provincial media.  I kept the message upbeat and positive, making sure people know the risks but trying to inspire them to make the right decision rather than force them.

I would do it again as I believe as Mayor the health and safety of our citizens is a top priority. 

Erik Eriksson
Yes

FOR COUNCIL

Melanie McCollum
Yes. It’s our duty as Civic leaders to uphold the law and follow the advice of experts. 

Will Cole-Hamilton
I would do the same thing that I did when COVID emerged

  • Listen to the guidelines and mandates issued by Dr. Teresa Tam,  Chief Public Health Officer of Canada and Dr. Bonnie Henry, the Provincial Health Officer of BC, who speak for the governments of  BC and for Canada, and work to ensure that City staff stay safe and that all guidelines and mandates are followed in all city operations
  • Follow suggested guidelines and mandates myself and encourage others to do so 
  • Ensure that the City works with vulnerable populations, nonprofits, and local businesses to support their efforts to follow guidelines and mandates
  • Make use of social media to share information on public health and safety, post my own vaccinations and encourage others to follow suit

Wendy Morin
The COVID pandemic has been an unprecedented challenge to all of us, in our daily lives and in governance as well. There is no handbook for best practices in dealing with a global pandemic. Under the circumstances, I believe higher governments have utilized the expertise of scientists, physicians, and infectious disease specialists in the best way possible.

In the event of another pandemic, I would support the views and orders of those with the expertise and would encourage others to do the same. I would also continue to use my role to provide feedback to higher government. As an example, during COVID, food security was not acknowledged as part of emergency management. No resources were allotted and no organized plan was made regarding food supply change interruptions. I and other local government folks pushed for this to be recognized and included in future planning and resources.

Doug Hillian
Yes. During the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, local leaders received regular briefings from Island Health officials and served as conduits to their community networks. We had the opportunity to ask questions and clarify expectations, and to satisfy ourselves in the veracity of information coming from hard-working and dedicated public health personnel.

Decisions were made related to maintaining City services, staff and citizen safety, facility closures and a multitude of issues that arose as we strived to cope with the uncertainty and risk impacting us in our own families and as a community.

It was vital that, as community leaders, we listened to expert advice and both modelled and messaged appropriate practices to keep people safe. This was done in the face of a barrage of misinformation from some in the community who contested public health orders. I felt it important to respond to all who contacted me with dissenting views, respectfully disagreeing with their conspiracy theories and emphasizing the city’s duty to follow the advice of our health experts and obey the law.

While it is important to employ critical thinking to new challenges that arise, I would take a similar approach to a new pandemic.

David Frisch
Yes I would support provincial and federal public health orders.

Mano Theos
Rather than focus on what if’s and hypothetical situations. I’m investing my energy on rebuilding now that COVID is behind us. Offering people and businesses my support to ensure opportunities to live well, stay fit enjoy the success of their small businesses and thrive. When any issues arise I weigh the merits and best approach needed for a optimal outcomes.

Evan Jolicoeur
Although the likelihood of a newer more harmful variant of COVID is unlikely, we are living in a world that will increasingly experience other new health pandemics. With worsening impacts of climate change, bio habitat loss, globalization and population growth there is an important role in preparing our communities for the resulting health impacts, including communicable diseases.

As a Registered Nurse, mental health clinician, health researcher, government administrator and health care service provider and having worked in public health, I believe there is an important role for leaders to build trust, role model healthy inclusive behavior, bring community members together, and ensure that everyone is heard and supported.

I would support government policies, including public health measures, that protect and safeguard the health and well-being (physical, mental, emotional) of our seniors, medically vulnerable, children and others while ensuring that we mitigate harms to marginalized communities.

Lyndsey Northcott
In the event that a new dangerous variant of the COVID virus emerges or if a new pandemic arises I would use my position as a civic leader to support federal and provincial public health orders and encourage others to do likewise.

Steffan Chmuryk
I think we’re through the worst of the pandemic. That said, the impacts that we have all experienced personally, and professionally, shouldn’t be ignored. People are obviously struggling, and many people are angry about the rules that were imposed.

I respect individual rights, but I am not going to express my concerns about public health policy while waiting to see a nurse or in line at the pub. Business owners/employees and medical staff are victims as well, and they have been subject to entirely too much vitriol for following rules that were imposed on them.

If there is any advice I could offer, it is to live in the moment, right now, and to be grateful that life is back to normal. I hope this continues, and I hope we can work together to ensure the stability of our healthcare system.

Brennan Day
Yes, as should all elected officials. Encouragement rather than division should be the mantra.

Starr Winchester
I would not use my position as a civic leader to either encourage or discourage anyone from getting a vaccine. I feel this is a personal decision.

 

2. Do you support the Regional Growth Strategy as it’s currently written? In particular, do you support its theme to funnel new growth into already defined urban boundaries, leaving the rural areas as rural as possible. And, do you support not adding any settlement nodes until the Union Bay Estates and K’omoks First Nations developments in the Union Bay area are well underway?

FOR MAYOR

Bob Wells
I fully support the Regional Growth Strategy as a win-win-win:
1. It supports K’ómoks First Nation to realize their own economic opportunities in their Treaty Settlement Lands
2. It is better for the environment by reducing urban sprawl, deforestation and traffic
3. It makes the most sense economically as it costs so much more to build water and sewer pipes to remote areas, and the lifetime costs are also more for operations and maintenance. This helps keep taxes and the cost per unit lower.

Erik Eriksson
I think it is time for a review of the Regional Growth Strategy to see if people fell it is still applicable. I would like to bridge the rural-urban divide. You are asking urban people whether they want to keep rural as rural as possible. And you are asking rural people if all new growth should be crammed into the City.

At this time, I am of the opinion that the node structure needs to be redrawn. I look forward to a review to see how the people of the Valley feel about the Regional Growth Strategy in light of the changes that have occurred in the Valley over the last 10 years.

FOR COUNCIL

Melanie McCollum
Yes, I support the RGS in its current form. New growth should occur within the municipalities and the growth nodes identified in the RSG. I do not see a need to add any new growth nodes.

Will Cole-Hamilton
I do support the Regional Growth Strategy and its theme of managing urban development. While the RGS encompasses many diverse regional needs from water filtration to flood mapping to parks, it also provides a coherent blueprint for growth in our beautiful valley. Keeping growth within the existing urban boundaries is a policy of our Official Community Plan, and it is a policy I fully support.

With significant development planned in the Union Bay area, I do not favour adding any further settlement nodes until those developments are established. We treasure this valley because of its mountains, forests, rivers, and the rich farmland which feeds many families in our communities. The RGS seeks to find a balance between the need for more housing, and preserving the beauty, bounty and biodiversity that surrounds us.

Lyndsey Northcott
Some aspects of the Regional Growth Strategy I do support. Making sure housing is supporting the community and all demographics is important. I do support its theme of funneling new growth into already defined urban areas. I believe we should also be building homes in the rural areas. We are in such housing crisis and it’s critical for our community to have a safe place to live.

Wendy Morin
My approach to the RGS has three main goals: to protect taxpayers, to ensure we have a sustainable community, and to support changing demographics.

I support funneling new growth into defined boundaries, and not adding settlement nodes until the south lands development is underway. Creation and maintenance of infrastructure is costly. This cost increases the further out we develop. Climate change is creating additional challenges. GHG emissions in transportation are rising faster than in any other sector.

I think it’s important to note that although currently we have a larger percentage of seniors, millennials are the fastest growing generation and will surpass numbers of boomers by 2029. The RGS needs to reflect this shifting demographic. This age group (25 to 40) are more likely to utilize multi-modal transportation.

The food systems chapter also needs updating. The impacts of climate change and the pandemic have demonstrated the importance of food security and local food production. Over this term, much work has gone into the housing needs assessment and poverty reduction strategy, and this data will prove useful in the housing section. In conclusion,

I want to ensure that our community grows in a way that is fiscally responsible, equitable, and sustainable.

Doug Hillian
The Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) settled the long-simmering contentious issue of how the Comox Valley should develop, and whether our rural areas would be swallowed up by urban sprawl. I supported the Strategy and advocated infill development to both preserve the rural nature of the Valley and to address our need to upgrade aging infrastructure and avoid the costs of extending that infrastructure beyond established urban areas and the identified settlement nodes.

The next Regional District Board will need to decide if the RGS requires revision or not. It is important to have that debate, but my current approach remains in support of the existing strategy.

As stated in Courtenay’s newly adopted Official Community Plan, “Courtenay’s strategy for managing future growth is to strengthen several existing neighbourhood nodes and corridors across the city through intensification of a variety of land uses, increasing investment in active and transit modes of transportation and creation of vibrant urban spaces. This in turn will reduce development pressure outside of Courtenay’s boundary or the need to annex lands from the electoral areas into Courtenay jurisdiction”.

David Frisch
Yes, I support the Regional Growth Strategy as it’s currently written. The work I’ve supported to have done on Courtenay’s Official Community Plan directly supports smart growth principles and keeping our rural areas rural.

Mano Theos
The regional growth plan is open for discussion. Housing solutions for affordability require larger pieces of land than municipalities have to offer. For instance a tiny home village or manufactured home park. The region district has land mass to accommodate such projects.

Evan Jolicoeur
I am in support of the key themes – environmental stewardship, sustainable economy, food systems, health & wellness, complete & affordable communities, growth management, multi-modal transportation, and climate change – in the RGS to support addressing growth and community impacts.

I am supportive of preventing urban sprawl, while supporting increased community infrastructure (eg. services, roads, schools, etc.) in key settlement nodes. To meet our food security needs we need to protect what little left we have of our rural and agricultural lands. As the impacts of climate change become more extreme, we will need to continue to nurture and grow our protected ecosystems and natural habitats.

The current RGS was adopted in 2011 and as a government administrator and policy advisor, I know the importance of ensuring that plans and strategies are updated and revisited regularly. I would welcome an update to address ongoing and new challenges to our growing community.

Many development projects are underway in Courtenay and the CVRD and prior to adding further settlement nodes beyond the extensive development areas identified in the RGS or the Courtenay Official Community Plan, I am supportive of ensuring our community understands the impacts of the two southern CVRD (Area A) developments that are nearing completion.

Steffan Chmuryk
I think that Courtenay can accommodate growth and I agree with the intent of the regional growth strategy. However, I believe that we should be honest about the consequences moving forward, because our existing road infrastructure is at its limits. In the near term, I believe that some of the traffic challenges that we are experiencing can be addressed with traffic pattern changes, but the reality is that traffic in the core will become unmanageable if we do not begin to develop a coherent and aggressive strategy.

As for the greater question of regional growth, I am of two minds. I believe that multi-modal regional planning is ideal for livability, and most closely corresponds to the current Cumberland-Courtenay-Comox model that we know so well. However, if we rely on cars exclusively, then our infrastructure will choke as a result. I want to see more housing constructed, particularly for first time home buyers and renters, but at this time there are no easy answers to the consequences that will arise.

The developments in Union Bay will create traffic challenges for years to come, particularly if each person who lives there will commute to/from Courtenay each day. For this form of development to continue, there needs to be an element of self-sufficiency in these areas, so that transportation does not suffer from major bottlenecks.

Brennan Day
No, it is important to revisit this document to ensure it is reflecting the current reality of the Comox Valley. It was written at a time that did not put much consideration on KFN land claims or the burgeoning population and current housing shortage. It is obviously important to balance both growth and keeping things rural, but that means updating this document to reflect today.

Starr Winchester
I think the time has come to review our Regional Growth Strategy with significant involvement from the other municipalities and the CVRD. So much has changed in the past 30 years. We have an affordable housing crisis that we are grappling with and we need land to provide more housing. Mt. Washington and Union Bay Estates do not have the infrastructure at this time to support adding housing to the level that we need. Furthermore, these communities are not easily accessible to those without cars.

 

3. Do you believe it is the responsibility of local governments to take climate change-focused actions and to consider how to minimize carbon emissions from municipal operations and facilities in all of the council deliberations?

FOR MAYOR

Bob Wells
I believe it is the responsibility of local government to take action to mitigate climate change and to always be looking for opportunities to lower GHG emissions from municipal operations.

I believe I have had the most impact by getting our Comox Strathcona Organics program approved which will eliminate the methane created by our solid waste. As Chair of the Comox Valley Regional District I was proud to have solar panels installed and further for the CVRD to host information sessions with Hakai Energy to get people using solar power and saving money through a bulk purchase.

The new regional district office has solar panels installed and all efforts were made to make the building energy efficient from dimmable LEDs to motion sensors that automagically turn off lights. Even the new Zamboni is electric at the Sports Centre.

The City of Courtenay has a purchasing policy to buy electric vehicles whenever possible as well as replacing gas powered equipment (leaf blowers etc.) with electric and has been upgrading the HVAC system and lights at the aging City Hall. There is discussion of upgrading our Transit Buses to electric as a pilot program which would be great to see.

Erik Eriksson
Yes

FOR COUNCIL

Melanie McCollum
Yes. All levels of government must act to address the climate crisis within the confines of what they control. At the local government level, the primary tools to address GHG emissions are land use policy, building codes and municipal operations and facilities.

Will Cole-Hamilton
I do believe that it is the responsibility of local governments to consider climate change in their decision making. Back in 2019 I brought forward the motion which stated that “climate change must be considered at every stage of the development of our new Official Community Plan.” Planning with climate change in mind is just common sense in local government today, which is why that resolution received a positive response from our Director of Planning, and passed unanimously.

Our OCP sets a course to reduce our emissions as a community by 45 percent. This goal is similar to the 50 percent goal of the CVRD and the 40 percent targets set by the governments of BC and Canada. This will help Courtenay keep in step with other levels of government and the programs and grants they are supporting.

To meet those targets we will need to make mitigation a factor in decision-making at a corporate and a community level. And we will continue in our planning to consider how best to adapt to the changing conditions that climate change will bring.

Lyndsey Northcott
I do you believe it is the responsibility of local governments to take climate change-focused actions and to consider how to minimize carbon emissions from municipal operations and facilities in all of the council’s or board’s deliberations.

Wendy Morin
Yes, I believe it the responsibility of local governments to take action on climate change, and it should be a lens for decision-making. The City of Courtenay was an early adopter of the BC Climate Action Charter, signing on in 2007. Currently 187 of 190 local governments have adopted the Charter.

Local policies can have the most direct impact on reducing GHG emissions. Local citizens understand the urgency of climate action and have voiced support for this direction, particularly through the recent Official Community Plan (OCP) consultation process. The updated OCP is the first in Canada to have climate action as one of four core directions. Whether it’s a decision on a new piece of equipment, a rezoning application, or a city building reno, reducing emissions is a priority for deliberations.

With the often devastating effects of climate change we’ve experienced such as flooding, wildfires, heat domes, atmospheric rivers, and excessive snowfall, the time is now to do all we can to protect our community and citizens.

Doug Hillian
Action to address climate change is not only the city’s responsibility, it is our obligation as a signatory to the BC Climate Action Charter since 2007. It is also, in my view, a moral obligation to our future generations.

The Climate Charter stipulates our agreement to take action to reduce emissions within municipal operations and community-wide, including the commitment to a compact and more energy efficient community.

The city adopted a Corporate Climate Action Strategy in 2009, identifying actions to reduce GHG emissions. More recently, Council has declared a climate emergency, renewed the Official Community Plan (OCP) with a focus on climate, initiated policy on divestment from fossil fuels, adopted a Flood Management Strategy, implemented bylaws on urban agriculture, stream protection and tree retention, taken action on air quality, worked regionally to implement organics composting and supported climate action as a strategic driver at the Regional District.

As we implement the OCP, climate change needs to inform all decisions, working towards the declared goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

David Frisch
Yes. It is all of our responsibility to strive to make changes that support climate change mitigation (reducing ghg’s) and adaptation (preparing for sea level rise). That is why I supported the use of a climate change lens while updating our Official Community Plan. As it happens, much climate change action improves people’s quality of life.

Mano Theos
We as individuals can be good stewards and do our parts to lesson climate impacts. Also encourage others in a respectful manner.

Evan Jolicoeur
Absolutely. Municipalities are responsible for over 50 percent of carbon emissions. We have a moral and ethical duty to act decisively to reduce the impacts of climate change. Local climate action is quicker and is responsive to our unique community needs. By managing climate risks now, we can protect the well-being, economic prosperity and lower the costs for all future generations.

As a young person, addressing runaway climate change is foundational to a liveable future. I will center the climate change crisis and its resulting impacts, on the economy, social fabric, and natural environment, in our local government planning and decision-making.

There are many areas where municipalities can address climate change, from transportation and renewable energy, to buildings, community infrastructure, to land use planning and waste management. Committing our corporate activities, programs and services to carbon neutrality would position our community as a climate leader.

I am committed to protecting our ecological assets, increasing green spaces and parks, expanding our climate emergency planning, supporting climate adaptation and mitigation, increasing food security, and bolstering watershed protection. We need a future-proof community that prioritizes the interconnectedness of a healthy environment, healthy economy and healthy people.

Steffan Chmuryk
I do not believe we are in a position to tackle everything all at once. I want all city activities to be as close to zero carbon as possible, but I would not present this as an obstacle to performing necessary city tasks. If we can reduce methane emissions from the landfill or wastewater treatment, and if we can adopt electric vehicles for city work, then by all means we should.

But we cannot prevent ourselves from performing necessary work by overcomplicating each problem with new criteria. To me this method of addressing important problems creates a disincentive for addressing other critical challenges, such as housing or necessary infrastructure improvements.

Brennan Day
Yes, so long as they are measurable and cost effective. Courtenay’s current emissions are far below the provincial average, so it is important we are getting a good return on any climate change focussed initiatives.

Starr Winchester
Local councils and the Comox Valley Regional District have already been taking these actions. If elected, I would support the option of providing greener, cleaner initiatives if they are feasible, according to our budget.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHERE AND WHEN TO VOTE

General Voting Day is Saturday, Oct. 15 for all local government positions.

Comox Valley Regional District

General Voting Day and advance voting take place at the CVRD building in Courtenay from 8 am to 8 pm.

Go to this link for General Voting Day locations in the three Electoral Areas.

Additional voting takes place on Oct. 6 from 9 am to 12 pm on Denman Island and on Oct. 6 from 2 pm to 5 pm on Hornby Island

Courtenay

Advance Voting begins on Wednesday October 5, 2022, 8 am to 8 pm at the Native Sons Hall, and again on Wednesday October 12, 2022, 8 am to 8 pm at the Florence Filberg Centre.

General Voting Day, Saturday, October 15, 2022, 8 am to 8 pm at the Queneesh Elementary School, and at the Florence Filberg Centre.

Comox

Advance voting begins Wednesday, October 5 from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. at the Comox Community Centre, and on Saturday, October 8 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Genoa Sail Building at Comox Marina, and again on Monday, October 10 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Genoa Sail Building at Comox Marina, and on Wednesday, October 12 from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. at the Comox Community Centre.

General Voting Day runs from 8 am to 8 pm on Oct. 15 at the Comox Community Centre.

Cumberland

All voting in the Village of Cumberland takes place from 8 am to 8 pm at the Cumberland Cultural Centre. Advance voting takes place on Oct. 5 and Oct. 12.

 

 

 

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Here’s the latest Comox Valley local government election results

Mayor Bob Wells and all Courtenay incumbent councillors have been re-elected. Evan Jolicoeur has also been elected. Manno Theos has lost his seat.

Jonathan Kerr, Jenn Meilleur, Steve Blacklock, Chris Haslett, Ken Grant and Maureen Swift have been elected in Comox.

Vickey Brown has been elected mayor in Cumberland, defeating long-time mayor and councillor Leslie Baird.

Voting down -20.6% in Courtenay, -22.3% in Comox and -50.9% in Cumberland.

Full results with Electoral Areas A, B and C, school board and Islands Trust results in the morning.

Daniel Arbour in Area A and Edwin Grieve in Area C won by wide margins. Richard Hardy defeated Arzeena Hamir by 23 votes.

Shannon Aldinger topped the polls in races for SD71 school trustees.

Click the headline on this page for complete results and voter turnout.

Our recommendations in the 2022 Comox Valley local government elections

Decafnation announces its list of preferred candidates in this year’s local government elections and for the first time we identify candidates that we think show promise and provide our reasons for not endorsing the other candidates. Our endorsements fall on the first day of voting at advance polls