Full Day of Virtual Candidate Panels Scheduled

Kamloops residents will be able to evaluate local election candidates on Wednesday, Sept. 23, during an extensive lineup of virtual sessions. The upcoming event is jointly hosted by Castanet Kamloops and the Kamloops & District Chamber of Commerce.

The programming opens with three separate councillor discussions running from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., noon to 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Following these, the mayoral candidates will participate in a dedicated forum scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Standardized Questions and Viewing Access

To ensure direct comparisons between contenders running for the same seat, each participant will respond to a uniform set of inquiries. Organizers are gathering these questions from event sponsors, community partners, the Chamber, Castanet, and local voters.

Although members of the public cannot attend in person, organizers are looking into possibilities for local public viewing parties. The sessions will be broadcast live on Castanet, with digital recordings remaining accessible online until voting day on Oct. 17.

“Local elections shape decisions that affect every business in this city, from housing to infrastructure to how we grow,” said Acacia Pangilinan, executive director of the Chamber. “These forums give candidates a real opportunity to speak to those issues, and give our members and the broader community a clear way to hear from everyone running for mayor and council before they vote.”

In-Person Senior-Focused Event Planned

A separate, free public forum will take place the following day on Thursday, Sept. 24. Hosted by incumbent councillor Nancy Bepple, this in-person event is scheduled from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Mount Paul Community Food Centre, located at 140 Laburnum St.

This second session invites attendees to pose questions directly to candidates regarding matters affecting seniors along with the wider community.

Six-Way Mayoral Race Highlighted in Kamloops

Voters in Kamloops will select from six candidates for mayor in next month’s municipal election following Friday’s 4:00 p.m. application deadline. Incumbent Reid Hamer-Jackson is seeking re-election against current councillor Mike O’Reilly alongside former councillors Nelly Dever and Ray Dhaliwal. Two late additions to the ballot, design contractor Ivory Winston and social worker Kris Middleton, were revealed after the deadline passed. A total of 29 individuals are vying for council seats, including seven incumbents.

Contested Races and Acclamations Across Surrounding Municipalities

Competitions for mayor are set across several neighbouring communities. In Merritt, mayor Mike Goetz faces challenger Gordon Keyser, while all six incumbent councillors and two new contenders are seeking office. Former Cache Creek mayor John Ranta reversed a previous decision to step down and joins Annette Pittman and Wendy Coomber on the ballot. Incumbent Barbara Roden will compete against Eric Poole in Ashcroft, while Williams Lake mayor Surinderpal Rathor faces former mayor Walt Cobb. In 100 Mile House, Maureen Pinkney is challenged by David Jurek, and Lytton mayor Denise O’Connor faces councillor Jennifer Thoss.

In Clearwater, councillor Shelley Sim is challenging incumbent mayor Merlin Blackwell while simultaneously running for a seat on the Kamloops-Thompson School District Board of Education. Several communities will not hold mayoral elections due to acclamations, including Barriere with Rob Kerslake, Logan Lake with Robin Smith, and Clinton with Roland Stanke. Race car driver Jason White is the sole mayoral candidate in Sun Peaks, as incumbent Rob O’Toole is running for a council seat instead.

Regional District and School Board Elections

Voters in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District will cast ballots in just two of ten electoral areas. Area ‘E’ features incumbent Jim Smith against former director Sally Watson, and Area ‘I’ pits incumbent Tricia Thorpe against former director Steven Rice. Meanwhile, 16 candidates, including five incumbents, are competing for five Kamloops seats on the Kamloops-Thompson School District Board of Education. Rural school board races include Shelley Sim against TNRD director Lee Onslow in the Clearwater area, and incumbent Cara McKelvey against Marie McGivern in Logan Lake. Local officials may update candidate lists as packages are finalized ahead of the October 17 election.

Direct Role in Planning TFL 59

A new partnership between the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) and the Gorman Group, signed via Similkameen Forest Products Ltd., ensures the OIB will participate directly in managing Tree Farm Licence 59. Located in the band’s traditional territory east of Oliver, the forest licence area will now involve early-stage planning by Nk’Mip Forestry LLP, the OIB’s forestry company.

Community Benefits and Local Economic Impact

The joint arrangement focuses on keeping local forestry benefits within the community. “This partnership will help create more jobs, specific training opportunities, and longer-term revenue for the Osoyoos Indian Band and our people,” said OIB Chief Clarence Louie. He added that the agreement enables the OIB to build skills and experience for future responsibilities while strengthening its position in the local forest economy.

Balancing Cultural Priorities and Industrial Supply

Nk’Mip will collaborate with Similkameen Forest Products Ltd. to plan proposed harvest sites. Their work will incorporate considerations for wildlife habitat, forest health, water quality, wildfire resilience, and sites of cultural or traditional importance. Norm Druck, South Zone Woodlands Manager for the Gorman Group, emphasized the area’s dual significance, noting that this portion of land represents the cultural heartland of the band—supporting traditional medicines, food, jobs, and spiritual well-being—while also supplying timber for the Gorman Group’s regional manufacturing facilities.